No. 1. 



Sugar from Maize. 



21 



From the Ohio State Journal. 

 Sugar from Maize. 



Sir, — When the fact was announced from 

 a source entitled to the fullest confidence, 

 that corn-stalks were quite equal to the cane 

 for the production of sugar, it was natural 

 to suppose that our farmers would immedi- 

 ately avail themselves of so threat a disco- 

 very, to increase the profits of their labour. 

 But we find that nothing but ocular demon- 

 stration will induce people, in such times as 

 the present, to engage in any new enter- 

 prise, however feasible or promising of bene- 

 ficial results. It was with that view I put 

 up a mill last season, for tlie purpose of 

 making a trial on this subject, and the issue 

 of my experiments proved all that had been 

 before stated to be true, and more, for the 

 fact was established to my satisfaction, that 

 sugar, or at any rate, first-rate molasses, 

 may be made from corn-stalks, after the corn 

 has come sufficiently to maturity to be fed 

 to swine. 



I found that corn-stalks contained vastly 

 more saccharine matter, than I had supposed 

 possible. The expressed juice indicated nine 

 degrees of the sacchrometer, and one gallon 

 produced more than one pound of sugar, 

 which is more than is usually made from the 

 cane. 



I obtained last season, one hundred and 

 fifty pounds of molasses, but only a small 

 part of it granulated, owing to my letting 

 the ears of corn ripen too fully on the stalk, 

 or to an imperfect method of manufacture, 

 or to both. But tliat which did not granu- 

 late, was an excellent article for family use, 

 of a most delicious flavour, and, as we found 

 by experience, very wholesome. 



I have no means of knowing how much 

 sugar can be obtained from a given quantity 

 of ground, but I do know that the product 

 will be abundant, and firmly believe that the 

 time will soon arrive, when th's indispensa- 

 ble article of domestic economy will be pro- 

 duced among us, and that, too, by our own 

 hands. 



The mill that I used to crush the stalks 

 and extract the juice, was made somewhat 

 like a cider mill, — the rollers are 18 inches 

 in diameter, (two feet would be better,) two 

 inches in length, made of wood and con- 

 nected together witii cogs ; the gudgeons at 

 the bottom are made of iron, two inches in 

 diameter. 



One horse turns the mill with ease. A 

 wooden mill, that any carpenter can make, 

 will be sufficient for a whole neighbourhood; 

 but when the business is conducted upon a 

 larger scale, iron cylinders would be prefer- 

 able. 



The boiling was done in iron kettles hung 

 over a fire, out of doors, and 1 found much 

 difficulty in the burning of the syrup on the 

 sides of the kettles, by which a part was de- 

 composed, and became like wa.x, and this 

 again mixing with the whole mass, undoubt- 

 edly tended to prevent chrystalization. Mo- 

 lasses may be made in this way, but for 

 making sugar, suitable boilers should be set 

 in brick work, so that the fire shall only 

 come in contact with the bottom. 



The expressed juice of the maize, like 

 that of the cane, is impure when it comes 

 from the mill, as a portion of the solid parts 

 of the stalk necessarily mixes with the li- 

 quor in the operation of obtaining it, and 

 these must be separated in order to ensure 

 good results. The object of using lime is 

 to effect that purpose and to neutralize the 

 acid the juice is supposed to contain. 



And here I will express an opinion that I 

 have formed in part from observation, and 

 that is, that if the expressed juice is sufl^ered 

 to stand a certain time in a large open vessel, 

 af\er it comes from the mill, the heavier 

 parts of the feculencies will fall to the bot- 

 tom, and the lighter will float on the surface, 

 and when the liquor is drawn off, it will be 

 nearly or quite free from impurities. Should 

 this prove to be the case, a great object will 

 be gained with little trouble ; the only thing 

 that can prevent success in this mode of 

 treating the liquor, will be the commence- 

 ment of fermentation — this, I think, will not 

 take place in our climate, at the season we 

 should be making sugar. Towards the lat- 

 ter part of my operations, I adopted the 

 course above-mentioned, with my syrup ; 

 what I boiled into syrup one day, I let stand 

 to settle until the next, before being made 

 into sugar. Until 1 adopted this plan, I did 

 not succeed at all. 



As to the method of planting corn for this 

 purpose, I have not much experience. The 

 small patch that I planted last year, was 

 done late, so that it did not come to matu- 

 rity ; but I intend to plant some this year, 

 and have the rows about three feet apart, 

 and drop the corn in drills, from one to two 

 inches apart. 



And now, Mr. Editor, I must take the 

 liberty to urge you to call the attention of 

 your readers to this important matter, as 

 planting time is approaching, iind there 

 ought to be thousands of acres devoted to 

 this culture this spring. 



Yours, &c., S. Baldwin. 



Franklin county, April 10th, 1843. 



Encotoage youth to contend with and 

 overcome difficulties. 



