Nebraska advertiser., 1857-03-19

We have recszvea the following commUni-
cation fpoln the Commissioner of Patents:
UNITED STATES PATExr oFE1cEl
February 3. 1851
EDEToR cEHo FLRnR-
Sr- This neW plant seems to be destined
totzke an innPeItahs position among our econ
onical iTroductz- Its seeds were sent some
six.years ago, fn5m the north Of China, BY II.
de Maatguy. to the Geographical Society Of
Paris. From cursory examination Of small
held ofis growing at TeErieres in France. IN
the autun.n of 1854, 1Ir. D. j. Browne, then
On = mission fIOn this Office for collecting az
ricuIturaIInfornztiOn and prodacts. was led to
infer, chat, from the peeuliaritr Of the climate
in which It was growing, and its resemblance
in appearance and habits to Indian corn, II
wouId foursh in any region wherever that
plant w1uld thrive. From this source, be Oh
tanned some 200 pounds of the seed, which
was distributed in small packages, by this OF
fee, among the nembsrsof Congress, with the
view Of experimenting with It IN ali parts oi
the Uuton, and thereby ascerta;ning its adap-
tien 10 oar soil and climate. In numerous IN
stances. tbsresults proved highs satisfactory
ssi. attained hight Of 8 or 1Ofest, as fal
north rs S.. Paul, In Minnesota, and matured
it's seeds at various POINTS ii Massachusetts,
" Y-orE Paunsv1,,ania UIinais and othel
phases further south. The following year
whiLa IN France, oIl similar mission as above
M. Br0Ene obtifhei seversi bushels Of tn,
seed OF this plant. grown from that reputed Il
have -Elsen brought hum South Africa, BY Mr
Leonard Vray of London, and which has sinc'
proved t. Be identical with that obtained By
this ORcs IN 1854
There appears 70 be doubt among man!
in Europe, as well as IN this country, as to tht
true botanical name of this plant II Loui
TIInl0riu, a scientific cuItivator, of Paris, pro
riisiiOraTly gave It the name Of H9zeus saeehar
at,l,, Nl,ieh had previously been applied to tn
common bz0om-c0rn. If not the other species
t OF t.least varieties, of some aElfed plant, H
also couisctured that It might be the S0rgAuz
relg4rs (Andropcg0n soTghunlof others, ano
tbuUzhs that It might com Hrehend variety Q
It. as wen as -zaargpos5solicafra, 5sco1or, etc,
Kuuth. Mr. Wray, who has devoted mucl
time and attention to the cnlhvatiOn of thi
PIIars with the view of extracting sugar frou
its jtlies, at Cape Natal andotller places, state
that, IN the southeast part of Ciaararia, ther
are az least ffieen varieties of il, some Of the1
growing to a hight Of u or Is feet With stem
as thick IS thasa of the sGeyar=cane S1ccAaEEg
! etflcinarzns) II. EIlmpr5n, also says that, !
a oaIlection Of seeds sent to the Museum
Naturh History at Paris, in 1s4Q By II
+ Abs.die, there were thirty kinds of sorghum
snnaug the growth Of which be particulars
recognised several plants having stems OF
s,csbarine favor. Oilers are Of the Opiinii0I
tii.r. ,1s connou broom-.Orn th5lrus sarblil
r-e4.s.l the chocolate or Gniena-corn.(( SsrgEal
cilE,z-s) and the Chinese sugar-cane, (Strg1gl
sao17sarazlsaa,C all Of which. containing more
less saccharzne matter, belonging to the sam
species, but are variations caused by differenc
/ oF SOL and climate, or tya disposi6Oato sPor
sf5sr the manner Of Indian corn and other plan
ursier cultivation. Tie Chinese sugar-eau
however, differs frOIn the Others. in containin
q far larrer proportiou Of Juice. aud eonsequen