The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-09-25
SORGHUM IN AMERICA-.-ITS IN
TRODt CTION.
An interesting MIR of History

American Agricutmist
In the spring of 1856, the Editor OF
the American Agriculturist received
n small parcel of sorghum seed from
Messrs. Nilmorin, AndreauX Il Co.,
the noted secdsmcn of Paris, who had
brought ii from China. 1t was planted
in rich garden soil, and grew Is to Is
feet high, maturing its seed well.
The children of the neighborhood
found the Juices of the stalks so sweet
that they used up a large part of the
| three rows % feet in length. A sketch
of one of the plants was made and
published with a description, in this
Journal for February, 1857 II was
subsequently, announced that the seed
would be distributed among our
readers, to be divided equally among
all who should send an envelope
directed to themsclves-say from % to
brought samples to the Office from
three other parties within 80 miles of
n. V City. Soon after n stranger
came in and tried hard to buy all our
seed When his offer reached $500 Il
pound, he was informed that it would
not be sold ut any price, as it was
already promised to our readers. He
produced a newspaper item from the
West where he had been travelling,
and said the interest was so great that
he could divide pound into hun
dred or more parcels and sell them
quickly at ST 90 parcel. AS soon as
he left the Office, the Editor sent out
and bought all the seed in the three
localities he had heard of, at $500 a
pound. At the same time he wrote to
the Paris seedsmen to send him all
the seed they had, and draw Oh him
for the pay. To his surprise-coH-
sternation almOst-they returned word
by the next steamer that they had
shipped 1000 lbs, mo Atlantic Cable
them and held 800 lbs. more to his |
order The whole was ordered at once
and when the 1000 lbs. arrived, it was |
Immediately announced that none
of it would bc sold but that packet |
of at least 400 seeds would be pre-
scented to any reader of the American
Agriculturist who desired it-enough |
to experiment with and to provide an
abundant supply of plants the next
year if it proved valuable. Thirty
one thousand 81 ,000) parcels were
distributed to our readers throughout
the country, and planted. Enough
was saved and sent to Georgia to grow
81, 800 lbs. On tons) of seed, during
the summer of 1857. This was sent |
to this office, and full pound given
to every reader desiring it for 1853
over 10000 pound parcels were thus
distributed.
From the above seed thus widely
and freely scattered was produced at
least nine-tcnths of all the sorghum
grown in this country. "a small
quantity was sent out from the Patent
Office, and some sold by dealers.)
Hundreds of millions of gallons of
syrup were made and used during the
war when the usual supply of South
crn grown sugar was cut off 1t was
worth many millions of dollars to the
country. But such difficulty was OK
perienced in producing good sugar
that the cultivation fell off after the
supply of South grown sugar came in.
Quite "boom" was started later on
by high claims asserted for II variety
called the African "Imphee," but it
soon died out. Recently the improved
processes of obtaining the saccharine
matter in crystalline form, as sugar,
have given II new impetus, and very
promising results are anticipated, as
noted on pages 101-102.-American