Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-05-09

Sorghum; since that promise was made,
several very success full cultiyators have
given their experience to the public
through our columns, which is better
than any thing We could say: but to keep
the subject fresh in mind We will make
brief statement of what has been
learned in the business. We will speak
of the cultivation now, and before the
time for working up, will collect and
publish the best information on that
subject.
SELECTION OF GROUND.
The kind of soil best adapted for the
Chinese Sugar Cane is warm, under
drained clay loan, or limestone clay,
with a loamy preponderance and we'll
dashed with lime. This latter ingre-
dient is necessary to counteract the ex-
cess of acid in the cane. For the same
reason, black bottom land soil, is the
least adapted to growing a rich cane,
though it will produce gaeat growth
Of watery stalks, in which the juice will
be extra charged with the peculiar acid
Of this cane.
A rich sandy loan is quite as good
for the richness of the cane, though tn e
growth of the stalks would be less; even
a tolerably fertile sandy soil will pro-
duce more profitable crop than black
sour bottom. A warm chocolate col
ored second bottom such as would be
right for sweet potatoes-will yeild a
large growth of cane, and tolerably
good quality of juice for syrup.
TILTu AND MANURE.
Whatever the soil chosen for field
Of this cane, it should be in good heart
and not need heavy dressing of long
manure or fresh stable manure, as this
would induce the very trouble we wish
to avoid, viz: the acidity of the cane.
IF any manure is needed it should only
be we'll rotted compost, thoroughly y
worked in the soil. A compost well
charged with super phosphate Of lime
would be GOOD preparation for this
crop. The ground should have been
deeply plowed in the fall, but if this was
not done, it is not best to make very
deep plowing in the spring, unless the
soil is particularly fertile at the bottom
of the furrow, as this cane is shallow
grower, and its roots seek their nutri-
ment along the warm surface soil. For
this reason the surface should be very
finely pulverized, and more particularly
as the earlier growth of the plants is
very feeble.
PREPARATION OF THE SEED.
The seed should be short, fat, glist-
ening black and cracked open at the tip,
showing the pinky color of the inner
coat. Seeds which are longish, dull
black or brown and close at the tip, are
either degenerated, hybridized with
broom corn, or are unripe. AS in all
plants, some seeds will produce better
stalks than others, SO it is with the
cane; and as in gathering the seed the
whole head is taken, there will of ne
cessity be considerable portion of the
seed unfit for growth. By pouring the
seed into water, the very best seeds Will
sink and the lighter will float and may
be taken off; but some pretty good seeds
will not sink till after having been in
water several hours. There will be
other unhealthy seeds which can only
be got rid of by the process of thinning
out after the plants begin to show their
character in the field. If the seed was
all good and equally good, and the
planter had time to be particular in his
planting, one quart of seed would be
enough for an acre of land; but as the
above conditions are not often present,
it is better to put in two quarts or more
and pull out the sickly and superfuous
plants in the time of hoeing.
In consequence of the hard shell OF
the seed, if put into the ground dry, it
is long time in getting moist enough
to sprout. 1t should always be helped
to break its coat by previous soaking
of some sort. The most expeditions
method is to put the seed in basket
drench it with cold water, and VIII eu
this has been drained ef, pour hot wa,
ter slowly over it, till it is we'll warmed
up; then cover the basket with a coat ot
papers or a wet cloth of several thick.
nesses, and let it stand in warm place
for several hours or over night; then
roll in plaster if it can be had, or if this
is not convenient dry the seed for hand
ling by rolling it in fine road dust, but
do not expose it to dry in the SUM-
Nothing else is SO good as ground plas-
ter, as that will closely embrace the
seed and form manure for the first
tender rootlets which pnt forth, before
they can take hold of the soil.
LAYING OUT AND PLANTING.
The time for planting is always when
the ground is warm enough for the
seeds to germinate and grow right along.
This seldom occurs till the second or
third week IN May, in the latitude of
Central Ohio and northward We
would not trust the seed in the ground
before the tenth of May, without an un-
usual promise of settled warm weather
before that time. 1t makes all the diff
ference in the world with the little baby
plants whether they come out in gen
ial air or discouraging cold drizzle.
By having the ground we'll worked and
the seeds well prepared, the cane plants
will 60 along SO as not to be choked with
the second growth of weeds, or checked
by crust from beating storm.
Having the field all narrowed fine and
level, make out the rows north and
south, four feet apart, and not over two
inches deep, then Immediately drop in
the seed SO as to secure stand every