The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-20
MARCUS WATSON. Pria,sr.
a9ritultnrul.
S org n u m +.


dedy successful in this country. not only IN
the SJuth, where il seems a. have bccn dem
onstratrd that two eroPs or cuttings oi
surtr-bslrins stllks eau b, Obtained in one
selsln. from the SINE ~ II of that eir :
nlaniin., but even 81 FAR nJrth rs MinncsO-
Ia, wl CSC il Is testified that gpod syrup was
made in 1856 from stalks hardly u hundred
days rsom the sssd, that We are impslled to
urg upon our farmers and glrd'nsrs the
importlncc OF early attention TO the Procur-
in: ors,,I and planting for the s,as1n just
b,1rou. LIT Us all grow the seed this
wear. 10 that il ctn never b, 80 scrcc that
spccula;ors may ran il up % an cxosbitan'
pric,. a great dNIl remains To b, settled
with r,gIrd 10 this liant, especially the b'st
m ,ic OF c,nycrtins IT. Saecharine properties
into cryst,llizcd sugar; and it Is hIghly
pr,blblc that better varieties of IL will ulti'
m,,ely bs discovered, ut Least for certain 10
calitits, than that now curr n, in thiscoun-
try. For tie prcss't, however, 1t Is ad,iss'
bl, to eJn,inu, and extend tho cultivation
oc that which is accessible. and thus t'st the
ell set of acciima,iJn on the character OF The
plln, and the sweetness Of its juices. We
suspect that for Llu si,nl, Florida and Tex
as. the SIr,tum Of Southern Africa will al
timately h. lound preferable 10 that obtain
ed from France nv our Patent Olic', and
from Chinl by Frames. lrtprove that thIN
plant, or certain varieties of IL. can bc
grown from year 10 year m scmi'troplcI
htitud,s rrnn the simc root, rs the cane Is
crown in tho West Indies. and that two or
more crops or suS,r yielding stalks may he
cut from that root c,ci sra.on, then there
can hc hut litle doubt that our Southern
States are i d,tincl still to lead the NIrth IN
the production of sugar. For the present,
however, II suffice that ,h, Sorghum may
b, crown wherever Indian cDrn will usual y
rip,a-,hat It's abandlnt juice makes u very
pleasant syrup or m,Lr>,'s, 10 which IL Is
clsiIv reduced by boiling away four hithS oi
il ~ the ordinary mod, Oi Snsar-makinS
from the sap of tho maplc-nud that tho
leaves and stalks, whether green or dry, OF
the sorghum make an admirable fodder Tor
cattle, horses or hogs, while the seeds are
eaton with aviliiy hy fowls also, u justify
the general interest cyinccl in its cnlii@
tiou. We propose, therefore, to cond'nS'
into the smallest spIc,, some practical di-
rections to the prospective cui;ivator as lol-
Lows
/. SEED. Ir there b, a sscd-storc within
your r,ach, your easiest Nay is 10 'end and
buy what seyd you want. In planting To
raisi serd (Ihe first years o'j"ct) pound
will sulEc Cor an acre ; AMI this ought not
{, eat NOR, thai dlllar. But beware Of
impnstors and swindlers, for bushels Of
brnm-cprn and kindred seeds will he palm
cd ulr ., tha, or thc S,rshun. Where YOU
cannot readily "bU,in seed in this way,
writ, to your M,mhcr Of Congress asking
him to ssnl you r'r'r, and he will Srncr'
ally b, ahl,todI dIso lfnIt, IT, Scr,ury
OF YOUR tate Agricultural SJeicty may b,
able to supply YOU.
.. PLANTING. Choose warm, mellow
soil. such a, YOU would cJnilsntly cxpcc, to
grow at lc,sy fity busllcls of Indian Corn to
the acre. PlIw early. pl,w deep and thor
oushly. Plant as carly as you could ven
turc to plan, corn. YOU have u hot bSl,
start llttlc secd in one corner oft tyou
plant considerably, put IL your seed at dill.
fercnt lin.s-siy, IN this htitud,, one.
quarter each ON ihc lst, lO;h aal 2J.h OF
Nay and lst If Jane respectively. Plant
(rur s,sDfn hills, six s,tds u th, hill, AMI
at distances Of four feet each way. Try
some five feet ap IT east ana wet ('oa rs u'
Let in he sun between the rOws,) and SON,
in drills say four To Eve iect alSIrt east AND
west, with the seed. six inches alSIrs in the
drill. and thin the plants to Ons foot apart,
If yuu have seed ia abundLncs, sow lItIlr
in drills two fc, apir', the sScds in drill
but two or thr-e inc!,vs apart. Cover light.
ly. as tho SGD rots If covered dsePly. Kccp
the hens at distance, or it will cono up
too soon.
). TnLAGE. The Sorghum comes up
lJokin: v,ry puny-much like hroIm.eOrn
or barn grIss. lf yoa set u bluekhcld to
W cd il, he will probably pull it up and re.
port that 1t never germinatcd. CGlIiyate
lik, Indian COrn-only faithfully. lfsuck
crs start. "a M jJrity say pinca thc'n or pull
them oG--Ihat Is, ia growing Io' SScL.-
Til, ncyl not Dc dons in ScowinS iOr sugar
:. Harvesting. Whenever the sceJ
shall bc hard and black, eat oil the upper
part OF the stalks, say threc fsct lnng. and
hans thcm up lk, bsOJm-cIrn, IN dry
chImh,r, sL'p,nd d ir'n the c.ilin;. - as
to bs cat ot tio way of rAss, Sc. Ma cut
up yoIr stalks. pull OT chs lelvss, aud sat.
isly yOsr,,lf that all manner ut stack will
eat thcm; cat upa Few Of the stalk, Us YOU
would eJrn.s,alks, and Try like expert,
mcnt with them; and put the rest OF Oh,
stalks through any kid of cr,shin. :.n,l
tina, may bs handy eid;r.miIl would b
better than nothins-eatch the juicI anJ
instantly warm it os .r a slow fir, in iarc
kettle. ski,amins oG the skuin :, lon: Us
any shall F'ss. Then bill the juiel aJOu'
iour'hlihs away, as 'f IL wvr, m.pls SAP,
Uso u little lime or lims-waier to neutral
IL, the phOsphIric acid, which otherwls.
viii give siisa,iy acid bat not anplcaslnl
81. ~.rlu. .l si.... So -r .rl