Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-01-22
aaritultltral,
Chinese Sugar-Cane.

Report Of DR.. Robert Battey, Practical
Chemist, and Graduate of the Phila-
delphia College of Pharmacy.
ID. Redmond, Esq, Editor of the South
ern Cultivator, Augusta Ga.-Dear Sir:
I cheerfully comply with your request for
information on the subject of my observa-
tions and experiments upon the Chinese
Sugar-Cane as syrup-producing plant.
Ny attention was first called to the sub
iect by the seed which you were kind
enough to send me in the spring of 1855.
I planted them and raised-say Is to 20
canes that year-from which l extracted a
small quantity of juice for analysis. This
juice, as you are already aware, yielded,
during the winter, sugar and syrup, sam
Piles Of which l sent to you for inspection.
Impressed, as was, with the probable
importance of this plant to the agricultu-
rists of the South, did not deem it pru-
dent to speak hastily of its merits wait
ing, rather, until repetition of these ex-
periments upon larger scale should fully
establish the opinions | had entertained
of it. Ns----s.-- -----z----
The present year I have cultivated a
few more canes for my experiments, and
upon the farm of Richard Peters, ESQ.,,
Gordon county, Ga, / have witnessed the
growth of the cane by the acre, and the
production of the syrup by barrels. 1
have, in the mean time, read attentively
the opinions of Gov. Hammond, of South
Carolina, and others in different sections of
the Union, who have grown the plant and
experimental with it, as also the valuable
paper of M. Vilmorin, of France, who has
given this subject much study and inyesti-
cation. So that, calmly viewing all the
facts which l have been able to collect, l
no longer entertain doubt that this plant
is well worthy of the attention and study
of the farmers and planters of the South.
If the opinions l shall express should
seem TO some too wild and extravagant, I
trust they will receive them as the honest
and candid sentiments of one who has care
fully examined the subject, and be led to
investigate and experiment for themselves.
Should | thus be enabled to arouse the at
tention of Southern farmers to the impor-
tance of this plant, my object will have
been accomplished, and my labor well ex-
pended.
The Chinese sugar-Cane seems to adapt
itself to all the vicissitudes of our varied
climate and soil, with facility unsurpass-
ed by corn or wheat. In Cherokee, Ga,
it dourishes in high degree of perfection
upon soils high and low, rich and compar-
atively poor, producing heavy crops of
stalk, leaf, and seed.
The experiments of Mr.. Peters (which
are already published in many of our agr-
cultural papers) present an example of
most successful culture. l have found it
to grow with me, in all respects, as vigor-
ously as corn, with precisely similar treat
ment. In Allegheny county, Nd, a cor
respondent writes for the May number of
the american Farmer:
II think it well adapted even to our
mountainous county, and it promises to be
more valuable than any other article we
can grow for provender. l believe it will
produce six or eight tons Of dried proven
der to the acre."
The present writer has met many intel
igent and enterprising farmers of Pennsyl-
vania and Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey
and New York, in attendance at the late
National Fair at Philadelphia. Many of
them had witnessed its growth in their re-
spective States with entire success. One
gentleman of New Jersey had grown a
half acre of the cane this season. 1t has
been successfully grown in Illinois also, and
enc gallon Of the juice is said to have
yielded, BY boiling, a quart of syrup of
good quality. There is every reason to
conclude that The cane may be easily and
successfully grown IN all parts of our coun-
Try.