70 THK ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 



POLITICS AND FARMING. 



I had a talk with P. C. Black, Probate Judge of Geneva 

 County, a son of ex-Sheriff Black, and interested with him in 

 the production of syrup. Let it be understood that the Black 

 family is a power in Geneva County politics. In the^year he 

 finished his 'term as Sheriff, George W. Black had the grati- 

 fication of seeing his son elected Probate Judge of the county. 

 The son, P. C. Black, is one of the youngest, if not the young- 

 est. Probate Judge in the United States. He is withal, a frank, 

 sincere and likable young fellow, highly esteemed throughout 

 the whole county. 



Judge Black told me how his' father became interested in 

 the growing of cane on a small scale, to later take it up as a 

 money crop. 



"He, of course, had heard of the marked success of W. B. 

 Roddenberry, in syrup making at Cairo, Ga.," said Judge Black. 

 "Before entering into it extensively he wanted to get in touch 

 with modern methods. He therefore went over to Cairo and 

 spent some time watching the operation of Mr. Roddenberry's 

 modern plant with its late and useful machinery. He came 

 back to Geneva and ordered an exact duplicate of it piece for 

 piece and part for part. At the time the machinery was put 

 up it was the only set in Alabama. I understand that similar 

 machinery has been installed by E. Smith, near Fairhope. 



THE machinery's ADX'ANTAGE. 



"The advantages of this machinery are too plain to need 

 discussion. In the first place, the steam rollers crush out 80 

 per cent, or more of the weight of the cane in juice. The cane 

 stalks are often run twice through these rollers. The juice is 

 tliCn forced into the vats by steam. From the first vat the juice 

 passes into the skimming vat, where the impurities rise to the 

 surface to be taken off and thrown aside. The juice then 

 passes into the finishing vat where it almost becomes syrup, 

 and where some remaining but final impurities are removed. 

 Finally it enters the last vat and becomes syrup for the market. 



"The syrup is put in the tin cans piping hot and thus sealed. 

 The cans have first been sterilized and there is no danger of 

 the syrup either fermenting on the other hand or sugaring on 



