The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-01-21

OL0U JICCS-buTc6 uuIlUT6Q D6dTluO.
| In our next we propose to take up
the Oviedo and Tnscawilla settle
ments. BATTLE.
CLIFTON Springs, Dec. 20, 1879.
(Zo be coaat;nued)
| M r Sorghum.
Editor Of The Florida Agriculturist ,f
have Just read with pleasure the
essay of w. D. Allen, subject ''Sor-
ghnm "published in your issue of
Of December 24th. Here, in south
central Kansas, Sorghum and Rice
Com are fine sod crops, T. e. crops
that can be grown the first season
after breaking up the prairie. We
turn over our sod as shallow as pos.
sible-about 2 inches Except on the
sandy land where six inches is allow.
ableJ generally in April, and plant
these two crops and common field
corn, also melons and squashes about
May 1st to 10th. Field corn Yields
from 30" TO 25 bushels per acre, ac-
cording to season.. e., amount of
rain we get-while of sorghum and
rice corn we generally get fair crop
even with the very limited supply of
rain we so often have. A fair Weld
of sorghum is from 80 to rs gallons
per acre and of rice corn, as sod
crop, from 10 to 80 bushels, threshed.
per acre; ION old land we get from
40 to 60 bushels). From the way
the Amber Sorghum grows here it
seems TO me you ought to be able to
/ get three crops instead Of two in one
fVsS s5oil5 - Osiss tiIe ssn1v ots, isa 4.ssa
''ratoon" crops.
In ten weeks from planting here,
in favorable season, we can work
it up.
However there are several points on
which / should take issue with Mr..
Allen.
! 1st. l should not expect 1000 lbs.
dried leaves from crop that yielded
100 gallons per acre cot more than
half that, possibly only one-quarter
to third.
End. / should hardly dare hope
for SO much as 20 bushels of seed per
acre from such crop.
Sd. Two pounds, instead of eight,
of seed should plant an acre and it
should not cost SO cents per pound.
Here, select seed is worth from 10 to
Is cents per pound. But people
don't select close enough generally.
One bad habit the Amber has is its
tendency to form side shoots on the
upper half of the stalk. In saving
seed l always select from stalks
showing no such tendency.
4th. l value the seed as grain
much higher than Mr.. A. does, fully
equal to Indian Corn, though stock
and chickens get tired of it after
while. 1t is said to produce abortion
in COWS and mares. But there is one
way that | value it much higher than
Indian Corn: 1t makes better
meal for human food. Some persons
with bilious temperament cannot
use Indian Corn without suffering in
health, while no such effect will be
found from the use of Sorghum or
Rice Corn fours.
The Amber Sorghum seed is pecu-
liar in this, that in threshing it from
the heads the chaff comes from the
seeds almost entirely, Still there |
will be enough chaff left in the grist
to materially affect the color of the |
flour making it quite dark, especially
after it is cooked. Grind it fine and
if no bolt has been used at the mill,
pass it through fine sieve SO as to
remove any chaff. Use it as you
would buckwheat -four in making
griddle cakes, also with sour milk
and soda or baking powder as you
would in making corn bread. Most
that have written in regard to Sor-
ghum -four applies also to that made
from Rice Corn. Florida should
give this grain more extended trial.
l learn that it is known in Florida as
"Chicken Corn" When introduced
into the United States, over thirty