CHINESE SUGAR CANE. 227 



My next grinding was Sept. 29tli, and was with a common 

 cider mill, as was the first above mentioned, and, indeed, all 

 done subsequently. The first cane ground was pressed, but not 

 the second or the third, as it became less an object to obtain a 

 large quantity, than to ascertain the best method of manufac- 

 turing with such appliances as farmers have within their reach 

 generally. The juice in this case was filtered through sand, 

 but the sand was coarse, and the same difficulty occurred as 

 before, viz. : the vegetable particles remained sufficient to still 

 give the corn-stalk taste, though less of it. The quantity of 

 juice obtained appeared to be about the same as before ; but 

 as the first was pressed and this was not, no exact comparison 

 could be made. We now boiled seven gallons to one, and when 

 the boiling was about half done, added a large teaspoonful of 

 soda. This sirup was fine, needing nothing but to get rid of 

 the elements mentioned above. 



The third grinding and boiling was on the 9th of October — 

 860 canes ; and I ought to state that both the cane of this 

 grinding, and that ground on the 29tli of September, had the 

 leaves and upper part of the stalks removed ; about two feet 

 being taken off. The prodvict, in quantity, was not sensibly 

 altered, neither was the quality. I filtered the liquor through 

 a finer sand than before, and consequently there were fewer 

 impurities to rise during the boiling, but I cannot say the 

 offensive taste had disappeared. Perhaps I make too much of 

 this clement ; indeed, I admit I was not a little flattered, when 

 exhibiting a portion of my last boiling to a few gentlemen in 

 Boston, to be told it was better than any they had before met 

 with ; and a large grocer, who was selling New York sugar- 

 house molasses or sirup, very heavy and rich, at fifty cents per 

 gallon, assured me that mine would command seventy-five 

 cents, and he was desirous to obtain all I had at that price. 



For the purpose of determining the question whether the 

 sugar cane is a paying crop, I have compared it with Indian 

 corn in the following manner. I have £0 hills of the cane upon 

 a square rod. Of Indian corn, on land side by side, or with a 

 few rods of potatoes only between, I planted 25 hills upon a 

 square rod ; the manure in both cases was nearly the same, in 

 quantity and quality, with the exception of a spoonful of guano 

 in each hill of cane, not applied to the corn. The square rod 



