186 



Experiments in the manufacture of Corn-stalk Sugar. Vol. IX. 



Report of Experiments in the Manufac- 

 tnre of Corn-stalk Sugar. 



[For which experiments a premium of one hunilreil 

 dollars lius been awarded by the New York Slate 

 Agricultural Society.] 



By M. Adams, of Ogdcn, Monroe co., N. Y. 



It is now but three or four years since it 

 was discovered that suo^ar could be made 

 from the corn-stalk. Very little attention 

 was given to the subject, until the appear- 

 ance of a Report made to Congress by Mr. 

 Ellsworth, (Commissioner of Patents. The 

 account given by iiim of experiments made 

 the preceding year, which he had collected 

 from the different parts of the United States; 

 the great cmount of practical information 

 embraced in the Report, together with the 

 very- interesting and important character 

 given to the subject, awakened public atten- 

 tion. The fact, too, that a new method of 

 producuig another almost indispensable arti- 

 cle, discovered about tiic same time, and 

 which had already been brought to consider- 

 able perfection, and proved so triumphantly 

 successful, has perhaps had an influence in 

 leading- us to expect that soon sugar would 

 be as easily produced from the corn-stalk, as 

 oil now is from hogs'-lard. Indeed, so obvi- 

 ous is it to every considerate person, that 

 the position once established that sugar can 

 be produced in this way, it is no less than 

 bringing an article almost indispensable as 

 a part of our daily food, and a most health- 

 ful and harmless luxury, as much within 

 reach of every family in the United States, 

 as the very corn has been from which it is 

 produced. 



Viewing the subject in this light, perhaps, 

 induced the Executive Committee of the 

 New York State Agricultural Society, to 

 offer the very liberal premium of one hun- 

 dred dollars for the " best experiment" in 

 testing the value of the crop, and the prac- 

 ticability of cultivating it. ' The thmg was 

 new — much expense must be incurred — a 

 mill and other apparatus must be construct- 

 ed — "the juice extracted by iron rollers, so 

 as to obtain the maximum quantity of sugar" 

 — one acre of northern corn, cultivated for 

 the purpose, to be submitted to the -test. 

 With all the above requisitions I have en- 

 deavoured fully to comply; and now, the 

 last, but not least, to make a "full report of 

 the process and expense," remains to be 

 done. 



So great is the interest felt upon this sub- 

 ject, that it is presumed a very minute ac- 

 count of the process will be expected. In 

 the performance of this duty I must claim 

 the indulgence of the committee, for the 

 writing of Reports is new business to me. 



Raising the Corn. — One acre of ground 

 was selected of a sandy loam, cultivated 

 last year to ruta-baga; this wae nmnured 

 with thirty loads of the best stable manure, 

 well mixed in with the soil by twice plough- 

 ing and harrowing-. Corn planted the l5th 

 of May, with eight-rowed nortiicrn corn ; 

 t!ie rows three feet apart one way, and hills 

 eigliteen inclies ihe other, with six to eight 

 kernels in a hill. It came up finely, and 

 was plastered the 31st' of May; hoed the 

 first time the 9th and 10th of June, the se- 

 cond time 24th of June. Cultivator run 

 through it three times. The corn began to 

 tassel the ISth of July, and was in full tas- 

 sel the first of August. 



Up to this time the crop had looked un- 

 commonly well, but from the 1st of August 

 a severe drought commenced, and continued 

 until the crop was very materially injured. 

 Some spots where tlie corn had grown most 

 luxuriantly, withered and dried up; other 

 parts of the field suffered less, so that on 

 the whole there was some more than half 

 of a good crop, or what there would have 

 been if the season had continued favourable. 

 Culling, Grinding, and Boiling. — Cut 

 the first stalks, and made the first experi- 

 ment at grinding and boiling, the 25th of 

 August. The stalks at this time were quite 

 green, but the produce was quite satisfacto- 

 ry, an^ appeared quite favourable for crys- 

 talizing. The juice was very abundant, of 

 a greenish colour, veiy rich, thick and heavy, 

 j^et retaining all the flavour of the corn- 

 stalk, until af\er cleansing and boiling. 



August 30th, made the second batch. 

 This was boiled in a shallow sheet-iron pan, 

 clarified and strained according to the direc- 

 tions given in Mr. Ellsworth's Report. From 

 this batch was taken the specimen of sugar 

 exhibited to the committee at the State Fair 

 in Rochester. 



Other experiments were made the 4th 

 and 7th of September. 



The object of these successive experi- 

 ments was mainly to determine at what 

 time the saccharine matter was sufficiently 

 matured to make crystallized sugar. 



On the 11th of September the stalks ap- 

 peared in the right stage, and the cutting, 

 grinding and boiling were commenced, and 

 continued with little intermission until the 

 whole was completed. The method pursued 

 in this operation, was to keep a sufficient 

 number of hands in the field to strip the 

 leaves or blades, and cut off the tops as fast 

 as the stalks were wanted for use; this la- 

 bour was generally performed by boys. The 

 corn-field being at a little distance from the 

 mill, the horse used for grinding was put 

 before a light wagon, driven to the field, the 



