18 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
the large and luxuriant gi-o-\vth of the- stalk.— 
As we are upon the threshold of this inquiry, 
many othei improvements may be expected in 
the mode of operaliou; for example, it may be 
that cutting off the tassel as soon as it appears 
on the plant will prevent the formation of grain, 
and prove a preterable means for effecting that 
object. 
On tiie whole, there appears ample encour- 
agement fur perseverance. Ever}^ step in the 
inve.stigation has increased the proliabilities of 
success; no evidence having been discovered 
why it should not succeed as well, if not better, 
on a large scale, than it has done on a .small one. 
1. In the first place, it has been satisfactorily 
proveci, that sugar of an excellent quality, suit- 
able for common use without refining, may be 
made from the stalirs of maize. 
2. That the juice of this plant, when cultivm- 
ted in a certain manner, contains saccharine 
matter rernarkablv free from foreign substances. 
3. The quantity of this juice tyven suppos- 
ing we had no other evidence about it) is suffi- 
ciently demonstrated by the great amount of 
nutritive grain which it produces in t)ie natural 
course of vegetation. It is needless to expati- 
ate on the vast advantages which would result 
from the introduction of this manutacture into 
our country. 
Grain is produced in the west in such over- 
flowing abundance that the markets become 
glutted, and inducements are offered to employ 
the surplus produce in distillation. This busi- 
ness i;i no w becoming disreputa ble. The happy 
conviction is spreading rapidly, that the use of 
alcohol as a beverage, instead of conducing to 
health and strength, is the surest means of de- 
stroying both. So are other production, there- 
fore, will be required, in which the powers of 
our soil may be profitably emjdoyed. This, it 
is hoped, will be found in the business now pro- 
posed. Instead of distilleries, converting food 
into poison, we maj^ have .sugar-house.?, manu- 
facturing at our doors an article in universal 
demand, not merely useful, but necessary, fur- 
nishing as it does one of the most simple, natu- 
ral and nutritious varieties of human suste- 
nance found in the whole range ol vegetable 
production. 
It is said that the general use cf sugar in Eu- 
rope has had the eflect to extinguish the .scurvty 
and many other diseases formerly epidemical. 
It may be doubted whether a tropical country 
can ever furnish a great amount of exports, ex- 
cept through the means of compul-sory labor. — 
It appears, then, highly probable, that if the in- 
habitants of temperate countries wish to con- 
tinue the use of sugar, the]'- must find some 
means to produce it themselves. The beet ap- 
pears to succeed well in Europe, and the manu- 
facture from it is extending rapidly; but there is 
no hazard in making the assertion that Indian 
com is far better adapted to our purpose. The 
following mode of cultivating the plant, and 
making the sugar, is the best that can now be 
offered. The kind of soil be.st adapted to corn 
is so well understood, that no directions on this 
point are nec.3ssary, except that it should be rich 
— the richer the better; if not naturally fertile, 
manure must be applied, either ploughed in or 
spread upon the surface, or used both ways, ac- 
cording to the ability of the owner. .Nothing 
can form a better preparation for the crop than 
a clover sod well turned underand harrowed 
fine immediately before planting. 
Select for seed the largest and best ears of any 
variety of com not disposed to throw up suck- 
ers or spread out in branche.s; that kind most 
productive in the neighborhood will be general- 
ly the one best adapted to the purpose. The 
planting should be done with a drilling ma- 
chine. One man, vvdth a pair of horses and an 
instrument of this kind, will plant and cov’er, in 
the most perfect manner, ifom ten to tw'lve 
acres in a day. The rows (if practicable, let 
them run north and so th) two and a half feet 
apart, and the seed dropped .sufficient thick in 
the row to ensure a plant every two or three 
inches. A large harrow, made with teeth ar- 
ranged so as not to injure the corn, may be used 
to advantage soon alter it is up. The alter cul- 
ture is pen'ormed with a cultivator, and here 
will be perceived one ol the great advantages 
of drilling: the plants all growing in lines, per- 
fectly regular and straight wi'h each other, the 
horse-hoe stirs the earth and cuts up the weeds 
close by every one, so that no hand-hoeing will 
be required in aity part of the cultivation. “It 
is part of the system of cane planting in Loui- 
siana, to raise as full a stand of cane upon the 
ground as possible, experience havang prov'ed 
that the most sugar is obtained from the land in 
this way.” As far as mj' experience has gone, 
the same thing is true cf eorn. This point 
must therefore be attended to, and the deficien- 
cies, if any occur, made up by timety replant- ■ 
ing. 
The next operation is laumg ofi the ears. — 
Many stalks will not produce any; bat whenev- 
er they appear, they must be removed. It is 
not best to undertake this work too early, as 
vvdien the ears first ap}?ear, they are tender, and 
cannot be taken orf without breaking, which in-, 
creases the trouble. An t' time belore the for- 
mation of grain upon them will be soonenougii. 
Nothing further is nec(5ssary to be done until 
the crop is ready to cut for grinding. In onr la- 
titude, the cutting may commence with the ear- 
lier varieties about the middle of August. The 
later kinds will be ripe in September, and con- 
tinue in season until cut ofl' bv^ fro,st. The slaiKs 
should be topped and bladed while standing in 
the field. They are then cut, tied in bunnies 
and taken to the mill. The top and blades, 
when property cured, make an excellent lodder, 
rather better, it is believed, than any hitherto 
used; and the residuum, after passing the j’ollers, 
may easily be dried and used in the same Vv'ay — 
another advantage ovmr the cane, which, after 
the juice is expressed, is usually burned 
The mill.? should be made on the .same gener- 
al principle employed in constructing thc.se in- 
tended for grinding cane. An important difler- 
ence, however, will be found both in the original 
cost and in the expense of working them, j udg- 
ing from the comparative hardness of die cane 
and corn-stalk, it is believ^ed that one-fouith 
part of the strength necessar}' in the construction 
of a cane mill will be ampl)" sulficie.ot for corn, 
and less than one -fourth part of the power will 
mov'-e it with the same velocity. It may be made 
with three upright wooden rollers, from twenty 
to forty indies in length, turned so as to run 
true, and fitted into a strong framework, consist- 
ing of two horizontal pieces, sustained by up- 
rights. These pieces are mortised, to admit 
wedges on each side the pivmts of the two out- 
side rollers, by which their distance from the 
middle one may be regiuated. The power is 
applied to the middle roller, and the others are 
mov'-ed Ircm it hy means of cogs. In grinding, 
the stalks pass through on the right side of the 
middle evdinder, and come in contact with a 
piece of frame work called the dumb returner, 
which directs them backwards, so that they pass 
through the rollers again, on the opposite side t'f 
the middle one. The modern improved ma- 
chine i.? made entirely of iron, three horizontal 
rollers, arranged in a triangular form, one above 
and two below; the cane or stalk passes directly 
through, receiving tv-o pressures before it es- 
capes. The lower cylinders are contained in a 
small cistern which receives the j nice. The lat- 
ter machine is the mo.st comjiete; the former 
the least expensive. The.?e mills may be mov- 
ed by cattle; but, for large operations, steam or 
water power is preferable, When the vertical 
cylinders are turned by cattle, the axis of the 
middle one has long levers fixed across it, ex- 
tending from ten to fifteen feet from the centre. 
To render tlie arms firm, the axis of this roller 
is carried up to a considerable height; and ob- 
lique braces of wood, by which the oxen or hor- 
ses draw, are extended from the top of the verti- 
cal axis to the extremities of each of the arms. 
When horizontal cylinders are propelled by an- 
imal power, the upper roller is turned by the 
cogs at one end, which are caught by cogs on a 
vertical shaft. It is sai'l that, in the W est In- 
dies, the piuest came juice will ferment in tAven- 
ty minutes after it enters the receiver. Com 
j nice has been kept for one hour before builmg, 
without any apparent injury re.sulting; but so 
much delay is not desirable, as it may be at- 
tended with bad eiiects. 
I'he process wnicn has been employed in -he 
manufacture of maize sugar is as fuiloAvs: 1 he 
juice, after coming from the mill, stuou lor a 
short time, to deposite some of its coarser irnr-u- 
rities. It was then poured ofi’ and passeu tnu ' 
a flannel strainer, in order to get rid of such mat- 
ters as could be separated in this Ava}'. Lime 
AAmtev, called milk of lime, aaus then addeu, in 
the proportion of one or two table spoons fuJ' to 
the gallon. It is said by sugar manufactiuers, 
that knowledge on this point can only be acquir- 
ed by experience; but 1 have neA'er feutd in 
making .'^ugar liom employing too much or too 
little of the lime. A certain portion ol this sub- 
stance, hoAA'eA'er, is undoirbtedly necessary, : nd 
more or less than this Avill be irrjurious; but no 
preci.^e directions can be gir'en about it. fiffie 
juice AA-as then placed OA'er the fire, and brougE 
nearly to the boiling point, when it AA’as carefully 
skimmed — taking care to completethisoreraiion 
before ebullition commenced. It ums then boil- 
ed doAvn iaprdly, remoAung the scum as it rose. 
The juice was examined, from time to time, and 
if there was airy appearance of feculent paili- 
cles, Avhicli would not rise to the smface, it was 
again passed through a flannel sirainer. In 
judging AA'hen the syrup is sufficienily boiled, a 
portion was taken betAveen the thumb and finger; 
and if, AA'hen moderately cool, a thread half an 
inch long could be draAvn, it was considered lo be 
done, aiiil poiued into broad shallow ves.?els to 
crystalize. In some cases crystalization cem- 
menced in twelve hours; in others, not till after 
seo'eral days; and in no case was this process so 
far completed as to allow the sugar to be drained 
in le.ss than three weeks from the time of boijmg. 
The rea.'^on Aiffiy so great a length of time was 
required 1 haA'^e not yet been able to discoA'C) . — 
There is no doubt but that an improA^ed process® 
of manufacture will cause it to granulate a.s 
quickly as any ether. 
Enough has been said to enable any one so 
disposed to manufactitre sugar from maize. 
As to the profits of the business, I shall make 
no posith'e assertions; experience on the subject 
is yet too limited to warrant them; and as all the 
facts in relation to it are noAv before the public, 
eAmiy one interested can draw his own conclu- 
sions. It is .said, by those acquainted with ffie 
cultivation of the cane, that that bu.siness can- 
not be carried on profitably on less than one 
hundred acres in crop; and that attempts on a 
small scale -will be certain to fail, with a great 
loss of time and labor. How far this may be 
ajrplicable to corn remains to baseen, 
Some comparison betAveen the cultivation of 
cane and that oi corn may perhaps be inter- 
esting. 
The cane lands in Loui.siana are redeemed to 
agriculture by strong embankments along the 
river, and by numerous ditches, which extend 
back into the sAA’amp to a considerable distance 
beyond the line of cultivation. The ground is 
still further divided, by smaller ditches, into lots 
of from one to Iavo acres in extent. It is ex- 
tremely rich and productive, but the expense of 
draining and keeping up the embankments m.ust 
be considerable; this forms the first difference 
to be noted in the culture of the two plants un- 
der consideration. 
The best sea.?on for planting cane in Louisi- 
ana is in the fall, which is also the time of har- 
vest, when labor is the most valuable, and the 
greatest exertions are required to secure the crop 
before it is desti’oyed by frost. 
But the most striking difference will be found 
in the cost of seed, and in the labor of plant ing. 
The cane is propagated by layers; these are 
partly furnished from the tops of the plants, when 
cut for grinding, but are principally ratoons. Of 
the latter it requires the produce of one acre to 
plant three. The grain from one acre of corn 
