Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-01-23

This Society. (compossd 81 the Presidents
of County Agricultural Socistiss,) met at
Des,noines on the 18th. Oskaloosa was fix.
ed upon as the place for holding the next
State Fair. Nuscatine having had the hon
or of the Fair the past two years, Of cour>e
was not competitor for the prize. The socis-
ty elected for the ensuing year the following
officers, (all new excepting Mr.. Wallace,
who is continued in office y
| Presidsat-Dr. Jesse Bowen, of Iowa City.
Vics Presidcnt-,z. T. Fisher, Of Osksloosa.
Secretasy-J. H. Wallace, Of Musca,ine.
Treasayer--Robert Sewers, Of Oskaloo-a.
We copy fron the correspondence If the
Davenport Gazette the following proceed
ings Of the Society:
Mr.. Wallace, the Secret cry, asked an ex.
preston If opinion ~ to the Hungarian
Grass and Chinese Sorghum, on tho part of
those who had raised these new products in
the State.
Senator Anderson, of Monroe, gave the
history Of its introduction into that county,
with seed obtained from hungarian in H.
linois, five years ago. The premium crop
at the last County Fair was eight tons, and
two hundred pounds to the acre. Others
raised over seven tons, but the more usual
crop is about three acres 1t may be sown
from May to June. Horses will improve on
the grass unthreshed. Cattle will eat it in
preference to anything else. Horses used to
it will leave sheaf oats for his grass. The
seed is abundant, but in great demand, being
shipped TO New York and California Il
was sold at 81 and even 81 per bushel -
Horses are not likely to founder, unless fed
on the seed alone, which weighs from thirty
to fifty pounds bushel, according to the
time Of cutting. 1t does not lodge nor ex-
haust the ground, and will seed itself in
some measure a second year, but is not diff
icplt to be eradicated by other crops. 1t
is rather hard to be cut with machines. 1t
is not easily colored or hurt by being wet
with rain, and may stand week or two
after ripening.
Mr.. Stafford, Of Madison, stated that he
cut this years crop, in part, tHice, the cut
grass sprouting and seeding IL second time.
Senator Charles Foster, of Washington,
gave the result of raising Sorgho Syrup.-
The farmers of this county had a festival
over it, and found their labors sweet, in the
result. One-fifth Of an acre yielded fifty
gallons, exclusive of waste. Fourteen hun
dred gallons were raised this year in Wash.
ington county. Three hundred and fifty
gallons may be produced on an acre. The
leaves are good fodder. No very good spec.
linens of clear-grained sugar were exhibit
ed. The best syrup was obtained by boil
ing, at once, with saleratus or some other
alkali infused when pressed. The molasses
improves by age. So in Monroe county.
Another gentleman remarked that in his
region it was changing for the worse, or
souring, perhaps from lack of sufficient al
kali.
Senator Anderson stated that "suckering"
the stalks improved the growth sufficiently
to pay for the labor. Others added the re-
suits Of their experiments in boiling and
clarifying it twice with lime, and with SAL
eratus and milk.
DR.. Shedd, of Denmark, Lee county, said
twenty barrels of syrup were made there,
mostly after frost came. The last was made
from the middle of stalks, cutting off the
top and bottom and the larger stalks yield
more in proportion than the smaller. 1t
can be raised for twenty or twenty-f five cents
Mr.. Booth, of Linn county, kept the plant
that was frozen from the rest, and the syr.
up from the frozen stalks was the best.
DR.. Shadd said that one specimen of
stalks, cut and covered from frost, but man.
ufactured after freezing, was the best made
and was found to granulate by standing two
days.
The remainder of the evening was spent
in remarks on Usage orange hedge and rails.
ing sheep, Dr.. Bowen, the President of the
society, closing with an address on the
claims of
Senate. ell, of Jasper, says that 6ne.
wooded she arrive well in Iowa, and sheer
pound more head than in New York.