Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-02-13
From The Nsc York Tribune.
CHINESE SUGAR CANE.

Sh, VI OnihCoO ouSdt- ptdue, Ado
thus far proved so decidedly sue
ccssful lin this country, not only
in the South, where it seems to
have been demonstrated that two
crops or cuttings of sugar earring
stalks can be obtained in one sea-
son from the same roots of that
years planting, but even so far
north as Minnesota, 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 import
ance Of early attention to the
procuring OF seed and planting
for the season just before us. Let
US all grow the seed this year, SO
that it can never more 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, especial
ly the best mode Of converting
its saccharine properties into crys-
talized sugar; and it is highly pro-
bable that better varieties of it
will ultimately be discovered, at
least for certain localities, than
that now current in this country.
For the present, however, it is adj
visable to continue and extend
the cultivation Of that which is
now accessible, and thus test the
effect Of acclimation on the char
acter of the plant and the sweet
ness of its juices. We suspect
that for Louisiana, Florida, and
Texas, the Sorghum of Southern
Africa will ultimately be found
preferable to that obtained from
France by our Patent Office, and
from China by France. If it
prove true that this plant, or GER
tain varieties Of it, can be grown
from year to year in semi-tropical
ATTITUDES from the same root, as
the cane is grown in the West In
dies, and that two OF more crops
Of sugar yielding stalks may be
cut from that root each season,
then there can be but little doubt
that our Southern States are des-
tined still to lead the North in
the production Of sugar. For
the present, however, it suflices
that the sorghum may be grown
wherever Indian corn will ripen
-thatit abundant juice makes
a very pleasant syrup or molass-
es, to which it is easily reduced
by boiling away four-fifths of il
in the ordinary mode Of sugar
making from the sap Of the ma
ple-and that the leaves and
stalks whether green or dry, Of
tho sorghum make an admirable
fodder for cattle, horses or hogs
while the seeds are eaten with nv,
idity by fowls also, to justify the
general interest evinced in its cul.
tivation. We propose, therefore
to oondense intoth smallestspacs
some practical directions to the
prospective cultivators--as fol
lows:
l. SEED. If there be a seed
store within your reach, your cas-
lest way is to send and buy wha
seed you want. In planting t
raise seed(the first years object)
q pound will suffice for an acre
and this ought not to cost NOR,
than one dollar. But beware o
impostors and swindlers, for bush
els Of broom-corn and kindre,
seeds will be palmed off as tina
Of the Sorghum. Where 20,
cannot readily obtain seed in thi
way, write to your Member O
Congress, asking him to send yo'
a paper, and he will generally b,
able to do so. If not, the Score
tary Of your State Agriculture
Society may be able to suppl,
you.
2. PLANrfNl.-Choose a warm
mellow soil, snch as you wouI,
confidently expect to grow a
least fifty bushels Of Indian cor
to the acre. Pow early, plo,
deep and thoroughly Plant a
early as you could venture t
plant corn. If you have a hot
bed, start a little seed in one co,
ner Of it. If you plant consider
ably, pat in your seed at diiieren
times-say, in this latitude, on
quarter each on the 1st, 10tl
and Goth Of May and first {
June, respectively. Plant ia
seed) in hills, six seeds to the bill
and ut distances Of four feet eac
way. Try some five feet apal
east and vest ESQ as to let in tn
sun between the rows, and som
in driIIs-say four to five feet al
art east and west, with the SEED
six inches apart in the drill, an
thin the plants to one foot apar