McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-11-27
AGRICULTURAL.
sorghum. as a Profitable Crop.

Sorghum as a Profitable Crop.
| Sorghum growing should receive the
attention of every farmer who grows
corn. Although source from which
sugar may be obtained, sorghum 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 it will be regular crop wherever
it can be produced. DIR, Collier, the
late chemist of the agricultural depart
ment, states that sorghum can be grown
in any climate, or on any soil that pro-
duces corn, and, while corn produces
+ seed and fodder, sorghum produces
seed, fodder and syrup. 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 valuable
in a dietary point of view, while mix
ture of ground corn and sorghum seed
is superior 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 a little more labor
is required in order TO separate the seed
in the barn. The fodderis sweeter than
that of corn, possessing, therefore, a
greater proportion of nutriment, and
will keep in green or succulent condi-
ton much longer than corn fodder,
which is a very important item.
1t is not necessary to strip the stalks
early, nor is there a loss of saccharine
matter by allowing the fodder to ma
ture, as the most available sirup is OBJ
tanned 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 strip 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 neigh
bors for grinding the cane and extract
ing the sirup; or, as it is done with the
threshing machines. there are those who
make a business of extracting the sirup,
the cost of making the strip varying
from II to 25 cents per gallon. Each
gallon of sirup yields about six pounds
of sugar, but as experiments are annu-
ally cheapening the cost of manufac-
ture, in a short time the expenses will
be but very little.
We donot, however, value sorghum for
its sugar alone, but also for its sirup.
In the south during the war sorghum
sirup was a common article, and PROV
ed an excellent substitute for molasses.
There was no difficulty in its manufac-
ture, for on every farm was rude mill
which pressed the juice from the cane,
and this was in few hours boiled down
to the consistency of strip. No sugar
was made, however, as the method of
the saccharine matter from
sorghum was then unknown. With the
methods and machinery of
the present day there is no reason why
every farmer should not grow his own
strip, and at small expense.
With the advantages in favor of sorg-
hum being valuable seed producer,
and the excellence of the leaves for
feeding purposes, with the conversion
Of the stalks into sugar, it should share
with corn a portion of the space on
every farm, especially as it stands the
thoughts better and terminates sooner
when planted, as well as being in
growth and less liable to injury from
srosts than corn.