The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-09-25
SORGHUM, OR CHINESE SUGAR
CANE.

a subject which just now commands good
deal of interest, not only among agricultur-
lists, but the public generally.
MEssRs. EDrroRs The Chinese Sugar.
Cane (Sorghum Saccharatum) is now under.
| going u series of experiments in this country.
Is II to be really valuable addition TO our
| agricultural productions, or will it pass off in
few years, like the thousand humbugs of
the last twenty years, and only be remember.
| ed with Budencorn, Florida. coffee, morus.
multicaus, ct id omne genusa Every year
has its novelties--a fresh crop of humbugs
to supply the wants of new crop of agricul.
tural tyros. Those who have passed through
the whole series, and witnessed the process
annually of putting and seling-of great an.
ticipation in spring and corresponding disap-
pontment in autumn, by which the agricul-
tuial world is kept on the aert-have learned
wisdom by experience, and are not easily
caught by "chuff."
confess to n confirmed skepticism on all
these patent prOcesses--these short modes of
reaching great results. No valuable agricul.
tural product is ever "peculiarly adapted to
poor land" Good living tells on vegetable
us well MS on animal life. Judicious selection
of seeds will improve not only the quality,
but also the quantity in certain cases; but if
we depend altogether upon the virtues of the
seed, and neglect the treatment, we shall
surely be disappointed. "Prolfc peas" and
"proItic. corn" will only be prolific when fed
by good manures and treated with good till
age; and all our cultivated seeds will be "pro.
life" under such treatment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ir quarter or half n
cestury-we have II really valuable addition
ad..f
Is the Chinese Sugar.Caue to be one?
think it il.
With much doubt and misgivlng at First,
have gradually come to the conclusion, from
my own experiment this season, and that of
Others this year ard last, that we have obtain
ed IA valuable plant And here, in few words,
are the reasons for this belief: AS n green
crop to be cut for forage, the sorghum is GER
tainy equal, if not superior, to the other mil.
lets now planted for that purpose. 1t yields
more grain per mere than Indian corn-by my
observations, about double.-and perhaps
moie than nny of the cerenls. Its blades make
good fodder, and will give per acre more
than the Indian corn; and besides, and in nd
dition, it will yield (and of this there is now
no question: from ono hundred TO two hun.
dred gallons Of syrup per acre, superior to
The seed should be allowed to ripcn before
the cane is pressed, as the juice then contains
more saccharine matter, and makes nicer
and purer syrup. This learn from trial. and
from the experience of others. We thus Sc
cure the grain.
Besides the vast quantity of molasses which
might be made for market at low cost, thus
placing il within reach of the poor, every
farmer aud planter in our Southern country
viii be able, at n trifiing cost, to make his own
supply, and furnish to his negroes u whole
some luxury, and add to his comforts.
So far, therefore, consider the culture of
the article successIul-highly so, ever if su-
gar should never be made from it. The pu.
rity of the syrup will render it useful for all
the common purposes of brown sugar, and it
will take the place of that article in great
many things. have seen verv nice preserves
made with the syrup, instead Of sugar.
But shall we not make sugar also from the
new product? As yet it has failed Of this
end in any practical way and to any extent;
but our long summer sun may enable it to do
what different climate has not effected. II
is possible we have not yet found the pecu-
liar mode of treatment which will cause it to
granulate; and it is chiefly to offer some sug-
gestions on this point to those who have
planted and are experimenting in the manu-.
fncture Of syrup, that this communication is
made.
would prefer, first, that some Of the
plants be topped MS soon as the heads or
pancles of flowers are well developed. This
will cause the lateral buds to shoot but they
must also be taken off. The juice, which
would have gone 10 mature the seed, is thus
retained in the stem, By this treatment the