New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-12-11
THE FARM AND HOUSE.
The Cultivation Of sorxh a nj.

The Cultivation of Sorghum.
Rural New Yorker.
The continued high price Of sugar
coupled with the fact that the United
States import $3.50, 900, 900 worth annual
", gives Importance to any effort which
may, in part of whole, tend to supply
this deficiency. One Of the means Of in
creasiDg the supply Of syrup, if not Of
sugar, IS the cultivation Of the sorghum
plant, sorghum sacchartum, now extern
sive;y introduced all through the central
Western States. Two species Of this cane
have been introduced, the true sorghum
from China, and another from Africa,
called imphee; but this is of less value
for cultivation
Sorghum was first introduced into
Frace in 1851 and into the United States
in 1858, since which time its use has
been extended quite rapidly; machinery
for grinding it has been provided, and.
process Of cultivation and evaporation
has become we'll understood Sorghum
grows on any ground suitable for corn,
but well repays high fertility. The plant
resem Dles Indian corn before its seed
clusters come out, and grows to height
of from eight to eighteen feet. The cul-
tivation is the same as for corn; the stalks
are cut just before frost, the leaves
stripped off for fodder, and the stalks
pressed.
Well ripened stalks yield half their
weight in juice, and from five to ten gal
Ions of juice are required for one gallon
of syrup. The yield of syrup averages
from $50 to 175 gallons per acre, though
in exceptional cases, the yield is much
larger. The product is chiefly in the
syrrp or glucose used as a substitute
for sugar in Candies, wines, and for SINH
lar purposes. The product varies much
with the cultivation and care in manu-
facture. The syrup carefully made from
ripe stalks has clear, bright, amber col
or, and is preferable to common moles-
lasses. The total amount OF sorghum
moiasses produced in the United States
in 1860, was 6,749,123 gallons, and in
1870, 1,O50,0S9, since which time the
product has probably further increased in
the same proportion.
Some growers recommend cutting off
two or three feet Of the top before the
seeds are fully ripe, which gives fuller
ripeness to the stalk, and the part cut off
makes better fodder. This fodder is of
about three fourths the value of the same
weight of hay The cane may be crushed
between horizontal rollers as with sugar
cane, but where only small fields are
raised, an upright mill, run by horse
power, is usually employed. The total
cost of an outfit should not exceed 5000.
The freshjuice has a greenish yellowap-
pearance, and an unpleasant odor or flavor,
which is reminded by the use of Stacked
lime and constant skimming during evap-
Grafton. When evaporated to a density
of 1S7 Baume, it is settled and again
boiled to 80 Or 40 degrees. If the herba-
ceous flavor has not entirely disappeared,
fresh addition Of Stacked lime are made
and it is again boiled. Experiments are
now being made to perfect the crytaliza-
ton of sugar from this source, and is
hoped the cultivation of sorghum may
become much more widespread than at
present, and that the production Of sugar
may in this way be profitably transferred
from the tropics to the 'emperate zones,
and from slave to free labor Certainly
the inhabitants OF the United States
should make every effort to extend the
production Of sugar with their own terri
tory and save the annual expenditure of
$50, 100000 now paid to the other nations
ioI sugar IS. s. B.