confine myself to that part of the
operation which relates to reducing the syrup to sugar, as it is of
the first importance. My process is this:--When the syrup is reduced
to the consistence of West India molasses, I set it away till it is
perfectly cold, and then mix with it the clarifying matter, which is
milk or eggs. I prefer eggs to milk, because when heated the whole
of it curdles; whereas milk produces only a small portion of curd.
The eggs should be thoroughly beaten and effectually mixed with the
syrup while cold. The syrup should then be heated till just before
it would boil, when the curd rises, bringing with it every impurity,
even the coloring matter, or a great portion of that which it had
received from the smoke, kettles, buckets, or reservoirs. The
boiling should be checked, and the scum carefully removed, when the
syrup should be slowly turned into a thick woollen strainer, and
left to run through at leisure. I would remark, that a great
proportion of the sugar that is made in our country is not strained
after cleansing. This is an error. If examined in a wine-glass,
innumerable minute and almost imperceptible particles of curd will
be seen floating in it, which, if not removed, render it liable to
burn, and otherwise injure the taste and color of it.

A flannel strainer does this much better than a linen one. It is,
indeed, _indispensable_. As to the quantity of eggs necessary, one
pint to a pailful of syrup is amply sufficient, and half as much
will do very well. I now put my syrup into another kettle, which has
been made perfectly clean and _bright_, when it is placed over a
quick but solid fire, and soon rises, but is kept from overflowing
by being ladled with a long dipper. When it is sufficiently reduced,
(I ascertain this by dropping it from the point of a knife, while
hot, into one inch of cold water--if done, it will not immediately
mix with the water, but lies at the bottom in a round flat drop,) it
is taken from the fire, and the foaming allowed to subside. A thick
white scum, which is useable, is removed, and the sugar turned into
a cask, placed on an inclined platform, and left undisturbed for six
weeks or longer, when it should be tapped in the bottom and the
molasses drawn off. It will drain perfectly dry in a few days.

The sugar made in this manner