Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-28
THURSDAY, MARCH ss, 1850.


There is no denying the iact that
farm lands in this country are depre.
ciating in value, and this is no doubt
caused by the fact that 1t is no longer
possible to raise grain or cattle in the
East as cheap as they can be brought
from the great West. There the price
OF land is low, and the tillers Of the
soil are not obliged to use tons of ex-
pensive fertilizers TO produce their
crops. II has not been many years
since the farmers of the West used
corn for fuel, as at that time ifeights
were SO high that it paid them better
TO burn 1t than to ship it to the East.
Since then the competition in railroads
has Increased to such an extent that
freights have been reduced to figure
that enables the Western farmer to
place his grain and cattle in the East
ern markets, and dispose Of them ut q
profit, tor lower price than they can
be produced here. How can this
be remedied2 Certainly not by legis-
lation, for the very simple reason that
1t will not be possible to enact laws
that will prevent the products of other
States from coming into competition
with our own.
Therefore, the only way that seems
to offer Is for our farmers TO turn their
attention 10 crops that will pay. Some
of the farmers down the State are, and
have been for some years, solving this
problem by engaging in fruit and
berry culture, but 1t scarcely seems
possible now TO raise peaches st q
profit in the northern part OF this
county. The vast and constantly in
creasing amount OF sugar that Is
yearly used in this country seems TO
offer the best solution of the difficulty,
and 1t is probable that our farmers can
obtain better returns from raising
sugar producing plants than from
any other source. The amount Of cane
grown in the South falls far below the
demand aud consequently its place
will have TO be taken by the sugar
beet and sorghum. OF the fret il ia
said that from fifteen to twenty tons,
valued at not less than five dollars a
ton, can be grown to the acre. In a
short time there will be a market in
Philadelphia for all that can be raised,
and iftwo dollars per tor is allowed
for handling and freight, it would
still leave return of forty-flve dol.
lars per acre on the lowest estimated
yield.
The sorghum will no doubt pay
equally as well, or possibly better, as
the leaves Of the plant can be used fol
feed, as experiments have shown tina
they possess more nutritive properties
than hay or grass. The seeds are alsC
excellent for feeding purposes, ant
from fifteen to eighteen bushels can bt
grown TO the acre. At Rio Grande
Cape May County N. j., sorghum il
extensively cultivated, and over three
hundred Thousand pounds OF sugaI
have been made in single year. Tn,
average per acre was over two thou
sand pounds, and in some instances
the yield exceeded three thousand
pounds. Sorghum will grow in any
soil that will produce corn, and eeem
not only to thrive in a sandy soil, bu
TO be capable OF wlthsianding drougb
that would prove fatal to almost an
other crop. That the importance o
trying its culture in this State is real
lied is shown by the fact that til
Farmers institute at recent mectinj
resolved to ask the Government Tor
share of the appropriation which hs
been made for experimenting with thi
plant,