New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-07
SUCCESS OF THE CHINESE sU6zR.cAHs.
cOuespope.uee Of The N. Y. rrisune
WASHINGTON. Dee. 10, 1856.

4
States Patent Office by Commi'.iOner Mason, under
the special direction Of u. J. Browne, esq, which
all be sent 10 the different State Agricultural go
| ceties in the United States, accompanied BY q
| aicel of tie Chinese sugsr.oane seed, raisej
] under the supervision Of the sboye-named sfce,
ffcent 10 cultivate sixteen acres with the view
of extending the culture of this plant in the several
Sfsies. have been kindly nvOred with an advance
copy of the circular referred TO for publication in
The TRIBUNE. 1t is subject Of the highest import
snce 10 the people of the United States especially
those Of the Northern portion of the Union and for
this reason make no apology for quoting largely.
The Comm issiOner says:
IL consistent with the regulations Of your Ssce,y
will oblise me by putting Il into such hands Ter
cultivation viii be likely 20 Keep The seed pure and
upuixed with brcom-com Guinea corn, or other plants
thar would be liable 10 mix or hybl izs, and return
bali OF the product 70 your SOcety for sebseuent
ostritut,on. | think il would be proper 20 obtain
written obligation rOm each Of the parties hus receiv-
| ing The seeos.
"This new plsnt seems 10 be destined Ia take I'M
poitsni position smC our economical products. lbs
SEE ds sere sent six years from the North OF
China by NJ. de Mortguy to the Geographical Society
of Pars From q cuisory examination OF small held
of II growing at Verderes in France in the Autumn
of 1854 Mr. ID. J. Browne then a MISSION from this
office for collecting agricultural infannsfion And pro-
duct LED 10 inter & at from the pecuAnfy OF The
climste in which il grosng aud ia reseanb'snce
10 Indian corn il would flourish in any reg wherever
that plant wuu thrive From this source be obtsined
some go pounds Of the seed which wss disaioeted In
su all pack sgee by this Office smorg Members OF Con.
gress with the view of experimenting with t Ia al
parts OF the Union sud thereby scertsnlng e adapt
alton "a the son and clmste and lie economical saae
in the United States. In Numerous instances the re-
sui, proved highly ssisfAetory ~ sttsns1 me
HIGHT Of twelve fheen fee, far north a. ST Pau,
MID nesoa and maured its seeds at various points IN
Massachusetts, New-ioIk, Peensy wanna and ILLINOIS,
The following ear, While in France similar mis-
sion as above MIR. Browne obtained several bushels of
the seed this plant grown from tbst eputed 10 h>ve
been brought from South Africa by NJ Leonard Wray
of London and which has since proved TO be identical
with that obtained in 1884.
"There spp, ars 10 b. a doubt among many In Eu-
rope as well in this county a. 10 the true botani
cal name Of the plant. NJ Louis Numorin, scientific
cuvstor of PaIs, provlsionslly gave It the name OF
Holcus sscckars5us which had previously been APP
piled TO the common brOomcorn, not 10 other spc-
cies or at least varieties, of some allied plant tie
also col curtd that it might be the S1rghu~ v.sars
(Audropcgon sorghum of otbers) aud thought thaf
might comprehend a variety. well "a AadroprYon
cara b,colOr, etc, of kunth. Mr. Wray, Who has
devoted much time and attention - the cultivation OF
this plaIt with the view q extracting sugar IRON us
uice At Cspe Natal and other places stats thai, IN
the south east part CT Cali aria there are at east hi-
teen varieties ct IT, some OF them growing Ia hight OF
twelve ard fifteen fcst, With stems as thick az
those of the sugar'caDe SaccAG,s~ eoss,na.tI.
NJ Vilmorin also Gays that in collection
of seeds cent TO the Museum Of Natural His
tory at Paris in $780, by NJ. d'Absdie, there
were thirty kinds of sorghum, among the CROWN OF
saccbarne h,yor Others are Of the opinion that Tho
common broou corn HOieNs sccchvd,ssI the ohoco-
late or Guilea.cofn Sorghum vUigareJ and me Cni-
pese sugsr cane Sorghum sGcchaTdtn~) all OF whioh
contain more or less sacchsue matter, belong TO
the ssue spe ces but yaist0ns caused by dfier-
enc,s of roll and climate or By dnPosition 10 spor
after the of lnoian corn, and other plants under
cultivation. The Chinese sugGcNne OILERS from the
Others in containing far larger proportion oil juice
aud consequently Is more valuable for fodder and other
economical user.
"lp l766 plant analogous 10 the 10 question was
experinented upon at Florence, in Italy, by Peus
Arduino for the extraction of sugar yet Il must have
been OF different variety, A. he describes ie seeds ~
of clear brown colsr, while those OF the Chinese
sugarcne are Of shining jet black, and 10 appear.
apee identical with those Of he Sorghum vu'gare Oh
the old collections.
"pEscRIPTIos AND HABIT or ITS GROWTH.
"The Chinese sug at cane, when cultivated on ofi-
nary land in the Uoiied States, somewhat aitef us
manner OF brocmcorn grows TO hight OF from eight
10 sxt en- feet while in Europe does not attain more
than half this altitude Its stems are straight and
smooth, often covered With white bloom or ao~n,
having leaves somewhat heIuous, falling over ana
greatly resembling in appearance those OF Indian corn,
but more ees in lis form. Where culhys.ed In bills
containing eight each puts forth al top
a coulcal pinnacle Of deuse flowers greco al nsf Dat
changing into violet shades, and finally into
dark purple at maturity. la France, aud In mo
central aud northern Scti)Ls OF The Unlted b'aSs,
It has thus far proved an annual but rom
observations made by NJ. Vilmorin, a. well -
rome experiments in Southern S'stes, II 10
COME cured that, from the vigor aud futne.s oil hs
lower part of the stalks in Autumn by protecting hem
during The Winter, they would produce new planh tho
following Spring II stands drouth far better than In
dian CORP aud will resist the effects Of able
frost without injury after the paanices appear outnss
in its younger and tender stato II suffered 10 re-
main IN the field after the seeds hsye TpeDed and been
removed wh,p the seasop IA sufficiently warn and
long new p6oDic.es vii shoot Out at the sopmos,
joins enc OF more 10 each stalk and mature seconS
crop Of reeds The average yield of seed to each pan
nicle is at leass a gill.
"Since its ntrOductiOn into this country, the Chinese
sugarcsne bss proved iisel well adapted to our geo
graphical range Of Indian corn. IL Is OF easy oainvs-
ton being similar 10 that OF maize or broom corn, but
will prosIer in sDuch poorer soil u does not sncceed
20 wei, however, when sovn broadcast with The view
o. producing fodder, il will not grow " mnco NOR
tbsp one bsfoi its hight II the seeds planted
In MAY In the Middle States still earlier at uo oontn,
two crops Of fodder be grown in season nom mo
esms the first one IN June Or July, 70 De cut DO
fore the pannclee appear wb h ud be- green and sue
culert Ike your Indian corn and the 0tner m0nth OF
two later al the time before the seed folly ma'uned
In Northern States, where the season 700
short and cool pen the seeds IN the open air The cu
tv.tor will nee. ssnry have obtain bis seed from roI
goIs further south. II II were important Tor MN 10
rsise biz eed he ud start the plants under gs
In the Spring, and remove them To the heid or g>ceu
AT shout the prriod Of planting Indian eorn afea
which they would fully mature. Two q1arn OF sea
Are fon, 10 be sufficient to plant acre III The sou
be indifferent poor they may be pIanted In ro~sW
dfllls three ifet apsrt, WIN ne phnt HVni o' Wv"
inches nsu, der bat If the soil be rich they may b
planted In hir FIVE seeds 70 each, four or hve
feet spsr, in dueoti,n and three or four N Hs
other The plant. may be worked or hoed We ,i N
the courpe of a In a similar manpm 70 ind'an
corr. Any suckers supersuous shoots which may
spring 10 .houd be removed. The seed should not %
bsTyoied before IL acquires dnk or DlacA nae.
81 oud the plaIts ledge or tall 10 the ground by the
excessive weight Of Tho heads, during storms OF WIND
or rsln before The seed natures, they may remain roc
weeks without injury. In collecting the SEED, .
cor venient methcd IA TO cot en- inc ssAks 49,, -
100, b.Iov tie pAnDieee tie them up To oapcbes OF
| IN enty. 1--WE end suspend them in any secars, ery