The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-04-09
Chinese Sugar Cane.


q. w. Kendall, of the New Orleans
P'edyuns, thus adds his testimony regard.
ing the value Of this product He is farm.
ing on large scale in Texas:
"ln October, 1853, purchased in Paris
small paper Of the seed. do not think
there was more than Two heaping table.
spoonfuIs Of it, or three at the outside. l
brought it with me 10 New Orleans, and OF
arriving sent it here TO lie planted Wien
reached this place, early in May last il
was just peering above the ground, Two
rows Of it in a ten acre field. wlicl, has been
devoted in the main 10 millet. oats, and n
little Indian corn, and four short rows ia
our garden; the latter was planted last.
About the 9Th Of July two rows in the
larger field had shot up, headed out, and
ripened, Notwithstanding the drought, and
heavy heads were cut for seed. The oats.
meanwhile, had come up, the millet was
hardly above ground, while the Indian corn
was parched and drying up for want Of
rain. Two or three mornings afterwards,
on looking at the field from n hill close by,
noticed that two rows Of Sorgho Sucre
had entirely disappeared, while rows Of In
dian corn on the other side were still stand
ing. On close examination, ascertained
that lot OF hogs-hogs are apt TO do such
things-had broken into the field, and de.
voured the Chinese sugar cane root and
branch; 1t was cut clean 10 the ground by
the porkers, not a single vestge was left.
| while, as already stated, the stalks of Ind-
an corn on either side were left standing. [
was thankful had saved The seed. and
thought little more OF it.
1Snma fay ,Iars afa. ,l,.
forinight-ihe rows planted in the garden
were examined, the heads of seeds found to
be rpe, and the greater portion cut and
brought to the house, leaving the tall stalks
still standing. On cutting down one of
the latter, which must have been ten feet
high | found it to be exceedingly heavy,
and OH tasting the cane il seemed 10 me io
be as full Of the saccharine juice as the ordi.
nary sugar cane of louisiana AT the same
time had two or three imported French
merino sheep in my yard, in great want Of
! green fodder, and on cutting the cane in
small pieces, found that they devoured il
with the greatest avidity. After this fed
| them daily on 1t for some time single
stalk furnishing good bait. also gave
some of II To a favoriie mare, she eating il
even more greedily than the sheep. Some
! three weeks after the ripe heads Of seed
were cut | noticed that new heads had
! shot up from the same stalk; and these new
! heads bIossomed, filled and ripened in Sep
! tember, aud were cut and brought TO the
house. All this lime you must recolieci we
were suffering from the unprecedented
drought, and Indian corn and sweet pota-
toes water melons, pumpkings, and the like.
had died down 10 ;!e very ground.
IL now became more interested in the
! Sorgho Sucre than ever, and though still
/ led out daily 10 tie merinoes and mare,
lett portion of the stalks standing. Soon
new heads were seen shooting out, and
these in turn blossomed aud ripened as did
the first. kept no account of dates, bu,
think this third crop Of seed from The same
stalk, If SO may call it, was gathered about
the first Of October, it might have been du-
! rlng the second weel, Of that month.
planted some of this last seed, by way Of
eSperImenI-it came up rapidly, looked
| thrifty, grew up until it WAS nearly knee.
! high, and was finally cut down by frost in
November great number of shoots OF
suckers, which had sp'ung up from th.
stalks first planted, were cut down at the
same lime. The Soreho Sucre can stand
any kind OF drought, but the frrt sharp
/ frost kills it to the ground. Aud wliat
amognt Of seed do you think gathered
I f,'Hn lhe iin!e paper purchased in Pariyi
( Nearly, If not qilc, two buShel,i and had
( not lhe hogs broken into the field, believe
/ should have had three 1t certainly Yields
! IN the most miraculous manner; beats eve
/ r!thlng Tor dry weather.
OF us properties for the production Of
sugar can say nothing; ouly know that
/ 1t tastes like the common sugar cane, and
: Is full OF juice about the time The frsl head
/ rlpens. As green fodder, it also beats
/ everything which grows; horses sheep and
I hogs are certainly inordnalely fond Of it,
/ and so full are the stalks OF saccharue mat.
! ter, that they must be both nutritious and
/ iauening. ! cannot say what kind OF bread
| or cake The seeds will afford; nor can tell
what kind Of dry fodder the plant will make
| when cut green; these experiments have
! vet 90 try, anG now that have The seed, I
| intend to do it on a grand scale. shall
! plant 1t IN rows or drills, shall SOW it and
cut II at different stages, to try lis oualitie.
as a dry fodder. Let me repca. over and
over again, that il stands drought better
! than anything we have---does not seem to
require rain AFTER il is once up"
! Tie youthful portion Of the public is
| composed OF aged people. The enthusiasm