Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1858-01-28
Sorghum.

EN We notice IN the PrQl7ie Farmer
of the 18th inst, report of a conyen.
tion of the Sugar Growers of the North
west, held at Springfield. ILL.,, on the 7th
inst, which is somewhat interesting
Notwithstanding the call was issued bu,
short time previous, some forty persons
were present, principally citizens of Hi
nois. Letters were read, however, from
several prominent cultivators in Pennsyl-
vania, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Hi
nois, all expressing satisfaction at the re-
suits which they had obtained. JOSEPH
S. LOWERING, the great Sugar Refiner oil
Philadelphia, writes as follows, showing
the most flattering results obtained by
his experiments, and fully establishing
the fact that the Sorghum Syrup is crys-
tallizable, and that to n most profitable
extent
OAKHILL Phila. Dec. 80, 1857.
S. FRANCIS, Esq Dear Sir The
editor of the Germantown Telegraph,
having sent me this days paper, contain
ing some extracts from your letter to him,
in which you express desire to have
some of the sugar and molasses made by
me from the Chinese Sugar Cane, with
instructions in regard to its manufacture,
and offering to forward them TO you for
ME, have taken advantage of his kind
ness, and placed in his hands box con-
tanning samples of the different qualities
OF sugar, and of the molasses [ have
made, and also the yield have obtained
per acre. The quantity l have is not
sufficient 10 supply one-fourth the appli-
cants for it, even in small samples, and
thus far have declined to send out any,
my report of the process and experiments
is not yet ready for distribution, it being
in the hands of the printer, who will not
have it printed for about ten DAYS but
as your convention will meet before that
TINE, l make an exception, and send the
samples in advance, and will forward one
or more copies of the report, when ready
to be disposed OF, as they or yourself may
determine
will, however, briefly state, for their
encouragement, that the actual yield !
have produced per acre is, brown sugar
2185 pounds, molasses 7439 gallons,
and have no doubt but that with proper
apparatus and good cultivation, from
1900 to 1900 pounds of such brown
sugar, and from 95 to 10 gallons of such
molasses, per acre, can be obtained with
out difficulty.
r. am pleased TO hearo 80 much cnthu-
siasm in your State, in regard to this new
and valuable acquisition to our list of ag-
ricultural products. and hope, next year,
to hear more about sugar and less about
syrup. | am, however, not surprised
that our farmers have not succeeded in
making sugar at this early stage of the
experiment, as they have not as yet tho
requisite knowledge and experience, but
| am somewhat disappointed TO find that
our scientific experlmentalists have entire
ly failed to produce any useful results, or,
indeed, any results at all.
can, however, assure You that there
is no difficulty whatever in producing
such sugar as the samples sent herewith,
which | hope to demonstrate in my re-
port. JOSEPH S. LOWERING.
Another writer gives an enumeration
OF other excellent qualities of the Cane,
as follows:
AURORA, Dearborn Co. Ind,
November cath, 1857.
ISAAC A. HEDGES, Esq. II have your
favor of the l7th, making inquiries rs to
my views of the Sorgho or Chinese Su-
gar Cane as a forage plant, ard syrup
making plant-its advantages as seed
producer, and the value OF its seed, es-
pecially as food for either men or animals.
| have the past season had some expert
ence in the culture of this plant, and
must say that, SO far as | have tested it
for the various uses intimatel, it has
proved entirely satisfactorily. As for
age plant, it is invaluable to the farmer.
Horses eat it with avidity, both stalk and
seed, whether green or dry, and as yet,
with two months experience, l have
found no evil effects from it, save nv
horses have become sleek and frisky un.
der its free use. For hogs, I know no
esculent its equsl. Before corn is in n
state for profitable feeding, the clover pas
ture has been resorted to by most good
farmers to give their hogs good start in
the fall ; this is well. but | believe that
ten acres of Sorgho, fed green after the
seed is formed, is better than twenty five
of clover /; and for milch cows, | am
satisfied that nothing has yet been found
TO excel it. In the fall our pastures arc
generally close, and the grass in great
measure deprived of its nutritive quail
ties; hence, our COWS fail to give us even
fair yield of milk or butter. a resort
to the cane will soon put all things right
Fed rough, or cut up, it very soon pro-
duces \ change. the result is more
abundant supply of milk, cream aud but
ter, aad the latter equal to that OF May,
either from the Western Reserve or New
York
Its seed, am satisfied. is Of great val :
lie for food, either for :" man or beast"
and It's yield being about 25 bushels per
aera will ra far tnwari tba axpanea s,s