The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1856-12-17
From the Scientific American.
GROWING THE CHINESE SUGAR c.

GROWING THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE.
MrssRs. EDITORs.-As the Chinese Sugar
Cane Is attracting lie attention ai the com
tmunlty, and as Il is likely 10 BIZ of great
value To tie farmers OF The United States,
and a. you have gwen US an article ON this
subjcc. IN No. /. Vol. XI, OF the Scientific
American, 1 thought would write down
and send you The result Of my own expert.
ence IN The growth o. this paut.
Sometime during the last winter obtained
about three hundred seeds of the !" Sprgho
Sucre " from the Patent 0ilice. which plan.
ted on the 1T ul May last. on land that had
been cleared three yearsagp. laid the field
"ii IN checks three feet apart iar corn. In
some oi these hills lplanltd the seed, Of tins
sugar cane, dropping eight seeds IN hiil,
making tnIrty ven bills IN all. | worked
the Cane precisely a. did the corn, giving t
three plowings and three hoelnss. III four
months irom the time the seed WAS planted
The cane was fully matured. Il then mea-
sured ten feet six i chcs high, and one inth
and three eights in diameter at the butt end.
The inlnt, average twelve III number to the
cane, measuring from six to eleven niche,
long, the shortest at the bottom and the long
est al the tnp. As soon as the seed was
ripe. another head Of seed put up out Of the
second joint from the top, and ia a short
tive grew as high as the original head, thungh
not quite 50 large. By the time the seed on
this head began to turn dark third head
sprung up from the third joint, which was
about the size of the last head, aud nnw Il
fourth head is making lis appearance frnm
fourth jnint. Where this shutting forth oi
new heads would end. il no frost should
come To Kill il, cannot tell, The roDts.
where cut Oft snme Of the canes some time
ago. are sending up sprouts, some ot which
are lour inches high. ! am Of the opinion
the Snrghi sucre i 4 perennial plant. ani
would gruw all the time il there were no Sc
,rre Geld 10 Kill 4. Il appears TO snrpass
an, thing We can plant IN producing fodder
iur cattle. There are commonly twelve
leaves on a cane, aud tese measure on an
average. three feet lung. and three inches
aud halt bro,d. We commonly plant tw"
stalks % corn il bill. | had eight canes IN
the ,ame space, each cane producing full Is
much iodder a. unr stalk nf cnra. Al thu,
rate, which Is 10 mr matter 81 iact, 0nr acre
ui cane will prutiucr - much ~ four acres ii
corn. But avn persuaded that ! might have
planted the cane 10 drl. 81 three ieet apart
drupping eis4t seeds IN every space pi e,gh.
teen lncnes. and by ihis means have e,gi,i
tines as much fodder as corn would pru'
dgce.
tine head that picked up Al random meas
urcd three gllls. aud one gll contained elsh
hundred seed. lhrn sriecicla large head
measured 1t, and found il totuutau luir aut
hall gills u seed. Tue 81 hills that Ii plan
ted produced three peck> d seed, lhis. alle
diving it tWo dats IN tie sun, "elg ed );
pounds. lad 10 mil IL squeeze the cane
+. ~ ordrr 10 make experiments IL syrup ~,
, sugar. lmade little ruler, which thuugh
might press out some ii tl,e sap. but Il VA
failure. far want Of salticIent power
twisted jnmt 10 M haul. after being Hat
tened MltIi The ruler, and obtained abnu
{ h.lI . gill nl sap, winch VI. a, ssret as an
II The zap u the sugar cane u the suuth
/ intend, Providence permitting. to plau
at least hall an acre next ,prmg. aud pr
cure proper mill aud boilers, aud make
thorough experiment
Jos. MCKEE.