Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-02-05
farmcr's department.
The Chinese Sugar Cane.

Being requested 10y many to publish state
mcnt, through the columns Of your paper, of
my experience with, and the value of the Chi
ncSc Sugar Cane | therefore send you the fol-
lowing statement, which you will please insert
On the 25th Of Nay | planted about half
an acre of ground, oIe year old. \ portion
of the soil was low and wet in the spring-in
fact | covered the srel with mud the other
part was high and sandy the consequence
was, when the dry season set in the wet part
baked very hard and the high burnt up for
want Of rain | piowed it when about ten
inches high and that was all the working it
got, with the exception of a slight hocing pre-
vi0us to pIowing my object was to ascertain
the amount of saccharine matter contained in
the stalks, and supposed enough would grow
to make the experiment. Many of the stalks
grew from sixteen to twenty feet high (in the
low ground it only grew twelve feet.)
Having made mill in which to grind it,
commenced on tho oath Of September. The
cane then had received two or three frosts,
which slightly injured the taste of the water.
/ am convinced that the amount of stalks |
used can be grown on less than quarter Of an
acre. The amount of water obtained from the
piece was 210 gallons, from " hich | made As
SdIiOilS NliiAii, III vi anu pCtLuAIui
red color is far superior to any mOlasses OBJ
tanned from the South | did rot try to grain
any of it, as it will not grain after being frost
ed but am convinced there will be no diff
Guilty in granting it if tried previous to frost.
If it is planted by the middle of May, it will
ripen by the end of August, and remain in good
condition until frost, and if cut up and put in
a shed (in apprehension of frost) it will keep
well for a month or more.
| will give statement of what may be made
per acre, Judging from the amount of water OBJ
tanned from each stalk One of my neighbors
Mr. A. Degan, obtained from seven choice
stalks one gallon of water and in another
trial made by Mr. McCeary, Sen, and my
self, we pressed from ten stalks one gallon and
quart The number OF stalks in a hill should
be from four to six. In my calculations on
ly estimate one quart of water to the hill, al
lowing sixteen hills per square rood, which will
make $3.50 hills to the acre and this, at one
quart per hill, will make 10 gallons of molas
seS. Valued at 75 cents per gallon, it would
amount to $8, $50 per acre, and | do not hesi-
tate in saying that the amount may be doubled
| would urge upon the farmers of the ives
tern country to try it. You will not only save,
but make money in the operation. | am we'll
convinced that in 1860 the southern planter
will have no sale for his sugar in the State of
Illinois From present indications there will
be one hundred acres raised in Wabash coun
ty next year. which will save the county $40
600. The time to commence working the cane
is when the seeds have changed from green to
dark red hue although it will remain good
until fairly matured.
Should any person wish to make the expert
ment, have some seed to Spare-one quart
will plant an acre j. VI. khron, McCleary's
Bluff, Wabash county, Illinois, Graysralc
HcrGN.