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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



29 



memory of not the oldest inhabitant, in con- 

 sequence of drainage and cultivation, but 

 more in consequence of .the barbarous sys- 

 tem of levelling the forests and not planting 

 others in their place. It is known that rain 

 will not fall so copiously where moisture 

 finds no protection, and we can imagine 

 these level prairies, without anything to ar- 

 rest or condense the vapors, to become in 

 time deserts, instead of gardens, as they are 

 at present. If we disregard the phenomena 

 of nature, its necessities and wants, we, or 

 our posterity will suffer, that we may be as- 

 sured. 



The Chinese Sugar Cane. 



The Patent Office is now distributing the 

 seed of this plant, in the different State*. — 

 That which was distributed from the same 

 office a year since, was sown by many in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country, north, west, 

 east and south, and the result has been very 

 satisfactory. The plant has been found to 

 make most excellent fodder, and when the 

 experiment has been made of its saccharine 

 'qualities, has given decided satisfaction. — 

 No to go any farther than our own State, 

 we know, that in Wabash county, Sangamon 

 county, and Rock Island county, most ex- 

 cellent molasses has been made of the juice 

 of the plant. We have tested the molasses 

 made in this county and Rock Island county, 

 and are perfectly certain that the article 

 was fully up to the standard of any we 

 have seen from Louisiana. Specimens made 

 in this county, with little care, granulated; 

 so that we are sure the syrup can be con- 

 verted into sugar. 



In the Patent Office Report for 1856, 

 just published, are several communications 

 in relation to this cane. Mr. Joseph C. 

 Okth, of Wabash county, in this State, from 

 some imperfect experiments, estimates that 

 "fifteen per cent, of good clarified sugar 

 can be obtained from the juice." Mr. Fred- 

 EaicK Munch, of Warren county, Mo., says 

 he "succeeded in a superior syrup from this 

 plant." Mr. Samuel Clapham, of Suffolk 

 cotmty, New York, "looks upon this plant 

 as of great value as a forage crop; yet pos- 



sibly'it may be cultivated for sugar, as the 

 juice contains nearly ten per cent, of sacchar- 

 ine matter, clear as chrystal; and on a very 

 small scale, beautiful clarified sugar was 

 produced by Dr. Rat." J. H. Hammond, 

 of Barnewell District, South Carolina, made 

 several careful experiments. "In one in- 

 stance, from 400 canes, 37 1-2 quarts of 

 juice were obtained by an imperfect press. 

 It was estimated that one quarter of the 

 juice remained in the cane. These 37 1-2 

 quarts, boiled two hours in a very unsuita- 

 ble pot, produced six quarts of choice syrup. 

 All who have tasted it, agreed that it was 

 equal to the best from New Orleans," — 

 Mr. Hammond adds, that "a good sugar 

 mill; with three wooden rollers, may be 

 erected for less than $25, and a sugar boiler 

 that will make thirty gallons of syrup per 

 day, may be purchased in Augusta at less 

 than $60." 



We trust that the value of this plant 

 for making sugar and molasses will be per. 

 fectly tested the coming fall. To do this 

 we must have suitable mills for expressing 

 the juice and suitable boilers for manufac- 

 ing it into syrup. 



We annex a copy of the circular issued 

 from the Patent Office in reference to this 

 cane. — ^ 



United States Patent Office, 

 . December 10, 1856. 



Sib: This new plant seems to be destined 

 to take an important position among our 

 economical products. Its seeds were sent, 

 some six years ago, from the north of China, 

 by M. de Montigny, to the Geographical 

 Society of Paris. From a cursory examin- 

 ation of a small field of it, growing at Ver- 

 rieres, in Prance, in the autumn of 1854, 

 Mr. D. J. Browne, then on a mission from 

 this Office for coUecting^gricultural inform- 

 ation and products, was led to infer, that, 

 from the peculiarity of the climate in which 

 it was growing, and its resemblance in ap- 

 pearance and habit to Indian corn, it would 

 flourish in any region wherever that plant 

 would thrive. From this source, he ob- 

 tained some 200 pounds of the seed, which 

 was distributed in small packages, hj this 

 Office, among the members of Congress, 

 with the view of experimenting with it in 

 all parts of the Union, and thereby ascer- 

 taining its adaptation to our soil and climate. 



