The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1856-10-25
FELlCIANA DEMOCRAT.
THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE.

The Chinese Sugar Cane has come to be the
ordinary name of the Sorgho Sncre, q most
valuable plant of the sugar cane order, and,
therefore, allied to the maize or Indian corn,
but more nearly to the broom corn. Its cul-
tivation has commenced amongst us, and there
is now in Washington more than an acre of it
growing luxuriantly and promising a yield of
considerably upwards of a hundred bushels OF
seed, besides many tons of stemps and foliage,
rich with saccharine fluid and solid food mate
rial for horses, neat cattle, and swine Not
only here, but in various and widely distant
parts of the Union has trial been made of it.,
and with uniform gratifying results. We have
read n letter from farmer in Illinois who has
tested its charactes, and reports of it in the
most favorable manner.
"Secds Of the Chinese Sugar Cane were also
distributed to a limited extent from the Unit
ed States Patent Office during the spring and
summer Of 1855. The plant is much better
calculated for the South than for any other
section of the Union-the climate being quite
similar to that in which it originated. 1t
stands drouth much better than common corn;
and, as we have before stated. rctainsits leaves
green and juicy until the full maturity Of the
grain"
Out Of gallon Of the liquid sap in the stem,
which he expressed by the primitive contri-
vance Of rolling-pin, he obtained, by boiling
quart Of molasses, with very little impnrity
and Of approved taste. The usual proportions
of sugar to sap lie between fifteen and twenty
per cent, the crystalizable sugar increasing
with the decrease Of the latitude. Besides
this proportion Of sugar there is m amount o
= IN ,,nrs r. mn al In n
from which very agreeable beverage can DC
made, and alcohol distilled more chcaply thal
by any other method This sap, strange t.
say, if set with the oxide of tin, will dye sill
of beautiful pink
As q food plant for stock Of all kinds il
seems to ovcrtop all that we now posses, furn
ishing, in fair soils, 25 tons per acre Of excel
lent fodder, every bit of which is grccdily eat
en- by animal The seed, too, by which tho
plant is propagatcd-n this, unlike and supe
rior to the sugar cane Of Louisiana, which il
raised by cuttings-arc fit for human food: al
all events, when ground and made up into
cakes, after the manner Of linsccd cakes, the,
supply good material for fattcnng stock
The brush or top from which these seeds arr
taken, is not without its service, for the plan
is species Of broonrcorn, and, therefore, it:
top, when deprived Of seed, answers well where
with to manufacture brooms. When the sap
top, seeds, aud leaves arc taken, leaving only
the crushed stem, it still has an economic val
ne: paper II be manufactured from it.
This valuable addition to our vegetable pro
ducton is originally q native of China, but has
been scdulously cultivated for several years IL
Southeastern CaIlraria, whence it passed into
France and Algeria, in which last country il
comes to great perfection. 1t would he hard
to calculate its value. 1t constitutes every
farm on which it is grown its own sngar-camp
orchard, winery and granary, as well as {
stock farm and dairy; indeed, the "Sorgho'
may be deemed sort Of vegetable sheep, eve
ry part and constituent Of which is valuable
Natioaai Ht2Heen9r.