108 
€orn«stalk Sugar—Harvesting Grain, 
South and West, is the great and glorious pro¬ 
gress of the temperance cause. This mighty 
movement, resistless as the onward tramp of an 
invading host, but with purposes fraught with 
mercy, instead of banners bathed in blood, has, 
within scarcely more than a single twelvemonth, 
effected an almost entire revolution in the man¬ 
ufacture of alcohol. Millions of bushels of 
corn and rye, for which, but a short time since, 
a large price was paid for the purpose of con¬ 
verting into poison for the human race, is now 
accumulated in the hands of the producer, or 
sent to eastern or foreign markets for sale. The 
effect of adding so large an amount to the for¬ 
mer supply, has been to reduce the article in 
the hands of the farmer to a ruinous price. 
The question now is, can some new mode of 
using corn be resorted to, by which its produc¬ 
tion need not be diminished? The manufacture 
of sugar from the corn-stalk has been lately 
suggested, and urged with much apparent rea¬ 
son. It is certain, our fathers during the Re¬ 
volution, when almost all imports from abroad 
were cut off’ resorted to the corn-stalk for a 
supply of his syrup or molasses, and that it was 
from this source furnished in large quantities. 
Its conversion into sugar has been attended with 
some difficulty in the crystalizing, but this it 
seems is yielding to the results of science and 
experience. This is a project of much interest 
to us as a nation, as is shown in the great 
amount of sugar consumed and manufactured 
in this country. To supply this demand, there 
was imported into this country in 1840, besides 
the very large amount we produce ourselves, 
over 121,000,000 lbs. raw sugar, at a cost of 
$5,600,000. That a portion of this is exported 
after being refined, does not alter the question, 
since we do not export it in a refined state to the 
countries from which it is imported; nor is it a 
contingent advantage acquired by us as a con¬ 
sequence of importing. The market for ex¬ 
portation would be just as good and as valuable 
to us, if we raised this amount within ourselves. 
With a great redundance of corn, then, and as 
great a deficiency of sugar, it is certainly the 
part of wisdom, to test the experiment fully, 
and ascertain whether we cannot embark in 
this new branch of manufacture successfully. 
To allow our readers the full benefit of the in¬ 
formation already acquired on this subject, we 
shall give in the next number, the most material 
part of a report made by Mr. Webb of Wil¬ 
mington, Del., and we hope it may lead to fair 
and full trials in the undertaking. 
Science, is refined common sense, the sub¬ 
stitution of rational practice, for unsound preju¬ 
dice.— Davy., 
Harvesting Grain. —We have made experiments 
repeatedly in the cutting of grain, before the stalk 
had fully ripened, and have universally found the be¬ 
nefit of the practice. The proper time for cutting, is 
immediately after a portion of the stalk turns yellow. 
When the straw assumes this appearance, which 
commences at the bottom and advances upwards, the 
sooner it is cut the better. No nutriment is conveyed 
from the soil to the grain after this change of colour 
takes place, and by harvesting it at this time, there is 
a positive increase in the quantity of the grain ; the 
quality is better, the straw is more valuable ; there is 
comparatively no loss by shelling, which always oc¬ 
curs, and frequently to a ruiuous extent, when over¬ 
ripe ; and there is a better chance for securing the crop. 
In confirmation of these views, we quote from an 
experiment carefully made by Mr. Hannam, in Eng¬ 
land in 1841, the lateness of the season, and long 
period required for ripening the grain, are accounted 
for in the excessive humidity and coolness of English 
summers.- He says “ on the 1st of August, I cut a 
small portion that was quite green, that is, both straw 
and ears were in full vigor, and full of sap. Though 
the grain appeared perfectly formed, the chaff still 
adhering so firmly to it, that it was scarcely possible 
to separate them by friction in the hands. When se¬ 
parated it was large and plump, but so full of milk 
that the slightest pressure reduced the whole to a juicy 
consistency or pulp. This sheaf stood in the field 
for a fortnight, when it was housed. On the same 
day, August 18th, I cut another. The wheat was of 
course yet green, speaking positively, or not ripe, if 
we speak negatively—being what farmers commonly 
term raw —that is the straw, though appearing at a 
distance green, when examined closely, was of a hue 
fast approximating to a yellow j while, for a foot 
upwards from the ground, it was quite yellow. The 
ears too were more open, the chaff tinged with vari¬ 
ous shades of yellow and green, and the grain itself r 
when separated, soft and pulpy, but not near so full 
of fluid as before. The judgment of the farmer will, 
however, best tell him the condition of the wheat, 
both at this and at the preceding cutting, when I say, 
that in another fortnight the whole field was ripe. 
At the end of this fortnight, (September 1st), I hous¬ 
ed the sheaf cut on August 18th, and which had re¬ 
mained exposed to the weather in the interval, and 
cut a third. This I have said was ripe , but by the 
term I don’t mean that degree of ripeness when the 
straw breaks, the-ears curl, and the grain shakes out ; 
but that condition in which it is customary to com¬ 
mence reaping it, when the straw from the roots of 
the ears is uniformly yellow, and has lost all symp¬ 
toms of vivid health.” 
.“ On the 14th of September the third sheaf was 
taken from the field and carefully preserved, along 
with the other two, till the 1st of November, when 
out of each sheaf I selected a hundred ears and 
put each parcel into a separate bag. The straw from 
each of these parcels of ears was preserved carefully.” 
The result of the several parcels are as follows: 
.£ s. cl. £ s. d. 
No. 1. prod. 26,135 bus. per a. worth 7s.7#d. 9 19 3#. ) per acre. 
195# st. of straw worth Is. 2. 1 12 7 J H H 10# 
No. 2. 30.131 bus. worth 8s. nearly 11 19 ) iq 7 
168 st. of straw worth Is. 2d. 1 8 1#. ^ 
No. 3. 30 bus. worth 7s. 8#d. 1110 7 ) 1917 o 
160 st. straw worth Is. 2d- 16 8 5 u * 
Showing a loss of 1 1. 5s. 5d., or taking No. 2. as 
the standard value, a loss of 13 per cent, in cutting 
too green, and a loss of 4 per cent, in cutting at the 
usual time. 
It is seen above there is 4 per cent in favor of cutting 
grain which is just beginning to turn, over that which 
is moderately ripe, an item worth saving, but this dif¬ 
ference will be increased from loss of shelling, from 
10 to 25 per cent, if left till fully ripe. 
