, 1863-05-16
The New Sugar Cane.

States. The plant proved to be Il species
of millet, known by botanists as SOr gho or
Sorghum, 1t is so nearly related to broom
corn that if planted neGr each other, the
seed will hybridise and the plants from it
become worthless. Just about the time
that tie Chinese Sugar Cane seed was car
ried to France, the seed of another variety
of the same species of plant was taken from
| Southern Africa also to France-the plant
known as Imphee.
The Chinese plant grows tall-taller
than broom corn-and the stalk greatly re-
sembles broom corn. The head, OF brush,
is not as large, and the seed when ripe is
of darker color. The plant tillers much
sometimes as many as six or eight stalks
springs from one seed. The African plant
grows much larger and stouter-having a
good deal of the appearance of the cane
cultivated in Louisiana and the tropics
The plants require about an equal time to
perfect their growth-both making equally
good syrup, but the weight Of the testimo-
ny so far seems to favor the belief that the
syrup of the African plant granulates more
readily than that of the Chinese.
The fact that the Department of Aglicul-
ture, basing collation. on letters from diff
ferent parts of the country, has estimated
the quantity of cane syrup made in the
United States in 1862 at 4O,OOO,OOO mil
lion gallons, and the land cultivated in the
production of the plant at 25O,OOO acres,
shows the great Importance of the sorghum
culture and its rapid increase. In 1859, as
stated in the last census, the product of
syrup in the country was less than 3,OO0,-
600 gallons We doubt the first statement
in this para graph but there is ample evi-
dence of the rapid increase of the produc-
ton of sorghO and imphee syrup in the
United States.
The profit derived from the cultivation
of these canes, and the manufacture of their
juices into syrup is ve1y great. An acre
of the plant will produce from $50 to 800
gallons of syrup. In the western States it
is now worth 3O,4O and so cents per gal
lon at wholesale-and farmers and manu-
factures make money by furnishing it at
these prices.
Good corn land will produce both of the
sugar canes in perfection. As a general
fact, the canes can be cultivated as corn
Warm, light soils, produce a cane smaller,
but yielding richer juice than canes grown
on heavier and richer lands. The canes
stand greater drouth than corn, and more
frost If the subsoil be porous, they will
send roots down great depth for moisture.
The time will soon come when it will be
desirable TO raise the sugar canes in this
valley, and to manufacture their juices into
syrup, if it can be done proftaLly The
first movements in this direction will be,
first, to ascertain if our soils suit the plants
so as to perfect their growth, and second,
whether their juices here are rich and fine.
Experiments can be made this season to
ascertain the facts here desired.
We feel pretty confident that the sugar
cane can be produced here, from the fact
that it is raised with considerable success
in the State Of Minnesota-the climate Of
which is much colder than that of this val
ley. The character of the soil of that
State where the cane is produced with the
best success, is of light and sandy nature
and resembles the soil here very much. We
also infer from the fact that the juices of
the different varieties of the melon are ex-
ceedingly delicious and sweet here, that the
juice of the cane will, when tested, prove
rich and fine.
1t is not necessary to prove the value to
the country of crop furnishing the home
demand for syrup. To that extent, at least.
it would keep among us a considerable
amount of money now sent out of the
country to enrich others at our cost.
We lave small amount of pure cane
seed, of the Chinese variety, which we
would be glad to distribute to such of our
farmers vho would make the experiment of
growing the plant on a small scale. The
season is not too far advanced to plant the
seed Before this is done, however, it
would be well to soak the seed in water
until it shows signs of splouting. The
seed we have, is from France.
COLUMBIA RIVER M1NBs-Two men
came down from the Columbia river a
couple of weeks ago, who, with one other,
are engaged in mining on a bar near
Priest Rapids They came after supplies,
and brought with them sixty ounces of
dust, which they said they took out with
rockers, in seven days. We learn, also,
that other parties are mining at different
points on the Columbia river, between
Priest Rapids and Colville, with similar
success. The gold is generally fine and is
saved by the use of quicksilver. Most of
the miners are working with rockers, on ac-
count of the bars being so situated that
they cannot obtain heads for sluices The
Columbia river mines will yet be classed
among the important paying diggings Of
( the upper country.