Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-03-21
fMmsr's department.
The sorghu sucre; or Chinese Sugar
Cane.

| Cbue.
Mr.. George Wilkins Kendall, OF thc Plea
yune, writes TO bis paper from bis plantation
near New Brauniels, Texas, as follows:
! "For the last six months have hardly
opened paper, whether devoted to nsricul-
tural, politics, religion, sporting affairs, or
what not, without seeing some notice Of the
| Sorgho Sucre, or Chinese sugar cane why
| have not perfect right 10 add my expe
| rience TO the general stock OF information in
| relation TO the cultivation of this new grain,
| or plant, or whatever it may be termed To
begin, then In October, 1855, purchased
in Paris small paper of the seed. do not
| think there was more than two beaping table
spoonsul of it, or three at the outside.
brought it with me to New Orleans. and on
arriving sent it here to be planted. When Z
reached this place, early in May last, it was
just peering above the ground, two rows CT
it in a ten acre field, which had been devoted
in the main TO millet, oats, and little Indian
corn, and four short rows in our garden; the
! latter planted last.
About the 9Th of July the two rows in the
larger field had shot up, headed out, and
ripened, Notwithstanding the drought and
heavy heads were cut for seed. The oats
meanwhile had come up, the riillet was hardly
above ground, while the Indian corn was
parched and drying up for want of rain. Two
Ur three mornings afterwards, on looking at
the field from hill close by, noticed that
the two rows of Sorgho Sucre had entirely
dis. opeared, while rows of Indian corn on
either side were still standing. On close ex-
animation, ascertaned that lot OF hogs
hogs are apt to do such thngs-had broken
into the field, and deToured the Chinese su-
gar cane root and branch it was cut clean
10 he ,r1 l,--t h. -
vestige was left, while, as already stated, the
stalks of the Indian corn on either side were
left standing. | was thankful ! had saved
the seed, and thought little more oft
Some few days after ths-perhsps fort
night-the rows planted in the garden were
examined, the heads OF seed found to be ripe
a.S the greater portion cut and brought to
the LoSse, leaving the tall stalks still stand
ing. On cutting down one OF the latter,
which must have been ten feet high found
it to be exec elingly heavy, aud on tasting
the cane it see cSi,to ME to be as full of sac
! charine juice o., '%ordnary sugar cane of
Louisiana. 4 'he a3fDe time l had two or
three imported me En'Nserno sheep in my
yard in great .''.',. Az" a. m'}n fodder, and on
cutting the ca n',!r - pieces found
they devoured r,t-'5. > 'reatest ayldlty.
tiihe, sinSie sta. 3 8 =" soou JUN
enps e.G save even sTI U ne the ai Sheep sIs
| Some three weeks ay : < Z ripe heads of
seej were ,Bo1u nqticed,o : ew heads had
shot up from was d.ssot2lk; ard these new
heads bfr.t t1y Of Icnuary, t1ered iu Sep
homnssen,T usiress Of the Ir,r Grp e,lght 10 Tie
were sufei oszcr, who Will conliaua. led drouiIf
and Indian cUlhC.. iuno II. potatoes, wateg
MELONS, pumpkins, and the like, had died
down to the very ground.
Il now became more interested in the
Sorgho Sucre thaa ever, and although still
fed out daily to the merinoes and mare, left
portion OF the stalks standing. Soon new
heads were seen shooting out, and these IN
turn blossomed and ripened as did the hrst.
| | kept no account Of dates, but think TINS
third crop of seed from the same stalk, IT so
| may cali it, was gathered about the hrst OF
October 1t might have been during the Sc
cond week of that month. planted some ot
this last seed, by way Of experiment; 1t came
up rapidly, looked thrifty, grew until 1t was
nearly knee high, and was finally cut down
by frost in November. great number OF
shoots and suckers, which had sprung up
from the stalks first planted, were cut down
at the same time the Sorgho SucFe can
stand any kind OF drought, but the first sharp
IrOsL Kills IL 10 lne ETCunu. anu n"''
amount of seed do you think gathered from
the little paper purchased in Paris? Near
ly, if not quite, two bushels and had moi the
hogs broke into the field, l should have had
three. 1t certainly yields IN the most mira
culous manner; beats everything FOR dry
weather.
OF its properties for the production Of su-
gar can cay nothing only know that it
tastes like the common sugar cane, and is iull
OF juice about the time the frat heads ripen.
As q green fodder it also beats everything
which grows horses, sheep and hogs are GER
tainly inordinately fond Of it, and so full are
the stalks of sacchsrine matter, that they
must be both nutritious and iattening. L
cannot say what kind of bread or cakes the
seeds will afford, nor can tell what kind OF
dry fodder the plant will make when cut
green these experiments have yet to try
and now that have the seed intend to do
it on q grand scale l shall plant it in rows,
or drills, shall sow it and shall cut it at differ
eut stages to try its qualities as dry fodder.
Let me repeat over and over again, that it
stands draught better than anything wo
have-does not seem TO require rain after it
is once up. Yours %c''
q. W. h.