New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
SORGHUM SEED AS FOOD.

IFRoH OCCASIONAL CoRREsPoNDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-In n recent letter to The
Rural World, of st. Louis Ephraim Link, the author
of variety of sorghum known as Links Hybrid"
which has proved itself remarkable for combina-
ton of all the qualities which give value TO this re-
markable plant, said:
by the way, IL cLinks Hybrid has stood
finely the winds and the rains and the blades maze
excellen fodder while those OF many other Varie-
ties rustcd and tangled, maturing much less per-
feet seed. experimental tins season with SIX va
Iieties from China. sent me from Washington, All
proved worthless little better indeed than broom
| corn; also with two varieties from India, Boih
promise much. One especially was rich In lulce 70
| Objectionable brlttleness, add tested IL by the
saccharOmetCr Am very anxious 10 test tnem
| better season and earlier planting. Planted Oh
June from late receipts seed and the rains"
Mr. Links letter is of special interest at this mo-
ment, from the fact that be was fortunate in grow
ing two varieties from India this past season. one
of which though both are valuabe) was especially
rich IN sugar. And it turns out that these new and
valuable varieties of sorghum from seed sent
from Washington TO him preeauiion-and
very fortunately so, since it was known that they
were among those cut down and destroyed this sum
mer in the experiment grounds of the Department
of Agriculture When it Is remembered that one
such important addition to tie agricultural re-
sources of the country may be valued possibly at
millions of dollars, what punishment Will be con
sidered sufficiently severe for the delinquent
who destroys such precious seedf when tue
| Commissioner of Agriculture shall have detected
him. no doubt this vandal will be properly dealt
with. Last Tuesday The Tribune referred to the
food value of the sorghum Ihave learned fact
of much interest in connection with tins showing
the very great importance which this genus hoids
| a. the chief source Of food for men and auImals
| over Il large part of India.
Sir George Campbell long Governor-General OF
| Bengal, was dining with my informant this fall
| when the subject Of sorghum culture came under
| discussion sir George immediately manifested the
lvelest interest in il, nd said that III population
| of 300. O0O 900 of people India rot less than
| 100000 900 depended on miilet as their only food
of a farnaccous description. He distinguished be-
| tween the sorghum milct, which be Immediately
recocnizcd as identical with a head of Links Hy-
brid-wbch Of the agents present at dinner cut
from a neighlOring feld-and what he called the
'Bullrush MiIlet," known III Bengal as B6Jcrd, or
bqiya. in the north and EasRbu in the south. This
ulant is The HoIcWs spicdtus PceicilidJta Spicata)
lis head is ike the bul7sh hence the Spicata
or spiked milet, Sir George DID not recognize any
of our sorghum heads as being hike it. although the
botafists are now agreed that sorghum and holcus
are identical Our tail stalks of Honey" and
Links" Sir George said, were larger than the
Indian Great Millet.' JdicGrd-IdtCari in Sans
/ krit-Egyptian, Da0uTa, Duran. sir George said
the miet was not native 10 India, but was be-
| lieved to have come from China; that it was
| where cultivated as 4 sugar-producng plant, but
only for gram and as invaluable dry-'odder crop
| for the bullocks. Beyond all comparison said
Sir George. "millet is the great food of India, not
! SO much OF BENGAL of Alanras in the south, and
| at least as far as Raiputana 10 the north"
Like all other old-tme foods Of man, il seems IN
possible now TO say when or whore sorghum origi-
| mated. Wheat is in equal o.scuuty. OF maize and
| the no. ato do We alone know Of certainty the
| origin Rice" which most eOple speak of a. the
! food OF India. said Sir George Campbell, is used
hv not over 40, 600 600 Of people living along the
| river bottoms and overflow lands. II Is popular
| error. like that into which most Engsumen at
| home fall who if you ask for the native CONF
try of rice will tell you immediately Carolina and
| vet probably not pound OF Carolina rice can
| be found in London"
| I understand that the venerable DT. Williams
professor Of Chinese in Yale College aud for forty
| five wears q resident Of China, has contributed Il
truly valuable paper on the history Of sorghum to
the Report Of the National Academy Of Sciences on
the sorghum Sugar Industry. The Commissioner Of
| Agriculture has already, more than month ago,
acknow lodged the receipt Of that report. and the
people who are interested in the subject are anXlons
! to know when they will be permitted to see 1t III
print not in the iaeagrr abstract bnt III tull, with
rs certainly remarkable TACT thlt sorghum
has been for probably thousands OF years cultivated
for food in CHINA India and Egypt, ana Tor io0d
| only. its producing cIpactty beng so niue
| known ~ CHINA That when the United states Gov
eminent in S5f sent Mr.. Collins to investigate the
| Chinese method of producing sugar from sorghum
! he found them thoroughly surprised 10 learn that
the plant they mad 80 long culuNateI LOT 1904 hau
| any value f0I sugar. And BOW comes Mr. LINZ no
telle Ms chat the sIx varieties from thua sent MN
fof cuitu this year " all proved worthless, httle
better III deed than broom ,Oru WnIc the TWO YaIle-
ties from Ia ia of unusual value inr suEdf MS
much We know-thc plastic power Of F@r.ahi!ily is
developed ID q plant 10 proportion 10 he iLe 10 nls
| been subject 10 culture Here Is plant Longer 10
culture perhaps. than any other thing used l1r
| human IoUd--Wheat possibly alone eXccptcd-;tAd
we need not b. surprised, therefore. that az one
time and in part cular place 1t develop, iis value
chiefly as e laIu pTodu err ana again mat IL Shouts
develop IN another locality and possibly under
different CONDITIONS OF culture eX tr2o. dluGry quail
| ties as q sugar-prOducnR plant. Is Dr. LJnu-, IL
view OF ,hese facts prepared 10 SLY tHdt tlcr" Is
uOthilr more to be learned about sOrguumf And
flat us chemisr" la bCtt turn his attention 10
something Of practical va'uef
THE ELEVATED RAILROAD TAXES.
To ne Edtt0r Of me Trt6tHc.
SIR: In THE TRIBUNE Of December 20 you
IN most