The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-29
swamp Cane Making Seed-A New
Edible Grain.

Edible Grain.
The Columbus Herald says The COM
mon swamp canes-the ones used for fish
ing poles-are fairly loaded down with
grain, corresponding in shape and taste
to the cat. The grains are two or three
times as large as oat grain and contaia a
germ or starchy substance very pleasant
to the taste. Horses eat the grain in pref
erence to corn or oats. Hogs fatten on it
readily. and chickens devour it with avid
ity.
Inquiry among the Oldest inhabitants
shows that such a thing as cane bearing
seed has never been known within their
knowledge. If such a thing has occurred
IL has been confined to an occasional cane,
which was regarded as a queer freak of
nature and failed to attract more than
passing attention.
Another queer feature of it is that the
seed are only found on cane on the Hat
chechubbee creek for a few miles around
Pittsboro. While 1t is true. there Is an
abundance of it there-millions of bush
els-our informant says. Farmers in that
section readily recognize the value of the
grain and have employed all the hands
they can get to gather it, which is a very
simple process. Sheets are put down on
the ground and logs or rails placed on
them. Inc cane Is lnGn LNTdSheN against
the rails and the grain falls out readily
when 1t is removed from the sheets and
placed in sacks. 1t is then used as feed
for stock.
So far no attempt has been made to
make bread from the grain, but those who
have examined it carefully say there is
no doubt but that IL may be ground and
made into nutritious and palatable bread.
Much of the grain being gathered will
be kept and planted on various kinds of
soil as an experiment. No one can fore
tell what the result Will be. The cane or
dinarily propagates from roots. But the
seeds have germ and this germ Will GER
tainly come up. Here is where the specu-
lation comes in. What will be the result
when the seeds are planted? Some say
they are nothing more nor less than oats
which have crossed in some way with the
cane.
Those who take this view of It claim
that the seed will germinate and develop
a plant similar to the oat but larger and
more prolific. If this is correct there will
be revolution in the grain stuffs of the
world. Others say that the seed Will grow
more cane, which in turn will bear seed
II this theory is correct, the discovery will
be equally important, If not more so, as
all the cane-brakes and swamp lands could
be reclaimed, and would yield an immense
annual harvest. Those who have seen the
| cane growing with the seed on it, say that
| every stalk is full from where the foliage
| first begins to the top. The seed is on the
| little and big cane alike and the stalks
are so heavy with the cane that most Of
| them are bowed down to the ground. one
gentleman expressed the opinion that
| many single stalks would yield fully peck
| of grain. This is simply marvellous.
Not in the history of civilized man has
single edible grain been developed The
cereals as far as history shows are as
old as man himself.
Corn was in the possession Of the In
| dams when this country was discovered;
yet ii never grows wild anywhere in the
country. 1t was 3 cultivated domestic
grain, so old that the Indians could give
no account of 1t. oats, wheat, barley,
corn, rice, cane, bamboo etc, all be-
long to the same family of Joined ce-
reals. If the discovery Just. made is to
lead to the development Of new edible
grain, it will mark a wonderful epoch IN
the history of man. Hence the impor-
lance Of the discovery can hardly be
overestimated. Every possible experiment
should be made to perpetuate and develop
the product. Well informed men say
the Opportunity is a grand one, and pre-
dict that important results are sure to
follow.
This article may astonish great many
people, some of whom may think il al
most incredible. The information was
gwen tine I1eTdlu Dy as TeHdDle a man as
lives in Alabama, and the Herald has
peculiar evidence OF its truth. A stalk
of the cane containing the seed has been
on exhibition in the window of Capt. d.
J. Hunts office, on Broad street, for some
days, and anyone who doubts what is
written here can call there and see 1t any
day. branch of the stalk laden with
the seed can also be seen at the Herald
office, and this article is written with it
before us.