Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-04-09

scenes; ...s
There's one thing that's equal to both greens and
bacon,
And that is dish of good-Jacon and greens.
CHINESE SUGAR CANE.
G. w. Kendall, of the New Orleans Pic
ayuae, thus adds his testimony regarding the
value of this product. lie is farming on
large scale in Texa":
"In October, 1858, purchased in Paris
small paper of the seed. I do not think
there was more than two heaping table
spoonsful of it, or three at the outside. I
brought it with me to Newt Orleans, and on
arriving sent it here to be planted. When I
reached this place. early in May last, it was
just peering above the ground, two rows of
it in ten acre field, Which has been devoted
in the main to millet, oats, and little In
dian corn, and four short rows in our garden !;
the latter was planted last.
"About the Sth of July two rows in the
larger field had shot up, headed out, and ri
pcned, 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 look
ing at the field from hill close by, 7 noticed
that two rows of Sorgho Sucre had entirely
disappeared, while rows of Indian corn on
the other side we're still standing. On close
examination, I ascertaincd that lot of hogs
hogs are apt to do such things-had bro
ken into the field, and devoured the Chinese
sugar cane root and branch it was cut clean
to the ground by the porkers, not single
vestisc was left, while, as already stated, the
stalks of Indian corn on either side were left
standing. was thankful l had saved the
seed, and thought little more it.
"Some few days after this-perhaps fort
night-the rows planted in the garden were
examined, the heads of seeds found to be
ripe, 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, I found
it to be exceedingly heavy, and on tasting
the cane it seemed to me to be as full of the
saccarine juice as the ordinary sugar cane of
Louisiana At the same time had two or
three imported French mcrino sheep in my
yard, in great want of green fodder, and on
cutting the cane in small pieces, found that
they devoured it with the greatest avidity.
After this l fed them daily on it for some
time, single stalk furnishing good bait.
I also gave some of it to favorite mare, she
eating it even more grccdily than the sheer.
Some three weeks after the ripe heads Of
seed were cut, I noticed that new heads had
shot up from the same stalk; and these new
heads had blossomed, filled and ripeucd in
September, and were cut and brought to the
house. All this time you must recollect we
we're suffering from the unprecedented
drought, and Indian corn and sweet potatoes,
water-melons, punkins, and the like, had
died down to the very ground.
II now became more interested in the
Sorgho Sucre than ever, and though still
fed out daily to the merinoes and mare, left
a portion of the stalks standing. Soon, new
heads we're seen shooting out, and these in
turn blossomed and ripened as did the first.
l kept no account of dates, but think this
third crop of seed from the same stalk, if so
I may call it, was gathered about the first of
October, it might have been during the Sec
ond week of that month. I planted some of
this last'seed, by way of experimental came
up rapidly, looked thrifty, grew up until it
was nearly knee-high, and was finally cut
down by frost in November. A great num-
ber of shoots or suckers, which had sprung
up from the stalks first planted, were cut
down at the same time. The Sorgho Sucre
can stand any kind of drought, but the first
sharp frost kills it to the ground. And what
amount of seed do you think I gathered
from the little paper purchased in Paris !?
Nearly, if not quite, two bushels and had
not the hogs broken into the field, I believe
I soould have had three 1t certainly yields
in the most miraculous manner; beats every
thing for dry weather.
"Of its properties for the production of
sugar, I can say nothing; L only know that
it tastes like the common sugar cane, and is
full of juice about the time the first head ri
pens. As green focder, it also beats every
thing which grows; horses sheep and hogs
are certainly inordinately fond of it, and so
full are the stalks of saccharine matter that
they must be both nutricious and fatteniug.
I 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 1 have yet to try,
and now that have the seed, intend to do
it on grand scale. I shall plant it in rows
or drills, shall SOW it and cut it at different
stages, to try its qualities as dry fodder
Let me- repeat over and over again that it
stands drought better than any we have
does not seem to require rain after it is once
up"