Mule-driven Cane Mill
As Seen at Renfro Valley Appalachian Harvest Festival__2006
This mule is turning the gears within a sorghum cane mill, often called a molasses mill.
The mule walks in a circle, pulling the big pole that is behind him.
The slender spring-pole behind the boy's shoulders is fastened via a lead-rope to the mule's bridle and keeps slight constant pressure on the bridle and thus leads the mule.
In this shot, the mule's bridle is not yet hooked to the spring-pole.
Note the muddy circular trail where the mule walks the circle, thus turning the mill.
It does not have to rain for it to be muddy at Renfro Valley; the whole place sits on spongy swampy-natured ground; the slightest shower can turn it into a quagmire.
Note the arm-load of cane stalks on the ground directly under the big pole.
Also note the load of cane stalks on the trailer in the background.
As the mule walks in a circle, turning the mill, the cane stalks are fed through the mill where it squeezes the juice from the stalks.
The juice is captured and later boiled off into molasses and either eaten as-is or eventually processed into sugar.
Notice the expensive-looking camera hanging on the Amish lady's neck.
The bits and pieces of green stalks under the wagon are cane stalks that have already passed through the mill.
Under the shed in the right background is the boiling tray, hence the smoke-stack and the big pile of fire-wood.
The cane juice from the mule-driven mill is put in the boiling tray where it proceeds through various skimmers and processes, until it is boiled into molasses.
Note the team of mules and wagon full of passengers in the left background.
Visible between the rear wheel and the big pole is the slender spring-pole (with the green lead-rope); the spring-pole is fastened via the lead-rope to the mule's bridle and keeps slight constant pressure on the bridle and thus leads the mule.
In this shot, the mule's bridle is not yet hooked to the spring-pole.
In the center back-ground, notice the pair of mules pulling a wagon-load of passengers.
US Hwy 25 - Renfro Valley - Rockcastle County - Kentucky
I-75 Exit #62
Saturday_07-October-2006
37° 23' 1.07"N 84° 19' 43.12"W Elevation 928'
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