The Washington union., 1857-04-25
THE CHINESE sUGAR-oANE.


to subject at this time prominent before the public
mind-the culture of the Chinese sugar-cane and the
conversion Of its juice into sugar alcohol aud other
products
The introduction Of this valuable plant into the
United States is due to the intelligent discernment
and energy of Mr.. d. Jay Browne, who was sent to
Europe as an agent of the Patent Office in 1854 for
the purpose of acquiring information in regard TO
improvements in agriculture and of introducing to
this country such new improved products as he
might believe to be adapted 10 the soil and climate
and to the wants of our people Although the Chi
sugarcane, sorgho suere, it has been indf
ferently called, has proved perhaps the most prom
inent and promising among the novelties brought
over by Mr. Browne it has also been the subject Of
as much or even more, skepticism and critical CEN
sure than any other of these plants and now,
notwithstanding that excellent sirup has been OBJ
tanned from it in perhaps half the States of the Union
that sugar has been produced by number of exper-
iments, and that the most ample testimony of the
manufacture Of excellent sugar from it in France has
been adduced there yet wanting those whoas-
that the juice of this is crystalizabe and
who doubt the utility of its culture though this to
be sure, is the general spirit of the countryhe
demand for seed this spring, at the most enor-
nous prices, being far in advance Of the supply
By Mr.. Wrays arrival, however, the representa-
tions of the Patent Office, with respect to this plant
are not only fully sustained, but this gentleman has
come prepared to ampfy the information We already
possess, both in respect to the plant and its culture
and its easy and profitable manufacture also. 1t is
known that the Patent Office has introduced only one
variety and that this is of Chinese origin Mr. Wray
has brought with him sixteen other varieties, all OBJ
tanned by him at Cafraria, in Africa where they are
believed to have been indigenous.
Having visited the country of the Caffres, in
1851, where he continued to reside for the period
of three years, Mr.. Wrays attention at once
arrested by this richly-saccharine plant; and al
though there were many cultivators of the com
mon sugar-cane around him, there were none who
admitted the possibility Of crystalizing the sirup
obtained from it's juice, or who knew the differ
ent varieties of it, or who indeed perceived any diff
ference whatever between them. Mr., Wray, how
ever, soon succeeded in the manufacture of very
excellent sugar, and before his departure for Europe
with this extraordinary trophy of his ingenious dis
covcry he had divided the Lmphee las he informs us
the Cares denominate it into sixteen varieties Re-
turning to France with these, he there commenced
experiments upon their growth in that climate and
soon experienced realization of his liveest hopes
in this particular as well as in the discovery of i'm
proved modes of manufacture That he has since
then been active in disseminating the benefits of his
discoveries may be readily inferred when it is known
that the "Imphee' is this year in process Of cult
walton and manufacture in France, Spain, Portugal
Italy, Germany, Belgium, Turkey, the East Indies,
Tuns, Mauritus, Ceylon, the West Indies, Brazil
Australia, Canada and the United States.
We have examined specimens in the possession of
Mr.. Wray Of sugar with the molasses dried in it, of
sugar free from moasses and of alcohol distilled di-
rectly from the juice of the Imphee, all Of which
appear to be Of superior quality Other products,
such as wine and vinegar, from the juice and paper
from the stalks were spoken of; but Mr.. Wray does
not desire to present any fact to the public which he
is not fully prepared to demonstrate practically. We
have however, obtained from him number of facts
which may be here appended as of present practical
Importance.
All the varieties of the Imphee are exceedingly
hardy, and capable of withstandng early and
late frosts, and ong-continued droughts and rainy
seasons The varieties differ in their term Of
perfecting their secdsin the south of France some
cffectng it in seventyive and others in one hun
dred and twenty days They are of varied sizes
some being half an inch and others two inches in
diameter and of height varying from six to fifteen
feet The product of green plants upon an acre is
from ten to thirty tons, and from sixty to eighty per
cent Of this is juice; and tho average product of
ripe seeds is about fifty bushels. Cattle, horses,
sheep and swine are fond of and fattcn upon the
stalks, and bees resort to the flowers for honey with
delight and profit The white ant so destructive to
the other sugarcanes does not inure this, but the
borer is perhaps equally pernicious to both The
panicles or flowers, put forth about twenty days
before the maturity of the plant. The period of
sowing or planting must, of course, depend upon the
peculiarities of soil and climate. In the Middle,
Northern, and Western States it will probably pro-
duce but one crop of sugar year, besides one Of
green crop but in the sugargrowing regions of the
South il will afford from two to four crops Of rpcncd
seeds.
1t is worthy of observation that if, as is hoped
and believed, all the advantages here enumerated are
to be realized, our bread crops will no longer be
consumed in the manufacture Of alcohol but will be
reserved to increase the amount of our foreign ex-
norris The growing use of alcohol in the mechanic