Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-03-21
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:. For the Republican.
SORGHUM CULTURE.

Editor Republican In a recent is
sue, you quoted an article regarding
the success OF Sorghum culture, and,
as some of your readers might wish
tor some intolm nation concerning its
cultivation, will give you my ideas,
induced by an experience OF several
years.
First, select as clean a piece OF
ground as possible. 1t 1t is a little
sandy or clayey SO much tho better,
as the crop will be more likely 20 fully
mature in the tail and there is also
some danger TO be apprchended from
early frosts. Plow the ground well
and deep. Spring plowins is the best.
Drag 1t thoroughly and mark it one
way in rows four feet part. In the
meantime DO no, neglect to have on
hand plenty Of good seed. In my
opinion, the use Of poor and inditfer.
ent seed occasions more dissat.s ac'
ton among Sorghum growers than
any other cause. | do not believe
that one.tour,h Of the seed used now
is fit tor anything but hog feed, tor,
in order to be paying crop. the
seed must be pure, and this seed
mikes very easily with corn or broom
corn when grown in proximity, and
one will most always see cane field
next 10 a corn field. When Sor-
rhum was first introduced in this
country. and the seed was pure, the
yield per acre was much larger even
with the imperfect mills for grinding,
and kettles for evaporatlng which
were then used, than II is now with
all the improved mills and the esap-
orators substituted tor the old cast
iron kettles; and to wha, other cause
can we attribute this than to the dc.
terioratlon o. the seed But the
question arises, how and where can
we obtain pure seed In answer, l
would say that it IS very difficult to
procure proper seed among yonr
neighbors. But there are good and
reliable firms who make the raising
of pure seed speciality, and | would
recommend sending to such firms as
James Wick, Rochester, n. Y, {.
w. Skinner & Co., Madison, WIS,
or Biymyer, Fearing & Co, Chica-
90, I'll. The cost will be put tritiinc
compared with the benefits derived.
When once you get start, by plant
ing it apart from corn and broom
corn, and only one variety in place,
you can then keep it pure.
Next, in regard to the variety
would recommend; the old black
Sorghum or Chinese and the African
cane or Imphee. Were planting
t. any considerable extent I would
have some OF both. The Chinese
has the advantage Of ripening earlier,
grows taller and, Think, yields more
per acre. While. on the other han',
the African variety has the no small
advantage Of not being liable to be
blown down by the wind, and also
makes a lighter colored syrup, but 1T
is a week or ten days later and this
makes great difference.
Have the seed cleaned perfectly,
clean and test it before using to see
that it is good Do not use poor
seed, rather let tae crop go, for, nine
chances to ten, if when it comes up
uneven and irregular yon will give
up the crop TO the weeds and not
bother with it. It you have a hand
planter which can be arranged Tor
planting cane seed (some of them can
he) drop about four seeds in q place,
every eighteen inches, or, if you have
to drop by hand, scatter the seeds
along from four to six inches apart
cover very shallow, not over an
inch deep. Plant early; by all
means before corn planting DO not
drag and mark your ground until
you are ready to plant, thus giving
the plants chance to start before
the weeds get good start. As soon
as the seed is fairly up, go over the
whole piece with hoe; locsening
the ground for several inches each
side OF the rows. This may app, ar
to be very formidable task, but if
attended to in proper time it is not
a very serious one. One day at this
time is worth half a dozen il you suf
fer the weeds to get fair start be-
fore commencing.
After the cane is up two or three
inches run through it with double
shovel plow very carefully. Repeat
the blowing three or four times and,
if necessary, go through it again with
the hoe. Lay 1t by about the fourth
of July, as working in it later has
tendency to prolong the growth
it more liable to be caught
by The frost. When you come to the
harvesting, strip it, top it, and cut it
up in the same day if possible and by
al means be sure and remove all OF