Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-02-27
Agricultural israoine.
From Life illustrated.
CHINESE SUGAR-CANE.


Of orr Fastarn friends. We make the
following extract from the S0utasr" Cu'-
tivatcr in addition to our own remarks
under the head of culture While the
seed remains in the hands of the few,
and commands a price too high to permit
a waste, it should be planted for one sea-
son with good distance, that the seed
crop as well as the cane may attain their
highest state of Development. L Woula
recommend that the rows should be three
or even four feet apart, and distance Of
say two feet, given in the row, dropping
one or two seeds in a place. Let the
ground be well cultivated, as for corn,
and the shoots or suckers which spring
upfrom the roots be all permitted to grow.
A small portion of the crop should be
reserved for seed, and permitted to stand
until fully matured and dry. 1t would
be well to limit the canes in the seed
patch to one. By all means permit no
Broom-Corn, DourahCorn, or other
plants of the same family, to grow near
your cane. 1t readily intermixes with
these varieties, and effectually ruins your
seed for the production Of syrup. For
the same reason, great care should be re-
served in procuring reliable seed, as well
as in keeping them so.
After the first season, when full sup
ply Of seed shall have been secured, a
better paying syrup crop may be grown,
by closer planting. The space between
the rows may well be narrowed down to
three feet, and the seed put in, say two
or three every six inches. When well
up, the stoutest and healthies plants
should alone be allowed to stand. The
cane, when very young, presents so much
the appearance of grass, that an advan-
tage may perhaps be gained by dropping
some other seed with the cane, that the
latter may be more readily distinguished.
This, of course should be drawn out with
the superfluent cane plants. When of
sufficient size, the plants should be suck
cred down to one cane for each root. In
other respects, the successful grower of
corn will not be at loss in the cultivation
of this plant. I have found a suitable
time for planting to be Immediately after
the corr crop, although excellent results
have been obtained by planting as late as
the 10th of May, in Cherokee, Georgia
1t will doubtless be desirable to make
several successive paintings, that they
may mature gradually, and so give more
time for harvesting the crop. The land
in my opinion, should be prepared in al
respects as for corn. NJ. Ledock recon-
mends methods similar to those giver
above. M. Vilmorin suggests the posi-
, bility of preserving the stalks for tht
manufacture ofsugar through the entire
year by cutting them into small piece
and artifcially drying them.
But we do not believe this to be prac
2 ticable on large scale, although it would
4 be desirable were the inhabitants of tn
n Northern States to enter into the manu-
: facture of sugar and syrup. Indeed, 70
the purpose of feeding during winter
some plan must be adopted for thorough
IS ly drying and saving the canes, since W
o have found, from our limited experienc,
e that it is impossible to completely ez
D tract the excess of water. Acetous fel
mentation soon sets in after the storing
sorgho stocks prepared in the same MAJ
e ner with those from ordinary corn. A
Al though we are advocates for the extensiy
+ employment of this plant for fodder d.
ring the summer season, we have yet
be convinced by further experience tn;
At it can be successfully grown for wintt
J. feeding, however valuable it may be
:" itself for such purposes.
After-culture consists in running IL
horse hoe or cultivator as close to IL
= plants as possible; hoeing and cuttir
out the grass are necessary, and thiDnir
= as directed above. Constant attentic
- should be given to the plant during Il
early stages of its growth, as it is slow
its first development. No killing is r
10 quired more than for the ordinary CO.
10 crop. If this crop be planted too thick
N the sun can not penetrate sufficiently
he give healthy growth, and heavy bls
n of wind will be likely to PROSTATE t
he crop, particularly when accompanied
rain.
Harvesting. For fodder crop t
on same plan may be pursued as with Gro
,ly of corn. Mr.. Redmond, and others
lse the South, say "When the stalk sh
ac- have attained its full size, and the Sc
We have passed from the dough stage to
harder texture, the cane may be eonsid,