Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01
SORGHUM GROWING.
ITS ADAPTABILITY AND VALUE AS
A CALIFORNIA PRODUCT.
by Professor Wiley-Sugar-Ma
ing in Japan and China.

by Professor Wiley-Sugar-Mak
ing in Japan and China.
| Written for the New Years RECoRD-UNIoS by
| Professor H. W. Wiley, Chemist of the United
States Department of Agricultural
Sorghum is plant that fiourishes in a
warm, dry climate, and for this reason will
be quite at home in many parts of Califor-
mia. Throughout the Sacramento and San
Joaquin valleys conditions of climate are
| found favorable to its growth. Chief
among these must be noticed an average
| temperature for the three summer months
of at least zoo Fair This temperature is
found over large area in these two valleys
while in some places, as near Marysville, it
reaches 500. This high temperature helps
to ripen the cane before the early frosts,
and to develop in its juices the maximum
amount of sugar. When the seeds of
sorghum are mature, light frosts that kill
the blades without freezing the canes are not
very injurious. But if the seed-heads are
not mature such a frost may totally destroy
| the crop, since ON the accession of warm or
moist weather the green juices are almost
certain to terment.
| SOIL AND PLANTING.
\ sandy loan has been shown by expe-
rience to be better adapted to the growth of
sorghum The land should be prepared
for planting by deep blowing and thorough
pulveTiZation of the soil. As with most
other crops the wise farmer does most of
the cultivation before the seed are in the
ground. Sorghum should be planted in
| the spring as soon as the average temper
allure of the soil is high enough to promptly
sprout the seed 1t is advisable to place
the seed in tepid water (or keep them moist
in warm room) for about forty eight
hours before planting This hastens
termination and helps to secure good
stand. The seed are planted much as
Indian corn, either by drilling. in rows
admits of rosS-cultivation and should be
practiced where the growth of weeds is
likely to be troublesome. In all cases
three or four times as many seed should be
| planted as the number of plants to be left
for growth Sorghum seed are often treach-
erous and it is far better to thin out an
excess than to replant The seed should
| be lightly covered with not more than an
inch of earth. After the plants have been
above ground for week the process of
| thinning can take place. The rows should
be about three and half feet apart. When
in drills leave one plant for every six
inches. When i'll hills leave about six
plants together In planting in hills the
seed should not all be dropped in one
spot, but spread over a space of six inches
square. This gives each stalk chance to
make vigorous growth.
CULTIVATION AND GROWTH
The cultivation is the same as for corn
except that when the plants are young they
should have at least one good hOeing The
young cane looks very puny at first, and
the farmer is apt to become discouraged if
it be his first attempt But al this time,
while everything seems so quiet above
ground, the rOotlets of the young plant are
digging deep into the earth, and securing Il
foundation on which the almost marvellous
aftergrowth may rest. After the sixth
week all is changed and the field is soon
covered with a luxuriant growth. In this
stage sorghum will do far better in a
drought than corn. Its roots have pene-
trated where they can reach the capillary
moisture, and its leaves soon shelter the sur
face from the direct rays of the sun.
THE MOST APPROVED VARIETIES
OF sorghum which are now cultivated are
known as amber and orange. The amber
cane is the earlier and in favorable circum-
stances will ripen its seed in ninety days
after planting. When ripe the seed-heads
are almost black. The orange produces a
poorer crop of cane, bat ripens two or three
weeks later. The seed-heads of the orange
cane present a reddish tinge. When the
crop is to be manufactured into syrup, it is
well to plant both varieties for early and
late working. Many other varieties of
sorghum give excellent crops, but / do not
/ know that they have any advantages of the
two already named. Sorghum cane seed
can often be had in small lots from the De-
partment of Agriculture at Washington
| do not know whether the Department
will distribute any seed this season or not
! Excellent and fresh seed can be obtained of
| c. +. Miller Dundas. Mimi; +. W. Dem
! ing, West Point, Ind; w. p Clements
Hutchinson or Sterling, Ks, and from
many other sources.
| SORGHUM AS A CEREAL.
Sorghum seed makes an excellent food
| for poultry, and, when boiled, for all kinds
of stock. Its nutritive value is fully equal
to that of corn. The heads, when cut off
| should be tied i'll little bundles, stacked up
i'll the field until dry, and then thrashed
like wheat. Sorghum will produce from
twenty to thirty bushels of this seed per
acre. 1t is therefore valuable as cereal
SORGHUM SUGAR AND SYRUP
Excellent sugar is made from sorghum
1t has been made on a large scale in New
Jersey, Illinois and Kansas But the cost
of machinery for sugar-making is so great
and the price of sugar is so low, that its
manufacture has not vet been financially
successful. Better results may be obtained
| in, bn ft1tr al
the manufacture OF syrup, or mOlasses, and,
when all conditions are favorable, it
affords a most excellent and whole
some syrup for table use or for bak-
ing. Good sorghum syrup can be made
with simple and inexpensive machinery.
A simple throe-roll mill turned by one or
two horses or mules, and plain evapora-
tor with few tanks. barrels, etc, make
very good outfit. With such an apparatus,
farmer can work up his own acre of sOr-
ghuIn, and also eight or ten acres for his
neighbors. Sorghum juice contains little
| free acid, which should be neutralized with
milk or lime before the juice is boiled Care
must be taken not to add too much lime,
. for in this case the syrup will be dark and
bitter. The quality and appearance of the
syrup are also much improved by treating
| the juice with sulphur fumes.
! APPARATUS FOR MAKING SYRUP
| The apparatus for this purpose is not ex-
| pensiye. Descriptions of this machinery,
with directions for using it, will be found
in Bulletin No. 3, Bureau of Chemistry of
the United States, Department Of Agricult-
ure. Any one can obtain 4 copy of this
pamphlet, free Of charge, by addressing
Hon. George B. Loring, Commissioner of
Agriculture, Washington, d. c.
In this brief article it would be impossi-
bic to give directions for making sorghum
syrup. A little ingenuity, great deal of
perseverance and imperturbable patience
will usually succeed in this work In Cali
fornia there seems to be fine opportunity
to develop the sorghum industry with adj
vantage to the State and benefit to the indi-
vidual
If the work is undertaken in modest
way, there can certainly be no great loss
attending it. Both as forage plant and a
syrup-producer, sorghum is worth trial by
Pacific coast farmers. The question of the
manufacture of sugar from it, is one still in