The Cecil Whig., 1864-05-14
Agricultural.
SORGHUM.

| To those who have sweet teeth in their
heads, and purpose to essay the cultivation
of Sorghum, or Chinese Sugar Cane, the
present season, the following hints, taken
from an article written by Milton Conrad,
West Grove. Pa, and published in the Ru,al
.Llrcrtiser, may be useful:
Soil, Mode Of Culture, aua Management
gf the Cane:
Upland is preferable to flat or clay soil,
and it is better to be triable, and not apt to
bake after heavy rains, and all the better to
have southern exposure. The ground
should be well ploughed as early in the
spring as practicable. Before planting it
should be Thoroughly and deeply cultivated,
and freed Of clods by the liberal use of the
roller
See to having rN ripene1 and souial seed,
the.pureSt that can be got -four quarts to
the acre and for the same amount of ground
25o lbs. super phosphate of lime, or its cqui.
valcnt in some kind of immediate fertilizer.
to be applied in the drills and covered with
the seed. Scald the seed, by covering with
water at IG0o Farcnhcit one and half min
utes. Then reduce the temperature to blood
heat. and leave it in the water Say II hours,
when it should lie removed from the water,
and kept ra,m and moist some Is hours, or
till il shall have begun 30 sprout. (Seed
thus treated must not be allowed to get dry
before being covercd.) Draw your furrows
shallow and about #. apart. Distribute
the seed and the fertilizer carefully. and
cover to the depth of half to three -iourths
Of an inch. When up and the plants have
four or five leaves, it should be partially
thinned. conducting the process with care !;
seeking to rct;tin the strongest plants, which
should on subsequent occasions be reduced
to or 10 inches in the row. If your cane
is thick enough without the suckers adyan-
tage Will result from their removal, as by so
doing you diminish the labor in the subse.
quent handling, and better Weld of syrup
may be realized.
Labor may he saved in the cultivation by
planting in hills, say three and Il half feet
square. leaving four stalks to the hill
am satisfied, however, that Il heavier
yield Of syrup can be obtained. and the cane
is less likely to go down with the winds
when planted III drills.
1t is with cane as it is with corn ear7y and
Moyo"gA cultivation is needed: and should
be continued till the plants are or !
feet high. After this. it is probable the cul-
tiTator had better not be used. as the roots
commence spreading. and ramity the whole
surface. The most crmyenient and best way
OF taking or the suckers, is with the knife.
rs by pNitiHg them Off the roots are more or
less disturbed and the stock often laccyatcd.
The cane may be regarded as fit to work
up when a majority Of the seed heads have
become brown. Anl there is little doubt
but the crop Improves in value until the
seeds are pretty fully maturcd. But the
effect Of freezing the uncut cane is so disas-
trouS to the crop, unless worked up imme-
d.atcly, that ;hc utmost vigilance should be
cmp!oyed to avoid this result Better cut it
green, (if the sced-hcads have shot UP to
their full height than allow il to freeze on
the stalk. Care and experience will ena5l.
farmers to regulate this matter.
At this stage it may be cut Off obliouclv
Just above the crown roots the tops topped
off dc'ow the upper Joint :-bladcd and tied
into convenient bundles. and shocked, or
piled where it can be sheltered from the snn
and weather. In this conditiod it NAV
remain, if Necessary. and without damage
for several weeks.
Our plan is to throw the cane as il is cut
with the heads upon a trusscll provided for
the purpose. In this situation the heads are
conveniently cut of, and the bladng is con.
duccd with - per cent less labor than it is
possible to do it standing. The blades are
thus somewhat collected and can readily be
hauled OFF to a convenient place for drying.
The seed heads should be tied into small
bundles in such Away AZ to admit thin hang
ing astride a fence, where they will cure
without further trouble. AL canes not Ctlly
IN he0d, are Too g. green anM ShouM Je ttY
ont,