708 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



oiherwise would be lost, is converled into a eui- 

 phate, leaving tiie liberated alumina to absorb 

 more ammonia. The caustic lime is converted 

 into a carbonate by combining with carbonic acid 

 from the atmosphere, or meeting with acid in the 

 soil is thus n-euira!ized. 



But my iiiteniidn was not to present theories, 

 but barely to state the fact that the ashes from 

 the bituminous coal used in this place, contain 

 sulphate of alumina and lime, and to indicate the 

 process by which any of the readers oCihe Regis- 

 ter might satisfy himself of the same fact. 



JVl. TUOMEY. 



Petersburg, Dec. 18th, 1841. 



MR. Webb's process of making sugar 



FROM CORN-STALKS. 



Extract from tlie Farmers' Cabinet. 



With regard to Mr. Webb's late experiments 

 on oorn-st-alks, I coincide with you in the opinion, 

 that the samples of sugar and molasses which 

 were exhibited at the Horticultural Society's 

 rooms in Philadelphia, were far superior to any 

 that I have seen made from the beet by first pro- 

 cess ; his published account of the mode ofraanu 

 facture is interesting, and the comparative yield 

 per cent, of sugar is very great, and not easily to 

 be accounted lor ; (or while he is obtaining one 

 quart of cryslallizable liquor from six quarts o(^ ex- 

 pressed jaice from the corn-stalk, the Louisiana 

 planters find that their richest juice from the cane 

 yields no more than one in eight, the average be- 

 ing from thirteen to filteen, and some as low as 

 thtrty or fifty for one. Mr. Webb's communica- 

 tion has found its way into many of the distant pa- 

 pers, and they have senerally made it appear that 

 he has obtained 1000 pounds of sugar per acre 

 from the corn-stalk, whereas, he only says his 

 opinion is that that quantity per acre may be ob- 

 tained by an improved mode of cultivation, &c.; 

 but I would ask, would even that quantity of sugar 

 pay the expense of manufticture and remunerate 

 the loss of the corn crop 7 I confess that I fear not. 

 You very properly compliment Mr. Webb on his 

 Burcese, and I am willing to award him a medal 

 for his ingenuity and perseverance, but, for what 

 part of the process he conceives he has a right to 

 a patent, 1 am at a loss to conjecture. II it be 

 upon the simple fact of having obtained sugar 

 from the corn-stalk, hundreds of old people will 

 tell him they accomplished that, many years ago, 

 and long before he was born, it being a common 

 practicein the time of the revolution ; the manu- 

 laelurere, however, contenting themselves with 

 the syrup, and not carrying the evaporation to the 

 crystallizing point, their object of procuring mo- 

 lasses being obtained. Or, is it in the simple ope- 

 ration of extracting the ear in its embryo state, by 

 which to concentrate the juices in ihe stock and to 

 prevent their dissipation? Now this has been 

 practised for ages on the cocoa-tree for the very 

 same purpose, and JNlr. Webb no doubt knew it, 

 and has merely adopted the process. We are lold, 

 " It is usual to deprive some of those trees of their 

 fruit-buds, in order that they may produce a drink 

 called ' paviah arrack,' and it is tlie employment 

 of some men to collect this article, which is sold 

 under the name of toddy." It cannot be for the 



peculiar process of manufacture, for the very sim- 

 ple mode djescribed in Mr. Webb's letter, and the 

 stale of Ihe molasses exhibited, prove that the 

 operations must have been of the most ineffective 

 kind, or the molasses would not have held at least 

 60 per cent, of sugar in solution, a convincing fact 

 that the point of concentration had not been either 

 understood or practised, and that the whole pro- 

 cess of matmliicture had been most ineHectually 

 perlormed. Now, let it not be supposed that I 

 wish to detract an iota from the crdit which ia 

 Mr, Webb's due; but I wish that he would in- 

 form the readers of the Cabinet, what are the 

 specificaiions upon which he grounds his right to 

 restrict us (lom doing what has been done lor the 

 last age ; poinling out what original principle or 

 new combination is exhibited in his mode of 

 manufacturing sugar from the corn-stalk. 



J.M. C. 

 Eastern Shore, Md , Nov. 10, 1841. 



STOCKING CORN. CASTING FOAL. 



From the New England Farmer. 

 In the Farmer, of November 24, we have Mr. 

 Durand's method of stooking corn, from the Al- 

 bany Cultivator. With him I entirely agree, that 

 culling up corn is the easiest, safest and best way 

 of managing, both for grain and fodder; and also, 

 that laying down the corn, or binding it into bun- 

 dles, is tedious and unnecessary. I take five rows, 

 selecting two good hills on the centre row, and 

 twistisg their tops together for a foundation, then 

 cut and set round these two hills as much as wi:l 

 make a stook of a suitable size. Put your arms 

 round the stook, and lake hold of about half a 

 dozen good stalks, cross them, bring them for- 

 ward, and tie wiih a grain knot. Then double 

 down the tassels, and bind with one stalk, or 

 twist them together, and the stook is done. I 

 think my way rather the best ; for two hills stand 

 bracing, and give the stook such a support that 

 they cannot blow over. The space in the centre 

 gives the air a chance to circulate, and the corn' 

 will not damage in any weather, even if put up 

 green and wet. But I think the greatest im- 

 provement on Mr. Durand's mode is in tying 

 with the stalks; ihis, though diflncult to describe, 

 is done in an instant, and saves the trouble of 

 making bands. Doubling down the tassels is of 

 no great consequence, but adds to the neatness of 

 the siook, and a very slight fastening is sufficient. 

 Corn put up in this way will stand lor any length' 

 of time in any kind of weather, and be perfecily 

 safe from every thing but vermin. When you 

 wish to cart it, let one hand bend over the stook, 

 and another cut the standing hills with a sickle, 

 and both together throw it in the cart. 



Now my hand is in, I wish to make an inquiry, 

 and state a fact, hoping ihat you, Mr, Editor, or 

 some of your readers, will favor us with your 

 opinion. 



I have often heard that the sight of fi-esh beef 

 would make a mare with foal miscarry, but al- 

 ways considered it as a moon story. Is it true or 

 nof? Now for Ihe fact. We had a four-year old 

 mare which had brought a fine colt this spring, 

 and was again with foal. About three weeks 

 since, some beef was to be killed on Ihe barn floor 



