410 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A pressure of other business induced us to defer making up 
the balance of the crop until cold weather set in, and the con¬ 
venient season did not come until January, when we worked 
the most of the balance—about che 25th. Found that portion 
which had been stored in an open shed in good condition, and 
made syrup as good as from that worked in the fall. 
A small portion left in the field in piles, was much soured by 
changes of the weather. 
About a tun’s weight was prepared ready for the mill, and 
stored in a close granary, which we will work up on the ap¬ 
proach of mild spring weather ; and from examination now, we 
are led to expect a good article of syrup from it. 
Samples of syrup made at these different times we herewith 
present you. 
We used one of Turner 6c Skinner’s heavy three-roller mills, 
with graduated pressure, and “ Cook’s self-cleansing Evapor¬ 
ator the same with which we operated in connection with 
Mr. C. Spears, at our last State Fair. [See committee’s report.] 
We strained the juice through a coarse woolen bag, as it 
passed from the mill to the evaporator—used no ingredient of 
any kind to cleanse with, the evaporator being fully competent, 
under proper management, to remove all the vegetable fibrinous 
and mucilaginous matter from the juice, and that so quickly, 
after expressing, as not to allow any increase of the acids ; and 
if any fermentation has occurred, it is folly to neutralize it 
with alkalies or lime, after the prevailing mode. 
The effect of alkali is to destroy the honey-like flavor and 
texture of the syrup, and give a permanent disagreeable min¬ 
eral taste, as well as dark color. 
The corny, vegetable flavor of the fresh syrup will disap¬ 
pear by a few weeks of age, and herein lies much of the pre¬ 
judice against Sorgho syrup, that it is used fresh from the 
boilers, or as impregnated with lime used in correcting the 
acids. * 
We give this statement, simply to show that good syrup has 
been made, the past unfavorable season of almost universal fail- 
