The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-01-10
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.

Sorghum Culture.-The Farmers
Club of the American Institute at their
asst meeting, as reported in the New York
World, took up the sorghum topic. A
Tennessee farmer asked advice as to the
best seed, most suitable land, time to
plant, distance apart in the drill, and
all the other points necessary to success
full growing.
A member furnished the following
information in reply: Sorgho, or Chi
nese sugar cane, may be grown upon all
soils upon which fair crop of Indian
corn can be raised, but, of course, GER
tain soils only produce the best re-
suits; from the experience of many
the choice seems to be land
of medium quality, between black
loan and pure gravel and of moderate
Henry Alcott's plan of soaking the
seed of the sorgho for twenty-four hours
before planting has proved a good one.
The seeds deprived of their hulls win /
germinate much sooner than those
planted at the same time but not so
treated. Alcott's advice is to soak the |
seed in tepid water, to which small |
quantity of saltpetre is added. say in |
proportions of one ounce to six gallons |
of water. Previous to sowing it is well |
to roll the seed in plaster. Do not cover |
the seed with more than a light cover |
ing of earth.
Manure from cattle is better than that |
from the stables for sorgho, and the |
plowing in of clover and other green
crops is still better. Crushed canes that
have been passed through the mill may
be returned to the land and plowed un-
der with advantage. AIlcott gives pref
erence to the system of cultivating fiat
and in drills on fair soils; his preference
is that of many growers. The plants
being spaced in the rows at a suitable
distance apart are not overcrowded as
they are in hills, and they therefore have
greater tendency to ripen their seed
heads. Plant about three and a half
feet apart, the plants in the row thinned
out to twelve inches apart. The time
required for the cane to gain its full de-
velopment is about five months, but
this will vary as the soil is suited to its
nature; the season will also affectit. In
this respect the planter is subject to the
same chances as is the cultivator of the
ordinary sugar cane.
Sorgho should be gathered when the
seed is completely ripe, that is, when
they show deep chestnut color. A
method of cutting advised by Georgia
planter who has had considerable sue
cess is: To strip the leaves (the fodder
as in corn; then cut off one and a half
or two feet of the top of the stalk with
the seed; then cut the cane at the ground
and throw it into piles, from whence it
is hauled to the press. The mill and
| boilers should be in readiness to crush
the crop. The canes should be allowed
to lie but short time before being
worked up; hence it isadvisable to begin
by cutting and crushing the canes which
ripen before the majority of the crop,
each day cutting off only SO much as
can be disposed of conveniently. When
the crop is large enough to admit of
several sets of hands, the Georgia plan
ter advises that one set shall strip the
leaves and another cut off the seed tops,
while the third cuts the cane.
If planted in the middle of May, which
is considered a favorable time for plant
ing to secure fine growth, the plant will
ripen about the middle of September.
Sorgho is sometimes planted as early as
the middle of April with good results,
and successive paintings made until
about the middle of July. The last
mentioned date is the latest according
to this member, in which planting may
be done with any certainty of ripenine
the stalks in latitudes corresponding
with, say, Raleigh, N. c.; Nashville
Tenn, and Fayetteville, Ark,
A Cheap Corn Barn.-A good build
ing for the storage of our corn crop, AZ
husked, is necessary adjunct to gooc
farming, because by its means we car
save our crop in perfect order, ane
realize high prices. In building one
: however, it is advisable to consult
, economy of cost, while at the same time
} securing the maximum of advantages
We propose to describe such one a
we have built, and which has answered
its purpose most admirably.
First set two lines of posts in tn
ground. forming parallelogram 6x2
! feet. The posts to be three feet abov
the ground, and extending as far below
, On the posts invert milk pan, and Sc
cure in place by shingle nail; or tax
strips of galvanized iron, cut in circl
1 and nail on the sides of the posts, so a
E to form a projection sufficient to pre-
!, vent the ascent of mice or other vermin
l On these post rest two sticks of timbe
/. 6xS inches square, and on these as frame
t works rest the floor joists which are si
7 feet long, and 2x6 inches of area. Thes
9 floor joists should be arranged three fee
a apart, and nailed securely to this sur
: port. From the outer edge of ever
:, other joist, erect the scantling for tn
t sides-4x4 for the corners, and 3x4 fo
e the others. These uprights should b
d ten feet long. Between these mortis
, two rails, to receive the boarding, ais
3x4. On the top nail a stringer, an
! connect the two sides at every othe
L post, to insure against spreading. o
/ the top erect V roof, using 2x4 inc
n rafters, open boarding and shingle
IL The boarding should be 3-inch wild
strips, with half inch spaces. In th
IS center, run up three joists and open sls
K each side, so as to form a chimney, an
d thus give ample ventilation.
n Such a building will require ten pos
y for its foundation, about 1900 feet {
d lumber, and 1000 shingles AS its
le mentions are 6x24x10, it will contai
e ,445 cubic feet, or about ], 200 bushel
e The total cost should not exceed, fl
d materials, fifty dollars. Yet this SUI
may be lessened considerably in man
y localities, according to the price of lun
3, Der. Such building has BEEN con
d pletely finished in Massachusetts, for lie
is than sixty dollars for materials an
d labor.
ID The annual interest on this buildir
le at 10 per cent. is but six dollars, or OF
ID cent a bushel of grain, and the savir
ot of corn, especially in year whe
he the corn has ripened poorly, is vel
N great.
ID ==
ii DOMESTIC RECEIPTS.
ut
to Laxatives.- of EPSON sal