No. 10. 



Maize or Corn-Sugar. 



307 



Extracts from Mr. Webb's Essay. 



" It is a part of the system of cane planting 

 in Louisiana, to raise as full a stand of cane 

 upon the ground as possible ; experience hav- 

 ing proved that the most sugar is obtained 

 from land in this way." As far as my expe- 

 rience has gone, the same thing is true of 

 corn. This point must therefore be attended 

 to, and the deficiencies, if any occur, made up 

 by timely replanting. 



The next operation is taking off the ears. 

 Many stalks will not produce any, but wher- 

 ever they appear, they must be removed. It 

 is not best to undertake this work too early; 

 as when the ears first appear, they are ten- 

 der, and cannot be taken off without break- 

 ing, which increases the trouble. Any time 

 before the formation of grain upon them, will 

 be soon enough. Nothing farther is neces- 

 sary to be done until the crop is ready to cut 

 for grinding. In our latitude, the cutting 

 may commence, with the earlier varieties, 

 about the middle of August. The later kinds 

 will be ripe in September, and continue in 

 season until cut off by frost. The stalks 

 should be topped and bJaded while standing 

 in the field. They are then cut, lied in bun- 

 dles, and taken to the mill. The top blades, 

 when properly cured, make excellent fodder, 

 rather better, it is believed, than any hitherto 

 used ; and the residuum, after passing the 

 rollers, may easily be dried and used in the 

 same way; another advantage over the cane, 

 which, after the juice is expressed, is usually 

 burned. The mills should be made on the 

 same general principle employed in construct- 

 ing those intended for grinding cane. An 

 important difference, however, will be found, 

 both in the original cost and in the expense 

 of working them. Judging from the com- 

 parative hardness of cane and corn-stalk, it 

 is believed that one-foutth part of the strength 

 necessary in the construction of a cane-mill, 

 will be amply sufficient for corn ; and less than 

 one-fourth part of the power will move it with 

 the same velocity. It may be made with 

 three upright wooden rollers, from twenty to 

 forty inches in length, turned so as to run 

 true, and fitted into a strong frame-work, con- 

 sisting of two horizontal pieces sustained by 

 uprights. These pieces are mortised to admit 

 wedges on each side the pivots of the two 

 outside rollers, by which their distances from 

 the middle one may be regulated. The power 

 is applied to the middle roller, and tiie others 

 are moved from it by means of cogs. In grind- 

 ing, the stalks pass through on the right side 

 of the middle cylinder, and come in contact 

 with a piece of frame-work called the dumb 

 returner, which directs them backwards, so 

 that they pass through the rollers again on 

 the opposite side of the middle one. The 

 modern improved machine is made entirely 



of iron ; three horizontal rollers arranged in 

 a triangular form, one above and two below, 

 the cane or stalk passes directly through, re- 

 ceiving two pressures before it escapes. The 

 lower cylinders are contained in a small cis- 

 tern which receives the juice. The latter 

 machine is the most complete, the former the 

 least expensive. These mills may be moved 

 by cattle, but for large operations, steam or 

 water power is preferable. When the verti- 

 cal cylinders are turned by cattle, the axis of 

 the middle one has long levers fixed across it, 

 extending from ten to fifteen feet from the 

 centre. To render the arms firm, the axis 

 of this roller is carried up to a considerable 

 height, and oblique braces of wood by which 

 the oxen or horses draw, are extended from 

 the top of the vertical axis, to the extremities 

 of each of the arms. "When horizontal cylin- 

 ders are propelled by animal power, the upper 

 roller is turned by cogs at one end, which are 

 caught by cogs on a vertical shaft. It is said 

 that in the West Indies, the purest cane-juice 

 will ferment in twenty minutes after it enters 

 the receiver; corn juice has been kept for 

 one hour before boiling, without any apparent 

 injury resulting; but so much delay is not 

 desirable, as it may be attended with bad ef- 

 fects. The process which has been employed 

 in the manufacture of maize sugar, is as fol- 

 lows: — The juice, after coming from the mill, 

 stood for a short time to deposit some of its 

 coarser impurities; it was then poured off, and 

 passed through a flannel strainer, in order to 

 get rid of such matters as could be thus sepa- 

 rated ; lime water, called milk of lime, was 

 then added in the proportion of one or two 

 table spoonsful to the gallon. It is said by 

 sugar manufacturers, that knowledge on this 

 point can only be acquired by experience; 

 but I have never failed in making sugar from 

 employing too much or too little of the lime. 

 A certain portion of this substance, however, 

 is undoubtedly necessary, and more or less 

 than this will be injurious; but no precise di- 

 rections can be given about it. The juice 

 was then placed over the fire, and brought 

 nearly to the boiling point, when it was care- 

 fully skimmed, taking care to complete this 

 operation before ebullition commenced. It 

 was then boiled down rapidly, removing the 

 scum as it rose. The juice was examined 

 from time to time, and if there was an appear- 

 ance of feculent particles which would not 

 rise to the surface, it was again passed through 

 a flannel strainer. In judging when the syrup 

 was sufficiently boiled, a portion was taken 

 between the thumb and finger, and if, when 

 moderately cool, a thread half an inch long 

 could be drawn, it was considered to be done, 

 and was poured into broad shallow vessels to 

 crystallize. In some cases crystallization com- 

 menced in twelve hours; in others, not till 



