New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1859-09-16
Agricultural.
Sorghum In Northern Iowa.

EDrroR PLA1NpEALER:-I would like to lay
before your readers q statement of my experi,
ence with a few rods of Sorghum which I raised
this present year, and which I have already
worked up. 7 will premise by giving a brief
compendium from my diary, or weather table, as
the season and the temperature has much to do
with the failure or success of this enterprise.
I will 90 back to May 18th, the day on which
I planted my cane seed,--the remainder of the
month was very wet and cold; we had more or
less rain eight days out of the remaining egh-
teen, and a frost on the morning of the 22nd.
june came in "blceding At every pore" a heavy
rain on the first day Of the month. 1t was at
this time quite warm. The End was clear and
cold; the 3rd was cold and cloudy-A. NJ. clear,
and on the night following we had a killing frost,
mercury standing at 30 dogs. or 2 dogs below
freezing point, on the morning Of the 4th. At
this time my cane was about three inches high
when one half of it was cut low to the ground.
The weather continued cool until about the Goth;
during this time vegetation made but little pro-
gress. The heated term or the growing proper
commenced at this time and continued to the Goth.
During this entire period murcery ranged from
70 to SO dogs. in the shade at the meridian of
the day; it reached SO dogs. but once which was
on the 18th day Of July. The latter part of the
season has been quite dry, but in no way re-
raarkable up to Sept. LIST, when we had another
killing frost on all low and exposed lands. This
frost killed all the leaves on my sorghum so
that it would not have improved by standing
longer.-Our summer has been an unprecedent-
ed short one-only ninety days between severe
frosts. Whatever results have been attained
this season by way of producing sweet from
sorghum, may, We think, be relied upon for any
succeeding year. I had seven square rods Of
cane Of ordinary prosperity. At the time of
our late frost there we're a few heads making
thin appearance think it was about two
thirds grown. I cut it on the 9Th Of Sept. and
expressed the juice the same day with one Of
Ridges e. Frees cast iron mills. I ground
about two-thirds Of the lower part Of the main
stalk only, though I think the suckers would
pay for working up. I had fifty gallons Of juice;
this l evaporated as rapidly as possible in a
sheet-iron pan, the capacity of which is 10 gal
Ions. When it commenced heating 1 COM
menced skimming with a fine wire gauze skim
skum continued to rise; after it was reduced
about eight parts to one, I took it off, cooled
and strained; then stirred in a quart of milk and
again put it to heating, skinned again thor
oughly and reduced the whole to five gallons.
The syrup is thick, clear and of very fine flavor.
To recapitulate, I produced 5 gallons of heavy
syrup from I rods Of ground, which is equal to
ia gollons per acre. II good canes gave one
gallon of juice, and 10 gallons of juice yielded
l gallon Of syrup. This is a small yield, but it
fully establishes the fact that we can raise our
own molasses from sorghum sacharatum in this
latitude with almost a certainty of success, and I
believe at a cost far below what we pay for a
southern article.
Sweet is the main item in our expenditures
for groceries. If We have a good supply of mo-
lasses, we can get along with but little sugar,
and it will be found to make q vast difference
in our favor as a State when we come to strike
the balance Of current expenses.-In view of
the above facts, my faith in this enterprise is
very much augmented. I believe that it is the
best paying crop Of the country as unfavorable
as the season has been.
Truly yours, NJ. II. Howard.