Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-03-29

MONTPELIER, W.
Tuesday Morning. Narch 20, 1904.
Correspondence OF the Freeman.
The New Products Of the West.
IHU NbW IUWUOVo VI VKIV w
SAUK CITY, March Is, 1864.

SAUK CITY, March Is, 1864.
Any observations might make on the extent
Of the production of wheat, corn and pork, when
have hitherto constituted the great, and, indeed
almost the only staples Of the West, would
pro badly, be rather an old story to the readers oil
the FREEMAN. But, within the last few years
there have been developed by enterprise or BY
chance, several entirely new, or additional pro-
ducts, of the extent, progress and promise Of
which, it may interest them to be informed more
particularly than their opportunities, perhaps have
allowed
Arong these recent products, the hrst place.
should be doubtless assigned to SORGHUM, which
was introduced into these Western States, ioI
the manufacture Of syrupa and sugar, scarcely seven
Years ago, but the cultivation OF which has III
creased since then, at such rapid rate, that, IN
some If these Stales, it already very decentl
furnishes all the inhabitants with their saccharlne
supplies. and gives promise of soon becoming
there and elsewhere in the West, one OF ils
great staples and leading articles Of export Iowa
at ptesent takes the lead in the raising OF sorgh'
um. Indiana ranks the second IN this respect,
and Illinois the thhd while most Of the sdjoin
inc States fall bet little behind in their quota
1t appears by the United States Census OF 1860
the first decade that Sorghum was ever noted or
known 10 census takers, that Iowa alone produced
within fraction Of two millions Of gallons oi
Sorghum molasses which, with her 600 900 IN
bsbrants would be l.2 gallons to person, or
20 gallons to a family of six. But II is estimated
that the production Of Sorghum has trebled since
the census was taken in 1859. If SO, after al
lowing for the probable increase Of population
this would give nearly a hogshead to every ismI'
ly in that State enough, surely, and some to spare
for export.
The syrup, as it comes crude from the evapo'
ra,ors. /. worth, at the mill, over so cents per
gallon. but when 1t is refined and defecated OF
the pecuar acid taste it has in the crude state, it
READILY sells at 81 90 This, with fair allowance
for the waste Of refining, would leave the value
Of the annual crop Of Sorghum ia Iowa at the
surprisingly great sum of four or five million dol
lars. The refined article is very palatable, being
alike free from the sickeniDg taste Of West In
dia moasses, and the .over.llscious, cloylng one
o. maple honey while the cooks all say, that on
account of its greater fumentve qualities, It is,
for bread, pudding making, and other culinary
purposes, greatly superior to West India moa''
res. Good sugar is made from this syrup but
not yet extensively
GRAPE CULTURE is now being carried on to
considerable extent, and, next to Ohio, TO th'
greatest probably in Wisconsin, As sit wrl'int
at my table before a window overlooking tn
majestic Wisconsin river, here half mile VIDE
nv eve rests on beautiful vineyard OF five o
six acres, covering the southern slope Of the op
posite bluff, the profits Of which, the last season
Z as the proprietor, an old German vine dresser
recently told me, we're four thousand dollars.
1 ,peemen keg of wine from this vineyard was
q last summer, sent to Montpelier for an invalid
and to its fne quality for that purpose, tho''
A who tasted it at the house Of the writer, wi
# doubtless testify.
j. Other vineyards are spriugiug up in every di
rection around 10 this vicinity, aud in various 9th
er parts of the State. And the time PROBABLY
q not far distant, when native wines, the only on'
Il that can now be depended on as pure, will hei
be an important article of export.
d While all the Western States can, to great
or less extent, justly claim TO share in the pre-
,l ent and prospective advantages Of the new pr
d ducts have named, the State Of Michigan mi
y pu, in her claim to the honor Of two more,
e. exclusively OF her own deveoping-SALT sr
* PETROLEUM. Jutting out boldly from lake ii
to ron into the North Eastern border Of that Stat
e. lies the Sagenau bay, into which empties quite
We large river of the same name, navlgabe sor
k twenty miles to Sagenau city, aud around a
lie above that place draining valley between ii
IN and hundred miles in extent. About the ye
be 1850 nearly the whole Of this valley was di'cc
r. ed to be plentilully sprnkled with salt sprinI
IL the waters of which, when analyz were fou
he to be nine per cent. richer in their saline pre-
lis critics than the strongest salt springs OF weste
ms New York. The interested were not long,
to course, in making known this important discove
e. But not so briefly we're they able to avail the
re selves OF the benefits Of their discoveries d.
1t ing the comse Of that year, however, one s
m, mandatory was put in operation at or near >
ID euau city, which proved SO successful that 9th
he soon followed, and have been following ever sin
TX, ill within the last year or two, there have be-
GU by the aid Of foreign capital, established tn
at salt manufactures sufficiently extensive to sup
to with excellent salt large proportion of the III
Ill., of the Western country. This promises to
in great blessing to the West, aud measuraby so
bic other parts of the country, by bringing down
ere price Of that indispensable commodity thro
ing the effect Of competition.
mt Nor is this all for Michigan Last fall !
digging cellar in that State opened spr
cry which, from its peculiar appearance, at oros
tracted his attention, and which, on the exam
>. ton of some scientific men, whom he subsequ
ly procured to visit it, was discovered to be
uine petroleum spring. The spreading Of
. : news of this discovery soon put the people
400 the surrounding country on the search for spr
eut Of the like character, and the result was,
cans many other petroleum springs or wells we're