The Kanzas news., 1857-06-06
Sorghum Sugar Cane.


This plant possesses particular interest
for the people of the West. From all past
experiments many satisfactory ones
seem to have been made-there seems little
doubt of its success. We have received
one pound of this seed sent here for expert
mental purposes by Mr.. GREELEY, through
THADDEUs HYATT, Esq, and have other seed
enough to plant three acres. We intend to
test it as thoroughly as possible, in every
capacity. The following information in re-
gard to the Sorghum, is extracted from the
New York Tribune:
The cultivation of the Sorghsem, or Chi
nese sugar-plant, has thus far proved so de-
cidedly successful in this country, not only
in the South, where it seems to have been
demonstrated that two crops or cuttings of
sugar bearing stalks can be obtained in one
season from the same roots of that years.
| planting, but even so far north as Minneso-
ia, where it is testified that good syrup was
made in 1856 from stalks hardly hundred
| days from the seed, that we are impelled to
urge upon our farmers and gardeners the
importance of early attention to the procur-
ing of seed and planting for the season Just
before us. Let us all grow the seed this
year, so that it can never be so scarce that
spectators. may run it up to an exorbitant
price. A great deal remains to be settled
with regard to this plant, especially the best
mode of converting its saccharine proper
ties into crystallized Sugar; and it is highly
probable that better varieties of it viii ulti-
mately be discovered, at least for certain 10
caiities than that now current In this coun-
/ try. For the present, however, it is advisa-
/ BILE to continue and extend the cultivation
of that which is accessible, and thus test
! the effect of acclimation ON the character OF
/ the plant and the sweetness of its Juices
We suspect that for Louisiana, Florida and
Texas, the Sorghum of Southern Africa will
ultimately be found preferable to that OBJ
tanned from France by our Patent Office.
and from China by France. IF il prove true
that this plant, or certain varieties of it, can
be grown from year to year In semi tropical
latitudes from the same root, as the cane is
grown in the West Indies, and that two or
more crops of sugar-yielding stalks may be
4 cut from that root each season, then there
can be little doubt that our Southern States
are destined still TO lead the North In the
j production of Sugar. For the present, how
ever, it sufhces that the Sorghum may be
i grown wherever Indian Corn viii usually
ripen-that It's abundant juice makes a very
pleasant syrup or molssses, to which il is
easily reduced by boiling away four-ffths OF
/ it In the ordinary mode of sugar making
from the sap of the maple-and that the
leaves and stalks, whether green or dry, oi
the Sorghum make an admirable fodder for
cattle, horses or hogs, while the seeds are
eaten with ayidity BY fowls also, to justify
the general interesteyinced in its cultivation.
We propose, therefore, 10 eondense into the
smallest space some practical directions to
the prospective cultivator-as follows:
Il 1. Seed.-If there be seed store within
your reach, your easiest way is to send and
buy what seed you want. In planting to
raise seed (the first years object, pound
viii suffice for an acre: and this ought no:
to cost more than a dollar But beware OF
imposters and swindiers, for bushels oI
broom-corn and kindred seeds viii be palm
Led off as that of the Sorghum. Where you
cannot readily obtain seed m this way, write
to your Member of Congress asking him &C
send you paper; and he win generally Be
able TO do so. If NOT. the Secretary Of 70 N
State Agricultural Society nay be able te
supply YOU