THE CHINESE SUGAR-CANE. 87 



colored. From six of the stalks the juice was 

 expressed and boiled down to the consistency 

 of common molasses, yielding about a common 

 coffee-cup full (or one and two thirds gills) of 

 a rich syrup, which our grocers considered to be 

 richer flavored than ordinary molasses, equal 

 in quality to the syrup of commerce. Please 

 accept, with my best wishes, Mr. Editor, the 

 accompanying sample of the molasses." 



The editor says : "• Friend Gregory will please 

 accept thanks for his fine specimen of Chinese 

 sugar-cane molasses, — an article, wx trust, yet 

 to be generally introduced as one of our staple 

 New England crops. It is a syrup rather than 

 molasses, the latter being an article drained from 

 sugar. Let it have a more extensive trial, an- 

 other season." 



A gentleman in Dorchester, Mass., grew the 

 cane last year, and the seed ripened some weeks 

 before the frost came. This goes to show what 

 I have said in another place, that in a good 

 season, when we have warm Aveather, — warmer 

 than the past season has been, — this plant would 

 fully mature by the 1st to the 10th of Septem- 

 ber. It is true this would give but a shor.t time 

 to manufacture a quantity of sugar or syrup, 

 unless a great many hands were employed. And 

 8* 



