Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-02-10
From the Tennessee Farmer and Mechanic.
Chinese Sugar Cane.


IN answer to a number Of correspondents,
who have solicited information in regard to the
cultivation of this plant, we give the most ap-
proved method of raising it, with which we
are acquainted. During the spring and sum-
mer, we shall give further instructions touch
ing upon the harvesting and manner of manu-
featuring the syrup. Our subscribers may ex-
pect to find in our columns during the coming
year, the most minute particulars in regard to
this new product.
CULTURE.-While the seed remains in the
hands of the few, and commands price too
high to permit waste, it should be planted for
one season with good distance, that the seed
crop as well as the cane may attain their high
est state Of development. We would recon-
mend 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 seed in
place. Let the ground be well cultivated, as
for corn, and the shoots or suckers which
spring up from the root, 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 in
each hill permit no Broom corn, DOUrdh-
corn or other plants Of the same family, to
grO,0 near yOur cane. 1t rapidly intermiXes
with these varieties, and effectually ruins your
seed for the production ofsyrup. For the same
reason, great care should be observed in pro-
curing reliable seed, as well as in keeping them
so.
After the first season, when a full supply Of
seed shall have been secured better-paIing
syrup crop may be grown, by closer planting.
The space between the rows may well be mar
rowed down to three feet and the seed put in,
say two or three every siXinches. When well
up, the stoutest and healthiest plants should
alone be allowed to stand. The cane, when
very young, presents so much the appearance
of grass, that an advantage may perhaps be
gained, by dropping some other seed with the
cane that the latter may be more readily dis
tinguished. 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 grow of corn will
not be at a loss in the cultivation of this plant
1t is found suitable time for planting
Immediately after the corn crop, although
excellent results have been obtained by plant
ing as late as the 18th 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 should be
prepared in all respects as for corn.
During the session of the United States Ag-
ricultural Society, Mr.. ID. Jay Brown, of the
Agricultural Bureau Of the Patent Office gave
the result of his experience and investigations
in regard to the culture in the United States
Of the Chinese Sugar cane
Sugar, he said, could some times be made
from the dried stalks, but it was expensive. 1t
contains saccharine matter as far north as the
milky state can be had ; in Massachusetts, it
has grown twenty-three per cent. Of sugar
here in Washington fourteen per cent. II re-
quires 4 dry soil and a hot sun. 1t should not
be planted so soon as Indian corn by several
days. 1t will mature in less than hundred
days from the time of sowing the seed For
sugar it ilourishes best on poor soil, but, for
attening animals on rich soil. For sugar it
should be harvested or rather cut late in the
season, but for seed should be cut, and there
fore planted earlier.
Asa fodder crop, Mr.. Brown considered It rs
making a revolution in cattle-food all through
the Union The seed can be produced at the
price Of oats at the rate Of fifty or sixty bush
els to the acre and can be converted into
bread or chocolate, fed TO fowls, &c II will
give fifteen hundred gallons Of vinegar to the
acre. The most northerly point of its growth
is Minnesota. If the seed be cut Off it will
sprout again and bear double, as last year in
South Carolina.
THE following communication from Mr.. J.
W. Bowen, viii explain to those who have
made application TO him for seed the reason
why their requests were not attended to
Z DEAR Sin The communication Won did
me the honor to publish in your paper. in ref
erence to Chinese Sugar Cane, has brought TO
me so many applications for seed as 10 compel
me to request you to give notice that have no
more TO spare. You will recollect my letter
to yOn was written in October last, so that be-
fore 1t was published, / had given great
many small parcels TO numbers Of nv ac-
quaIntance, whichleft me a very limited surplus
at the date Of its publication. have sent off
good many parcels by mail tins month. 10
those who have applied in the order Of their APP
pllcation, Those who apply after the date Of
tins communication, will understand that the
reason why they get none is because my sup
ply Is exhausted. / intend TO plant several
acres the present season, aud am now fitting up
cheap machinery to grind il. II may yet prove
tnlnre. II is not absolutely certain that il
Will succeed IN this climate. 1t may degen-
crate here, No one, therefore, think, should
90 70. much expense until there are further
tests, But while thus write do not be-
heye i VIII fail 1 believe il viii succeed; but
IN this ! may be mistaken. If Il should sue
coed no ono can hil 10 see the important bear
ing Il viii have upon the productive interests
Of our state II Is worthy hence Of having
gwen 70 il far trial. Let us then determine
% give il sucha trial as becomes farmers and
patriots, and not as wooden-atit-uieg spoclia-
tors. How disgncefnl TO the noble calling Of
a tarmeF Is the too prevailing spirit Of speeu-
lation on a very small scale that manifests it.
self n selling seeds Al outrageous prices. The
most o. thela too prove 10 he the worst Of
huinenss Respectfully.
ions W. BowES