The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-01-31
THE ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL

REPORT.
We have received the report of William
y. LeDuc, the government commissioner
OF agriculture, in which he gives an ac-
count of what his department has done du-
ring the year 1879 1t is document of
great interest and gives information
worthy of attentive consideration. 1t
opens with a statement that the success
attending the manufacture of sugar from
sorghum and maize makes the year 1879
an important epoch. Syrups of good
quality was made from Texas to North
Minnesota from the cane known as Min
nesota early AMBER" in nearly every State
in the Union, by farmers with simple
machinery at an expense of Io8 cents a
gallon. At least one half of it was crys-
talizable sugar With better mills sugar
and syrup were made which brought the
highest market price; thus new indus
try has been fairly established. Sugar
can be grown profitably where it was
thought impossible to raise it, and can be
produced in quantities to meet all wants.
Sorghum will mature where maize is an
uncertain crop. About 25o, 1000, 900 pounds
OF tropical cane sugar,'w made near the
Gulf of Mexico curing the year; the area
cultivated has been increased, but I,74I,-
100000 was imported to meet the full de-
mand, besides molasses. The consumption
is forty pounds for each person in the
country, and would increase with home
production. The Mississippi levees, the
labor system, and the capital employed
must be put in order and increased before
all can be got from the tropical cane that
it can yield. But the plant being tropical,
refuses to ripen its seed in louisiana, and
he 1.rhn III -
discouraging, and gives immense impor-
lance to other modes of producing sugar.
The first sorghum grown in this country
was from seed obtained from Paris, in
I856,seed from thence was distributed by
the agricultural department. In 1857 Mr..
L. Wray brought sixteen varieties of AT
rican sorghum to this country, which
were planted in North Carolina and Geor-
gia. In several of the States it was at
length given up except for the syrup. The
discovery of the superiority of the ''early
amber" which was purer and granulated
better than the other kinds, led to expert
ments with better results. Maize, pump
kins, melons, and some other vegetables,
give good promise for experiment; maize,
especially, promises favorably. Beets have,
SO far, not proved as productive of sugar
as was expected. Investigation shows
that at the proper period Of development
there is little difference in the sugar of the
various kinds of sorghum, the juice of each
of them being nearly as rich as the Amer
lean grown tropical cane. The amount of
the uncrystable product decreases, and
that of the crystalizable increases up to
certain time of the plants development.
That time differs in the various kinds of
sorghum but is always greatest when the
plant attans full maturity, as indicated by
the hard dry seed and the appearance of
suckers at the upper joints of the stalk.
The average of the best syrups obtained
gave 1927 per cent. of cane sugar; the |
lowest percentage was oO.I. These juices
were evaporated in an open pan. Thor
oughly lipened but yet juicy corn stalks,
the husks dead and dry, the stalks topped,
stripped and crushed, give the best juice.
The department has investigated the sub
ject Of injurious insects, especially those
injurious to cotton. Silk worm eggs have
been imported and the reports of those
who have raised them appear to demon
strate beyond a doubt that silk can be
successfully raised in almost any part of
this country. The Usage orange proves
but little inferior to the moruS n1uHfcaultS
as silk worm food. The hardy Tusser
stlk-worm from India, it is believed, would
prove superior to any other and make this
a thtiving silk growing country. 1t is
proposed to materially extend the prac-
tice of insect examination, especially those |
infesting the orange tree. The rates of
labor- wages and of the value of farming
lands are to be Investigated as OF import
ance to enterprise. The report Of the
crops of the year is gratifying. The in
crease of area of wheat cultivated has
compensated, in some instances, for de-
clining averages. The wheat crop was
unprecedented in yield; on the Ohio river
the product was extraordinary; Texas and
Kansas were alone below the average; it
was the fifth consecutive year of abund-
ant wheat crops. The cotton crop shows
a slight decline from the preceding year;
the deficiency is two hundred thousand
bales There was full crop of potatoes.
Statistics obtained show that ordinary
farm labor commands the best pay in New
England, which shows the result of edu
cation producing intelligent laborers. In
the south and west, where there is less
education, wages are lower. The fungus
of cotton bolls and the causes of potato
rot are under investigation. New and
valuable seeds are obtained and distribu
ted to four thousand regular correspond
ents for trial and report. The diseases of
domestic animals, especially when infec
tious or contagious, are carefully investi
gated. 1t has been demonstrated that hog
cholera is purely infectious and conta
gious malady; the disease diminishes
where prevention of communication be-
tween the sick and the healthy is seen to-
No malady has proved as destructive to
domestic animals in the United States as
this. Attention is very seriously required
to prevent the spread of pluero -pneumo-
MIA among cattle; if it once become gener-
al among the extensive cattle ranges of the
i,l1, icata L.