22 



Making Sugar from Corn-sialhs. 



Vol. X. 



From the Cultivator. 

 Making Sugar from Corn-stalks. 



A SHORT time since I met with Mr. 

 Adams' account ot his experiment in manu- 

 facturing- corn-stalk sugar, undertaken from 

 the inducements offered by the New York 

 State Agricultural Society, and for which 

 they awarded him a premium of one hun- 

 dred dollars. I was much interested in its 

 perusal, as it strongly reminded me of the 

 difficulties and discouragements experienced 

 in the earlier stages of the same inquiry, 

 when experiment was the only available 

 source of knowledge to which we could 

 turn for assistance in our exertions. As I 

 have pursued this subject with unabated 

 confidence and reasonable success, since its 

 commencement, my experience may per- 

 haps be useful to Mr. Adams and otliers en- 

 gaged in perfecting this important and inte- 

 resting manufacture. 



Before proceeding further, I must find a 

 little fault with your Agricultural Society. 

 Its premium was offered for the "maximum 

 quantity of sugar made from an acre of 

 northern corn." It appears to me that the 

 great object to attain, is a plan by which 

 sugar may be made ■profitably. It is very 

 possible to expend more labour in the manu- 

 facture than the article would be worth; 

 such a plan would of course be worthless 

 practically, whatever might be the amoiuii 

 produced. Secondly, in planting corn for 

 sugar, I should prefer seed that had ripened 

 in a more southern latitude, as less liable to 

 run to ear early in the season. In raising 

 this crop, the great end to secure, is the 

 perfect growth of the plant in every particu- 

 lar, except in tlie formation of its seed. No 

 plan ever yet tried has succeeded com- 

 pletely in effecting this object. Those stalks 

 which — from some cause yet unknown — 

 liave shown no disposition to form grain, 

 are always far more juicy, and yield a much 

 larger quantity of sugar than those from 

 which the ear has been removed. As soon 

 as this hitherto accidental condition of the 

 plant is brought by persevering efforts, 

 within our control, I confidently expect that 

 the corn-stalk will not merely rival but ex- 

 ceed the sugar-cane in the amount of sac- 

 charine matter it will yield. The past sea- 

 son, a small lot of corn was planted in rows 

 three feet apart and about six inches asunder 

 in the row. As soon as the tassels appeared 

 they were pulled out. The result of this 

 experiment was encouraging, but not en- 

 tirely satisfactory ; another lot of corn grow- 

 ing within one hundred yards, was allowed 

 to tassel, and this perhaps caused the partial 

 failure. In order to try this plan fairly, the 



corn should be grown distant from any other, 

 and the tassels pulled out before any of their 

 pollen has been shed. Very thick planting, 

 in order to prevent earing, is objectionable, 

 as it renders the crop more liable to be pros- 

 trated by storms; and the stalks being small, 

 the labour of handling them is increased ; 

 they should not be less than one inch in 

 diameter, or about the size of broom handles; 

 the distances in planting in order to produce 

 this size, will vary according to the quality 

 of the soil. Whatever plan is adopted to 

 prevent earing, it must be attended to, or 

 tlie sugar of the stalk will be expended in 

 the formation of grain. 



When the corn is ripe — which will hap- 

 pen about the usual time of cutting corn — 

 cut off the tops at the point where the ear 

 generally forms; the leaves, on the stalk 

 below this, are few in number and mostly 

 dead ; they may be sufficiently removed by 

 simply passing the knife from top to bottom 

 on each side of the stalk. By pursuing this 

 plan, the formidable labour of stripping the 

 stalks, which has been complained of, is 

 greatly lessened, and the whole business 

 put in a practicable shape. 



The method of curing "tops and blades" 

 is so well understood by farmers, that no- 

 thing need be said about it here. Experi- 

 ence has proved that the extras of this crop 

 — the tops, blades, crushed stalks, &c. — are 

 worth more, when properly secured, than 

 the whole labour required in growing and 

 manufacturing, provided this labour is econ- 

 omised, in the way pointed out. In the list 

 of plants cultivated for forage, there is not 

 in the whole world, another one that is equal 

 to this in the amount of nutriment which it 

 contains. It is well worth cultivating for 

 the fodder alone; the stalks therefore cost 

 nothing; every farmer may see from this, 

 how — if he chooses — to steer clear from his 

 grocery bill. 



The mill for grinding, best suited for the 

 farmer, is a simple one, and need not cost 

 more than .$10. 



The boiling apparatus should consist, 1st, 

 of two defecating kettles ; they may be of 

 cast iron, and capable of holdmg as much 

 juice as the mill will press out in fifteen or 

 twenty minutes; these kettles must be placed 

 so that a quick and strong fire can be made 

 under them ; and so arranged that they can 

 be emptied at a moment's warning. 2nd. 

 Two or three evaporating pans ; a single 

 sheet of Russia iron, bent up six inches at 

 the sides and ends, and riveted, makes an 

 excellent pan of this description. 3rd. Two 

 copper or tin pans for finishing; these should 

 be flat bottomed, six inches deep, and so ar- 

 ranged that they can be removed from the 



