The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-03-05
CIRCULAR.
The Chinese sugar. Cane.
a- u. S. PATENT OFFICE,
December 10, 1856.
CIRCULAR.

Sir:
Ths.new plant seems I, be destined to take
an important position among our economical
products. Its seeds were sent. some six years
ago, from the north OF China, by NJ de Mon
dgny, to the Geographical Society of Paris
From cursorv examination of a small field of
it, growing at Verrieres, in France, in the au-
tunn Of 1854, Mr.. ID. J. Browne, then on a
mission from this Office for collecting agricul-
tural information and products. was led to in
fer, that, from the peculiarly of the climate in
which it was growing, and its resemblance in
appearance and habit 10 Indian corn. it would
flourish in any region wherever that plant
would thrive. From this source, he obtained
some 200 pounds Of the seed, which was dis
tributed in small packages, by this flee.
among the members of Congress. with the
view of experimenting with it in all parts of
the Union, and thereby ascertaining its adap-
tation to our soil and climate. In numerous
instances. the results proved highly satisfacto-
ry, as it attained the height of Sor 10 feet as
far north as St. Pau's, IN Minnesota, and
matured its seed atvarious points in Massachu-
sets, New York, Pennsylvania. Illinois, and
other places further south. The following
year, while in France, on similar mission as
above, MIR. Browne obtained several bushels
OF the seed OF this plant, grown from that re-
puted to have been brought from South Africa.
by Mr.. Leonard Wray, of London. and which
has since proved TO be identical with that OBJ
tanned by This Office in 1854.
There appears to be doubt among many in
Europe, as well as in this country, as to the
true botanic al name of this plant. M. Louis
vilmorin, scientific cultivator, of Paris, pro-
visionailv gave it the name of HoLcas sGcchar-
aus, which had previously been applied to the
common boom-corn, il not to other species, or
at least varieties, of some allied plant. He
also. COME ctured that it might be the Sorghum
ragare, {Andropogon sorghum Of others, }
and thought that it might comprehend vari-
ETY. oft, as well as .4ndropogon cafra, bicolor,
ETC.. of Kunth. Mr.. Wray, who has devoted
much time and attention to the cultivation of
this plant, with the view of extracting sugar
from IFS juice, at Cape Natal and other places,
states that, in the southeast part of Caitraria.
there are at least fifteen varieties of il, some of
them growing to height of IL to Is feet, with
stems as thick as those of the sugar-cane
(Sdcchosum offcinarum.) nj. Vilmorin, also,
says that, in collection Of seeds sent to the
Museum Of Natural History at Paris, in 1910,
by M. de Abadie, there were thirty kinds Of
sorghum, among the growth of which he par
ticularly recognised several plants having
stems Of saccharine flavor. Others are Of
the opinion. that the common broom corn
(Hoicus saccharattts,) the chocolate or Guinea
corn, Sorghum UutgGre.) and the Chinese
sugar-cane, (Sorghum Saccharatum.) all of
which, containing more or less saccharine
matter, belong to the same species, but are
variations caused by difference of soil and eli
mate, or by a disposition to sport, after the
manner of Indian corn and other plants under
cultivation. The Chinese sugar-cane, how
ever, differs from the others, in containing
far larger proportion of Juice, and consequently
is more valuable for fodder and other econo-
mical uses
In 1766, plant analogous to the one in ques-
ton, was experimental upon at Florence, in
Italy. by Pietro Arduino. for the extraction of
sugar; yet it must have been of a different
variety, as he describes its seeds as of clear
brown color, while those of the Chinese sugar.
cane are of shining jet-black and in appear
ance identical with those of the Sorghum VAL
care, of the old collection.