The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-09-25
The Sorgho and Imphe.

We extract from the, journal Of Commerce.,
the following interesting notice Of a valuable
treatise upon the Chinese md African Sugar
Canes, the culture of which is exciting quite q
sensation throughout the Agricultural world
We hnvc received from y. y. Moore tE Co,
publishers a valuable treatise on the Chinese
aud African Sugar canes their origin, vnrie-
tiesSitnd culture their value as u forage crop,
and for tho manufacture of snyar, syrup alec.
hoI, wines. vinegar, &c..-hy Henry >. OIL
colt. Appearing at this i,,ncturc. (just rs the
maturing crops of these varieties of plants So
recently introduced to the attention of a-ricul
turi-'s IN The United States are beginning to bc
gashcrcd.) it will be sought for with avi,liiy.
Appended, it is IN article on the crystnlliza
ton OF thcjn of the sorgho, written by ID.
Jay Brown. Esq, of the L. ). Pntcnt office, for
Tia" next volume of the Agricultural Report :;
also paper from Mr.. Leonard Wray, former
~ planter ut Natal who has hccn instrument
tai iii introducing the value of the implce ms n
sugar producing plant, prominently to public
notice. Curiously enough these two plants.
having apparently the same properties aud nj
most the same appearances, were received in
Europe, through from widely different sources
| almost siuiultancous S-,hc one from Shan
ghac, i'll 1851, through the French consul, and
the other from the souihca:t coost of Africn
III the country OF the Zulu Katiirs. In their
ability to yield crys,nizcd sugar, afford nour.
ishiuc'.t for stock, III the requirements for cu-
tvation, and other pcculinritics, they are al
most idrnt icnl but of the African plant thcr"
| are no less than sixteen distinct Varieties of
various degrees of sacclIarine richness and
differing very widely in the time required for
their mnturilv. IN this respect it seems pc
culiarly adapted to general cultivation. In
| the manufacture of sugar from the i,nrb,.
Mr.. Wrny says he has the 'nost s>cnnl sue.
ccss." He regards the fnct rs established
| thnt wherever maize or Indian corn will grow
| and ,i'cn IFS seed. thei" imphce will likewise
grow nn'l elaborate its Juice - US To- he suita.
i'lc for sugar making. Another important sub
jcct IL thus referred to-
notwithstanding my numerous unsucccss
tni attempts some Years ago to imrrrgnate or
i:cuEdic the flowers Of the sugar cane so rs
| to obtain n seed which would urrminnic and
produce sugar cane, yet cannot help clin.ing
t" the plant (im!hc") ns the only remaining
| hope we now have OF cif".tIng this interesting
Object, have already taken measures Ia have
| new H'wcrs "i the sugar cnne brought into
Immediate aud continued contact with thos,
| ct the imlhcr So as to ascertain with n Ger.
| tninty whether the sn.ar cane will thereby be
| induced to perfect its seed. and on the other
| hand. whether the pollen Of the cane flowers
will produce any beneficial or other change ii,
the character of the nrlce scc.l"
This question Mr. " ray Justly regards rs OF
sufncient lntrres:to "ngng. the attention o
| every scientific and inquiring mind. With re.
gard To The Iroductivcncss ui the mpllcc, we
extract tho following:
On an acre. if We have only 1000 roots or
stools. each stool will produce from five to
| twenty canes varying in weight from n quar-
ter of IL pound to J pounds. each nifording OH
| n low average. therefore. We will sny, SI.UO1
canes. weighing G5,0O0 pounds capable o
welding scvcn'y.fve per cent. ofiuicc but il
taken at only seventy per cent. then giving
44.lO0 pounds Of juice, continuing fifteen pei
| cent. Of sugar.
If from this quantity juice the manufictu
| rcr cannot manage t" produce two tons o
| good, dry. fa:rcoiorcd sugar, thcn'he must be
unskillfnl indeed.
One English ncre Of imphcc, grown under
favorable circumstances. will yield fully two
| tons Of dry sugar. md even more but I will
not estimate tho average return Mt more than
| IL tons of fair. dry sugar per acre, which il
should most undoubtedly produce MS an aver
| age crop.
Mr.. Wray says he finds that there are now
| man ufncturr.l throughout the whole countrir.
OF Europe ni,"ut 10000 tons Of beet root su
gar, obtained from about 400 English acres n
| land. forming an average of something lik,
| 500 pounds of good sugar per acre. nnI argue.
| that mo reasonable being can mnint,.,n for
one moment that the produce obt,nable from
| one ncrc of hcct-r"ot is my way equal to that
derivab!c from mn acre of imphec." More
| over, the expense of manufacturing sugar from,
| the imphcc is said To be much less. And when
compared with the sugar cnnc. the advantages
are declared /" he still in its fLvor.-So much
so that 1.-The tropical planter will. if neccssi-
ty. lie compelled TO adopt the in,phcc and dis
card the sugar cane as mere mattcHs of self
| preservation. From Canada TO New
Orleans. We have IL magnificent range for tho
growth of the imphee and in the southern
states tw" crops II year Will be obtained. il
lieu of the miserable one crop Of cane sugnl
! now realized"