SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
151 
CHINESE SUGAR CANE AND 3IIEES. 
Levi Bartlett, Esq., writes the ''Gro.riite Farmer 
Visitor^' as follows : 
Mr. Editor — present high prices of sugar and mo- 
lasses, have produced a very general desire to experiment 
with the newly introduced Chinese Sugar Cane. The favor- 
able results in the manufacture of molasses from the juice 
of this cane, in various sections of the country the past 
season, seems to hold out great encouragement to us, even 
here in the Granite State, that at least molasses, if not 
sugar can be profitably made for family use. The past 
season the cane was successfully grown in a various sec- 
tions of the State ; and it is confidently asserted that it 
can be successfully grown wherever Indian corn fully 
matures. 
There is much inquiry respecting the form or construc- 
tion of a mill for crushing or grinding the cane. Many 
persons seem to think some kind of a press is necessary 
to extract the juice after the cane is ground. This is all a 
mistake. 
Mills for crushing and at the same time expressing the 
juice, can be built for, perhaps, one-fourth of the cost of a 
good cider mill— I will here give a description of some 
efficient and cheaply constructed mills, in this and some 
other countries. The descriptions may aid us much in 
putting up crushing mills the coming season. Perhaps 
it might be well for a few persons in the same neighbor- 
hood to “club together,” and -build a mill, and procure 
sheet iron pans for boiling the juice, all of which might 
be readily moved from farm to farm. It may not be ad- 
visable to go into large expenditures till the thing has 
been more fully tested. 
Sugar cane is grown to some extent in some portions of 
Mississippi. By the last census returns, it appears that 
the crop of was equal to 38S hogsheads of sugar, 
and about 18,000 gallons of molasses. Many of the most 
substantial planters making all the sugar and molasses re- 
quired for their own use, with some to spare to their 
neighbors. The sugar mills are rude and of small di- 
mensions, consisting, in part, of little more than the rollers 
for grinding the cane, which are made of seasoned oak 
limbers, and stand generally in the open air. A cheap 
shed suffices for a protection of the kettles, which are 
common iron ones. 
Lieut. Herndon, U. S. Nav}'-, in his explorations from 
Lima on the Pacific, across the Andes, to Para, on the 
Amazon, in Brazil, frequently speaks of the Sugar Cane, 
and sugar making. So also does Lieut. Gibbon. 
Lieut. Herndon visited a plantation near larma in Peru, 
and says, “Sugar cane is extensively cultivated. Two 
men to cut and two to carry, will supply a mill which 
consists oi three upright vooden rollers, in a rude wooden 
frame. The rollers are ragged^ and placed close to each 
other. The head of the middle one extends above the 
frame, and is squared, so as to allow the shipping on it a 
long beam, to tlie end of which is harnessed, wdiich walk- 
ing in a circle, gives motion to the rollers. The end of 
the cane is placed between the rollers and is drawn in and 
■crushed by them ; a wooden trough is placed below to 
catch thejuice. Much a mill will produce 1,500 pounds 
of iuice in a day. These 1500 pounds of juice will give 
from 250 to 300 pouncks of sugar, which is worth in Tar- 
rna cents per lb.” 
Sugar cane is the most useful and valuable product of 
that section o’ the country. The leaves of the cane when 
green serve for food for cattle; when dry to make wrap- 
ping for the candy and sugar. The crushed stalk is used 
as fuel for the oven. The hogs fatten on the foam at the 
lop of the boiling. From the first boiling is made the 
candy or brown sugar cake, which is eaten after dinner 
by almost all classes. It is worth G? cents the pound in 
Tarma, From 1,000 pounds of juice boiled ten hours, is 
made 400 pounds of candy. 
In the late published volumes of Commodore Perry’s 
expedition to Japan, I find an account of the sugar mills 
of the Island of Lew Chew. These mills consist of three 
upright cylinders of hard wood, supported in an upright 
position, by means of a wooden frame. The cylin- 
ders are about a foot in diameter, and arranged in a 
row, with a mortice between them, to regulate the ap- 
proach and their pressure upon the cane. The central 
one has a wooden axle, or shaft extending through the 
frame which supports it, to which is attached a curved 
lever of 15 feet in length, by which the mill is readily 
worked. This central cylinder has a row of cogs of hard 
wood near its upper end, which play into mortices cut 
into each of the other two cylinders. A single bull or 
horse is generally used to work the mill, and the animal 
moves in a circle of about thirty feet in diameter. The 
cane is placed first, between the central and right hand 
cylinders, and before it escapes is caught iu the hand of 
the workman, and, being twisted like a rope, is thrust be- 
tween the central and left rollers, by which it is complete- 
ly crushed and its juice expressed, which flows through 
gutters into a tub, placed in a hole near by. The juice 
is then conveyed to buildings, temporarily constructed for 
the purpose, and there boiled in iron pans, holding about 
8 or 10 gallons. 
In connection with the above description, there is a 
well executed engraving, showing two mills in use, and 
many other of the operations in sugar making. The 
plate reminds one very strongly of an old- fashion mill for 
grinding apples for cider. 
The foregoing descriptions are so intelligible, that we 
think every millwright would readily construct one, and 
if the manufacture of syrup is found profitable it will then 
do to “go in,” for more costly fixture, &c. 
Warner, March, 1857. 
TRADE OF IIOBIEE. 
Statement of the quantity and cstimoXed value of articles of 
Merchanddze, of domestic growth and tnanufaclnrc, ex- 
ported from Molrile, Ala., in the year eliding Dec., 31, 
1850, by T. Sanford, Collector of Customs: 
Articles. 
Total. 
Average 
price, 
$ 
Valuation. 
Brick, common 
4,00U,UUU 
8 00 
$ 32,000 
Cotton 
557,243 
0 9 
2,607,903 
Hides 
23,630 
2 50 
59,075 
Lumber, pine 
8,184,000 
01 
81,820 
Lumber, hewn 
1,309 
7 00 
9,583 
Masts and Spars 
2,158 
172,640 
Oysters, bushels 
40,000 
1 00 
40,000 
Oysters, gallons 
8,000 
2 00 
16,000 
Rosin, bbls 
13,838 
1 75 
24,316 
i Spirits Turpentine 
20,000 
50 
10,000 
1 Staves 
318 
50 00 
15,900 
1 Tallow 
10,000 
10 
1,000 
j Tar and Pitch 
2,000 
1 50 
3,000 
Total 
126543157 
Preserves in Tin Cases. — The Xcio Bedford Mercury 
learns that a lady residing in that city was badly poisoned 
a few (lays since, by eating a few spoonfuls of preserved 
I whortleberries which had been put in a tin case. The 
j liquid from the berries had formed verdigris on the surface 
! of the metal. For several hours the lady above mentioned 
remained in a nearly insensible condition, and was with 
difficulty brought to. The article was procured for the 
purpose of making pies. All preserves of this description 
should be put and kept in glass. 
