Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-09-30
farm ann Garnelr.
The Chinese Sugar.Cane as Food Tor
Stack.

Il
has been killed by feeding on the
Sorghum Suchre or Chinese Sugar
Cane. Mr. J. D. Trezevant writes
to the Charleston Is. c. Courier the
following account of his own expert
ence, showing that it is both a safe
and superior article to feed stock
with:
In 1856 a friend sent me some
seeds; | planted without having any
filth in it; and when it first came
up. was satisfied that it was a hum
bug. However, as it was planted at
the end of some cotton rows, work
ed it when / worked the cotton,
aud was greatly surprised at the Wig,
orous and quick growth which follow
ed the working.
It attained the height OF about
six feet before it put out its seed.
From about quarter acre OF land
gathered twenty-seven bushels Of
seed.
I concluded to feed it to my hogs,
and as the seed ripeneG | had them
gathered, cut down the stalks and threw
them to my hogs. They began to
thrive Immediately. and waspertecty
satisfied that as far as hogs were con-
cerned one acre Of cane was worth i've
acres of corn--that is, of corn plan
ted on the same land and worked
in the same way. I fed some of the
cane TO my carriage and riding
horses, but had not enough OF 1t
to make fair trial. In 1857 | plan
ted two acres of land that would not
make more than five bushels of corn
to the acre. | gathered about sew
enty-five bushels of seed, and am
confident that did not cut more
than thirds.
| stripped the blades from part
and cured them. Horses and mules
eat them eagerly.
| tried the green stalks then with
all my riding and carriage
horses, brood mares and colts,and my
mules. Th, y ate it eagerly, just
cut and hauled from the field; and
then I tried them with it after
it had been cut thilty-six and forty
eight hours. The result was the same
Nv mules commenced fattening on
il. and fattened faster than they have
ever done on anything else. | again
fed it to my hogs with the same re-
sui. as the year previous.
This year I am feeding some hogs
on the seeds. My brood sows and
pigs eat them eagerly, and appear
to do well, and / have not as yet
lost an animal from it or even had
one sick.
l plant the seed in drills three
feet apart, on a small bed, about
the first of April, and as soon as the
plants get about two inches high, run
two burrows with an eighteen inch
sweep in each row. As soon as the
plants get foot high | chop them
out with a seven inch hoe, and thin
to one stalk; then pillow the rows out
with a shovel pillow and draw up
fat bed. If the season is at all good
If will uecd no more work.
In good soil, or in poor ore
well MANFRED, l believe 1t vii
make from 90 to Is bushels OF SEED
peracre, and after that is gathered
the stalks are worth more than twice
that number Of acres in corn. Il
ought not to be fed to stock unt'
the seeds become ripe, for until thai
time the sap or juice is almost as
iasteless, as water; but. alter tnat
when the leaves have turned yellow
it is very sweet and thick. From
what | have seen, / have concluded
that most persons in trying to make
syrup and sugar, had cut the cane en-
tirely too green, and consequently
the sap had not the quantity Of sac
.lo,;na natter developed which il