The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-21
Sorghum as a Profitable Crop.

fnlladelphla Record
Sorghum growing should receive the attention
of every farmer who grows corn Although
source from which sugar may be obtained, scr
shum is also profitable for its fodder and seed
Alone and when the farmers begin to realize
the value of the ground seed as food for stock 1t
will bea regular crop wherever it can be pro
duced. Dr. Collier, the late chemist of the Agri-
cultural Department states that sorghum can be
grown in any climate, or any soil that pro-
duces corn and, while corn produces seed and
fodder, sorghum produces seed, fodder and strip.
The system of cultivation is the same for both
corn and sorghum, though at the time of putting
in the seed sorghum demands less labor. The
quality of sorghum seed is nearly
the same as that of corn, but is val
liable in dietary point of view, while
mixture of ground corn and sorghum seed is SUI
perior to either when fed alone to stock. The
yield of seed per acre is about the same as that
of corn, and is as easily harvested, but little
moro labor Is required in order to separate the
seed in the barn. The fodder is sweeter than
that of corn, possessing, therefore greater
proportion of nutriment, and will keep in
green or succulent condition much longer than
corn fodder, which is very important item.
1t is not necessary to strip the stalks early,
nor is there loss of saceharine matter by
| allowing the fodder to mature as the most
available syrup is obtained after the seeds are
thoroughly ripe When the stalks are stripped
of the leaves. and the fodder bundled and cured
under the system known as ''blading," it makes
the cleanest and best provender known, and
even after the stalks are ground and pressed
they may be utilized for feeding purposes, as it
! is impossible to completely deprive them of
their saccharine matter. In making sirup the
common method now pursued is for farmers to
combine and procure the necessary machinery
or for a farmer to procure such for himself, and
charge a commission to his neighbors for grind
ing the cane and extracting the sirup; or, as it
is done with the thrashing machines there are
those who make business of extracting the
sirup, the cost of making the strip varying from
twelve to twenty five cents per gallon. Each
gallon of strip yields about six pounds of sugar,
hut as experiments are annually cheapening the
cost of manufacture, in a short time the ex
penses will be but very little.
We do not, however, value sorghum for its
sugar alone, but also for its sirup. In the South
during the sorghum strip was common
article, and proved an excellent substitute for
molasses. There wss no difficulty in its manu-
pressed the Juice from the cane, and this was in
a few hours boiled down to the consistency of
sirup. No sugar was made, however, as the
method of erystallizing the saccharine matter
from sorghum was then unknown. With the
improved methods and machinery ofthe present
day there is reason why every farmer
should not grow his own strip, and at a small
expense.
With the advantages in favor of sorghum of
being valuable seed producer, and the excel
hence of the leaves for feeding purposes, with
the conversion of stalks into sugar, it should
share with corn a portion. of the space the
farm, especially as it stands the droughts better
and germinates sooner when planted, as we'll as
being quicker in growth and less liable to injury
from frosts than corn.