COR 



COR 



good crystallization cannot possibly 

 be obtained. 



" The whole time occupied from tlic 

 cutting of the cane to finishing its 

 boiling should not exceed one hour. 



"5th. To know u-hcn the boiling is fin- 

 ished, place a thermometer in the ket- 

 tle, and continue to evaporate until 

 it stands at 230^ Fahrenheit. If, 

 when placed to run off after cooling. 

 It should be found too freely boiled, 

 the next time boil to 240=, or, if too 

 light to run off, to 238°, and so on. 



" 6th. The kettle or boiler should be 

 so arranged that the moment it is 

 done its charge should be thrown 

 into a cooler capable of holding a 

 number of charges. The first charge 

 should be left in the cooler, with stir- 

 ring, untU the second charge is thrown 

 in ; then with an oar scrape the crys- 

 tals found on the side and bottom of 

 the cooler loose, and gently stir the 

 whole mass together (the less stirred 

 the better) ; so continue, at the let- 

 ting in of each charge, to stir gently ; 

 and when all is in the cooler, let the 

 whole stand until it cools down to 

 175° ; then fill out into sugar moulds 

 of a capacity not less than 14 gal- 

 lons. When cooled in the mould 

 sufficient (say fourteen hours), pull 

 the plug out of the bottom of the 

 mould, and insert a sharp point near- 

 ly as large as the hole, some six inch- 

 es ; withdraw the point, and stand 

 the mould on a pot to drip. 



" 7th. ]{ the sugar is intended to be 

 brown, leaving it standing on the spot 

 for a sufficient length of time, in a 

 temperature of 80°, will run off its 

 molasses, and leave it in a merchant- 

 able shape ; it will probably require 

 twenty days ; it can then be thrown 

 out of the moulds, and will be fit for 

 use. When moulds cannot be ob- 

 tained, conical vessels of wood or 

 metal, with a hole at the apex, will 

 answer equally well. 



" The above description will be suf- 

 ficient for any operator if strictly fol- 

 lowed ; but should any of your friends 

 wish to make the experiment on a 

 large scale, or to produce white in- 

 stead of brown sugar at a single op- 

 eration, they had better see me per- 



sonally before commencing, as the 

 kind of kettle, and many otlier minor 

 particulars, will be important. The 

 above description, however, is fully 

 sufficient for the use of the farmer. 

 If the juice of corn-stalks be manu- 

 factured with the rapidity named in 

 the former part of this letter, no clari- 

 fication will be necessary, and scum, 

 which may rise during the boiling, 

 can be taken off with a skimmer ; 

 but in the large way both clarifica- 

 tion and filtration would be requisite, 

 as in large operations every part of 

 the kettle cannot be got at to skim. 

 Since I last saw you I have made 

 some experiments on the corn-stalk ; 

 and if your statements are correct as 

 to the quantity of juice which can be 

 obtained from the acre, then there 

 can be no doubt of its entire supe- 

 riority over the sugar-cane. I fear, 

 however, that the enthusiasm of those 

 who made the experiments you spoke 

 of has led them into errors. It is 

 : true that the juice of the corn-stalk, 

 grown with a view to sugar making, 

 will yield a juice at 10° Beaume. I 

 have arrangements to try the experi- 

 ments fully in the coming summer, 

 and when done will communicate the 

 result." 



CORN FOR SOILING, or HAY. 

 Corn sown broad-cast or in close 

 drills has been much used of late for 

 soiling ; it is cut from four to six 

 weeks old, and is relished by cattle 

 when mixed with other fodders. It 

 I should be gradually introduced into 

 \ their food, lest it produce scouring. 

 ! An acre thickly set produces upward 

 of six tons of dry fodder, and much 

 more, according to some farmers. It 

 IS readily cured for hay by sweating 

 in cocks, but cannot be dried enough 

 by spreading in swarth only. As hay, 

 it is nearly equal to fine grass, and 

 readily eaten. 



I Corn is remarkably free from de- 

 ! structive diseases ; the smut masses 

 which afTect the stems are seldom 

 • sufficiently abundant to destroy the 

 crop; the caterpillars that prey on 

 the leaves occasionally destroy a 

 few young plants ; the cutworm, in 

 rich soils, is the severest enemy. 



189 



