Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-01-14
for tie fmmtr.
CHINESE SUGAR CANE

IS everything nowadays, which con-
cerss this newly introduced agricultural
product, exeiies attention:
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.)
December 10, 1856.
This new plant seems 10 be destined 10
take an important position among our
economical products. Its seeds were
sent, some six years ago, f'om north of
China. by ii. de MOniiguy, TO The Geo.
graphical Society of Paris. From the
cursory examination of a small field Of il,
growing al Terrieres, in France, in the
autumn Of 1854, NJ. D. J. Browne. then
on a mission from this office for collecting
agricultural information and products.
was led to infer. thai, from The peculiarly
of the climate IN which it wss growing,
and its resemblance in appearance and
habit TO Indian corn, il would flourish in
any region wherever that plant would
thrive. From this source he obtained
some 900 pounds of the seed, which was
distributed in small packages by this Of
flee, among The members of Congress
Eith a view of experimenting with it in
all pats Of the Union, and thereby ascer-
tanning its adoption 10 our soil and eli
mate. In numerous instances The results
proved highly satisfactory, as it attained
the heighih Of eight or Ten feet as far
north as 81. Paul, in Minnesota, and ma
tured its seeds at various points in Mass
achuse.is, New York, Pennsylvania, III
inois. and other places further south.
The following year, while in France, on
a similar mission as above, Mr.. Browne
obtained several bushels Of The seed of
this plant, grown from that repuled TO
have been brought from South Africa bv
Mr.. Leonard Wrav, Of London, and
which has since proved 10 be identical
With that obtained by This Office in 1854
There appears 10 be a -doub, among
many in Europe, as well as in this coun
try. as 10 the true Botanical name of this
plant. NJ. Louis Eilmorin, a scientific
euliivator of Paris, Professionally gave it
fhe name of Hoicus s5cckCra'Us which
had previously been applied 10 the COM
mon broom corn, if not to other species,
or at least varieties, Of allied plant. He
also conjeciurod that ii might be the
Sorghum uu!gare, (Andropogon sorghum
of others. and thought that it might CON-
Prehend a variety OF it as well as
AadrQpogon ocfro. 6icoiOr, etc., of Kuhlh
Mr.. Wray, who has devoted much time
and attention 10 the cultivation of this
plant, with the view Ct extracting sugar
from its juice, at Cape Natal and other
places, states that, in The southeast par,
OF CaffrLria, there are at least fifteen vari.
cites of some Of them growing 10 a height
of twelve or fifteen feet, with stems a.
thick as those Of the sugar cane Sc
eAnrnna o5fcinarum NJ. Vilmorin also
says that, in n collection OF seeds sent TO
the Museum Of Natural History al Paris,
in 1870, by NJ. d'Abadie, there were
thirty kinds ofsorghum, among the growth
of which he particularly recognized sew
eral plants having stems of a s~accharine
flavor. Oilers are OF opinion that the
common broom corn HoIcus s0ccharotus
the Chocolate or Guinea corn Sorghum
rulgars.) and the Chinese sugar cane
(Sorghum s~accharatum.) all of which.
containing more or less s~accharine mat
ter, are flom The same species, but are
variations caused by differences of soil
and climate, or by a disposition 10 sport,
alter The manner of Indian corn and OH
er plants under cultivation. The Chi
nese sugar cane, however. differs from
the others in containing a far larger pro
portion Of juice, and consequently is mo re
valuable for fodder and other economical
uses.
10 i776 a plant analogous 10 the one in
question was experimental upon al Flor
ence, in Italy, by Pieiro Arquino, for The
extraction of sugar; vel it nus have been
OF a different variety, as he describes It's
seeds Of a clear brown color, while those
OF The Chinese sugar cane are OF a shin
ing Jet black, and in appearance Identical
with those Of The Sorghum vuIgurc of the
cid collections.
DESCRIPTION HABIT OF GROWTH.
The Chinese sugar cane, wben c%ulliva-
ted on ordinary land, in the United
States, somewhat after The manner ofi
broom corn, grows 10 a height of from
eight TO sixteen feet, while in Europe il
does not attain much more than half eli
this altitude. lis stems are straight and
smooth, often covered with n while bloom.
having leaves somewhat ~Grxuous, falling
over and greatly resembling in appear.
ance those of Indian corn, but more ele- !
CANT in form. When cultivated in hills
containing eight or ten stalks each, ii
puts forth 81 IFS top a conical panicIe of
dense flowers, green at first, bat changing
into violet shades, and finally into dark
purple at maturity. la France and the
central and northern sections of The Uni
ted States, it has thus iarproved an aunu
oil; but from observations made by NJ.
Siimorin. as well as some experiments in
our Sou'hern States, ii is conjeclured
that, from The vigor and ~fuliness of the
lower parts Of the stalks in autumn, Lv