The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-11-22

Chinese Sugar Cane.

Chinese Sugar Cane.
MEssKs. EDIToRs-It is now generally
known that, through the agency Of the Ag
ricultural Department Of the Patent Office
seeds of the Chinese Sugar Cane have been
imported and extensively distributed in small
packages among farmers and others, in differ
ent sections Of the country for the purpose
Of testing its adaptation to our climate. &c
and the agricultural value Of its forage and
seeds for stock feeding, and the more i'm
portant purpose Of sugar making in iaiitudes
farther north than the true sugar cane can
be grown.
Within few years past the Chinese Cane
has been somewhat cultivated in France.
The great object sought for there in the cul-
tivation Of this plant, i the juice contained
i'll its stalks, which furnishes three important
products, viz: sugar, which is identical
with that Of cane, alcohol, and fermented
drink analogous TO cider
"The chief advantages Of the Chinese
Cane as a sugar plant (says Patent Office
Report, 1854 is the facility Of its cultiva-
ton and the easy treatment Of its juice. IL
- thoueL. A. -~--ci f--.+!..-. -----v---
that Of the sugar-cane IN those countries
where the latter is an annual, and like which
its stalks and leaves will furnish an abUn-
dance of nutritious forage for sustaining and
fattcning animals; as the molasses, too, is
identical with that manufactured from cane,
it may be used in the distillation of rum,
alcohol, ard the liquor called tafa, which
resembles brandy"
How far it NAV be for the interests of our
country to 90 into the extensive cultivation
of the Chinese Cane for the manufacture Of
sugar and moiasscs, can only be determined
by future and more extensive experiments.
P,,t hay Iy haen IN adj
public, to justify US in the belief that the
Chinese Sugar Cane is no humbug. For ex-
perimen:s the past summer have fully proved
that the cane can be successfully grown, in
all lattudes from New Hampshire to Georgia,
and doubtless on all soils adapted to the
growth of Indian corn. And also, that the
iuee Of this cane is extremely pure and rich
in saccharine matter.
At page 900 of last Patent Office Report,
is an engraving representing the plant at
full naturitv-the height of which is mark
ed Z feet inches. But it has been grown
in this State the past season much taller
than represented in the engraving alluded
to. Col. B. F. Cutter, Of Pelham, n. H.,
exhibited at the Hillsboro Co. Fair, lst day
of this month, stalks of it nearly 10 feet
tall At our State Fair, the week after,
stalks raised in the garden of Hon. Rich d
Bradley, of Concord, were exhibited, mea-
surfing ii feet and there was no extra ma
nuring or cultivation used in producing
these splendid specimens Of cane.
Last spring received small package OF
cane seed. 1t was planted late in May, on
dry, gravelly land-seed sown in three drills
25 feet long, rows two feet apart. Its growth
much retarded by drought in July and Au-
gust From this, and perhaps its being too
thick in the drills, it only grew from five to
six feet high. About the first Of Oct. l cut
it and fed to my COWS from the avidity with
which the leaves and stalks were eaten, |
came 10 the conclusion 1t was No. l forage.
But perhaps this plant may prove more va
luabie for fattening cattle, than for increas-
ing the quantity of milk. Recently the
cheaper kinds Of molasses have been some
what extensively used in England, as por-
ton Of the feed given fattening animals.
The constituent or elementary principles OF
sugar, starch, oil, and animal fat, being
identical, and combined in nearly or quite
the same relative proportions, the inference
is that the extra saccharine juice Of the cane
for saws the Patent Office Report" There
is also another feature in this plant which
would seem to be worthy of notice, as a
forage plant in the Middle and Western
States if the seeds are sown early in May
two crops of fodder can be raised from the
same roots in the same seasOn-say one
about first Of August, and the other in Oc'
tober."
About the middle Of September, thinking
my plants too thick, cut out portion OF
them: the roots left at the " thinning out
soon threw up numerous shoots, that were
thrifty and green. On the 18th of Oct, the
day turned my cattle into the field, ex
| amined the seed on the cane raised by both
Mr. Cutter and Mr.. Bradley, and thought that
! neither Of them had ma;nred sufficiently to
( yesetatc. BY carly planting. OH dry,
warm soil. have no doubt but that the seed
NAV be matured a. far north az the middle
of New Hampshire and Vermont.
Recently some cheering and valuable state
ments have been made relative to its value
as sugar and syrup" plant. to which
will refer. the importance of which. Messrs
Editors. must be my apology for the length
| of this paper.
MIR. j. f. C. Hyde. of Newton Centre
Mass. in letter dated 29th September. and
published in the Boston Daily 7raoelle-. oI
Oct. Cd. says:
"My cane seed was planted about ths
Goth Of Nav. 1t came up well and grew
well. having reached the height of ten feet
A few days ago, the plant just being out o
flower. or in other words past its bloom.
cut several stalks and stripped Oft the leaves
crushed the cane and pressed out tho juice
which boiled down to molasses; and fin,
article it is-as good as can be Dought 10
fifty or sixty cents per gallon. The luiee Il
very rich in saccharine matter, yisioins