The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-11-14
Sorghum VS.. Corn,

Sorghum VS.. Corn.
The prospective yield OF corn the
present season is estimated as reach
ing the unparalleled amount of2 ,O00,-
900, 900 bushels, and estimating its
value for feeding swine even at the
too low rate of twenty cents per bush
ell it far exceeds in the aggregate the
value OF either the cotton or the wheat
crop.
The average value OF the corn crop
for the past twenty years has been
forty per cent. OF the aggregate value
OF all our leading crops, while the acre
age devoted to corn has equaled forty
per cent. OF all the cultivated land in
the United States, including those
| lands in grass. 1t is almost impossi-
BILE to oVerestimate the relative value
of the corn crop. All intelligent read
ers are doubtless aware that practical
ly the entire crop of corn is used for
feeding and fattening, fully ninety
| five per cent. of this crop being thus
consumed.
Sorghum yields a crop OF seed equal
in quantity to corn. The three largest
growers of this crop last year in this
country averaged twenty-five bushels
OF seed per acre, and the method and
expense OF growing sorghum is prac-
| tlcally the same as IN growing corn.
| Analysis OF sorghum seed shows it 10
! be practically Identical in composition
with corn. 1t contains little more
| starch than corn, and starch is one
of the most valuable nutritive con
/ stituents of the cereals.
| The president of the Rio Grande (N
j. Sorghum Sugar Company, who has
had more extended experience than
any other person in the United States
as to the feeding value of sorghum,
last year fed and fattened 800 head OF
swine upon the seed, and he says that
! he considers sorghum seed more Valu-
| able than corn for feeding.
! 1t should not be forgotten that for
| thousands of years sorghum has been
sown, as now it is grown over vast
acres, solely for the seed, and there APP
pears to be no reason whyit couldnot
! be introduced as a cereal, taking the
place Of cOrnin our own country, since
! it boasts certain qualities as q plant
| which render 1T less liable to failure as
| q crop in certain sections than corn.
! Last year the three largest sorghum
plantations in the United States, bear
ing an aggregate OF $500 acres, aver
aged for each ton of sorghum cane
worked for sugar and molasses As
pounds OF sugar, and S.22 gallons OF
molasses. In two of the above in
stances, the loss of sugar is represent
/ ed to have been in onecase fveei
and IN the other One-haif the sugar
| present in the cane. This, then, is the
present margin improvements, but as
a fact they did obtain the above prod
ucts. Three of the largest mills in
! the United States report as the aver
age cost OF working up the cane $1.04
per ton, so that it would appear that
! there had been obtained at this cost,
/ forty-tive pounds OF sorghum and
/ eight gallons Of mOlasses.
Last year the average OF seventy
two analyses of sugar-canej juices grown
| in Louisiana, showed a content OF
sugar less by 1t per cent. than the
amount found present upon the aver
age in fifty-eight samples Of several
varieties OF sorghum juices grown in
Washington. | again assert that in
sorghum we have a plant fully the
equal OF corn as a cereal, and in addi-
! ton fully the equal of the best Louisi-
ana sugar cane as a sugar-producing
| plant.-Peter Collier, in the Tribune.