New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-18

page Of This paper.
The recent general enhancement of the current
prjces Of Sugars, though stimulated and swelled by
sreculatIcp has genuine basis In the first place,
there an increase Of several per cent IN tie pop
ulston the civilized world within the last quarter
If a century. insuring like increase in the natu-
raj demand for Sugar Then II Is not doubtful
that in the general absence of wars the proper
ton of reople able TO purchase and consume
Sugar and other uxures TO the extent OF their de-
.res has likewise increased. II is further true that
tie general aHutacture aDduSe OF Preserved Fruits
&C.. is rapidly increasing. But the successive
failures of the Grape for several years past has ied
IN the diversion of the Beet crop of Frauce-which
is very large and inpOrtant-from the production
Of Sugar to that of Brandy-the French brandles,
formerly made Of the Juice of the Grape, bearing
reputation and a price throughout the world which
render this conversion highly profitable. Hence
France. which from Napoeons coronation TO
Louis Thiippes dcthronement had been steadily
advancing toward the point OF producing
her own Sugar, has recently been falling rap
idIy back to position of dependence for her
sunni, on the tropical cane growing Indies. 1t Is
understood that the production OF Sugar III the
British West Indies has fallen of since Emanclpa-
ti,L-tLe liberated negroes finding employment
more to their taste than the severe labor OF the
cane. field and sugar-mil though IL British Guiana
the production Of Sugar has recently been and is
still rapidly increasing. California aud Australia
haze had some part in producing the general re-
| sult-those countries producing little or no Sugar
while consuming largely, and at the same time In
creasing the worlds supply of bullion aud thereby
enhancing the prices Of nearly everything but gold.
II is clear that the annual production of Sugar
| must be increased-but where and how The
| severe cold of last Winter destroyed great deal
| Of cane, and practically diminished the area of
| tropical cane-g growing soil India and the ada
| cent regions Of Southern Asia might produce more
Sugar, but their people are very slow to change
The direction of their industry while those of Span
ISL America have little industry of any sort. There
is more Sugar land in the West Indies, but it is
| mainly wilderness, which can only be converted
into canefelds at heavy cost and by severe labor
Of course, quite slowly.
In view Of these facts, inquiry has very properly
been made for saccharne plants adapted to the
temperate zone and which may be proftably EN-
pCyed in the production of Sugar. Until some
plant Of this sort is found and extensively
cultivated it is not probable that the price of Su
gar, az measured by that of Wheat Beef and other
edibles, will be essentially reduced. With the
prospect of an active demand and high price for
Sugar through several years ahead, it seems but
reasonable that the Sugar producing area should be
enlarged, if that be found practicable.
That there il no lack of plants from which Sugar
NAV be made. is well known. Indian Corn, the
Rock Maple and some other trees, the Beet-root
and sunJry other esculents, contain and yield sugar
but generally at cost above that at which it can be
extracted from the Cane There is, therefore, real
and realized demand for sugar-prOducing plant
which NAV be grown in temperate ATTITUDES, and
which will yield nearly or quite as beautifully, in
view Of their relative cost as the Cane.
These requirements, it is believed are satisfied
in The Sorghum Sdeehdrum or Sugar Mlet, which
has for aees been cultivated as a sugar plant in
China and in Southern Africa. Our attention
irst called to it in Paris last Summer by gentle
man Who had grown it for years in Natal, (South
Africa, where, as in China, it had been cultivated
lor sugar making from time immemorial. His con-
tidence 10 its adaptation TO temperate climates was
very sanguine and he gave US some account of it,
which was promptly embodied in letter to The
IRIBuNE.
Before this however the Sorghum had attracted
attention in this country, mainly through the efforts
OF Mr. D. j. Browne, the Agricultural chief in
the L. s. Patent Office, who gave some &C..
count of it in his Report for l-54, aud we expect
70 find much fuller description in that for $3.50,
should il ever get published. Mr. Browne we be.
lleve, obtained the first seed from France and dis
trbuted il eighteen months or more ago. He had full
grown stalks Of the plant on exhibition in the Patent
Office last Winter, and distributed a large quantity
Of seed to Members Of Congress and others last
Spring. This seed has nearly all been pl,nted this
year, and with results generally encouraging The
North Amerioon says:
"A paper called The Statesman, published at Cal.
horn Georgia. -sys that Mr.. j. Peters, Of that place
la made this season sbou. three hundred snd Fenty