The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-28
Sorghum.

As we have just got through (for the
present season. long seige of sorghum
syrup making we hope we may be par
doned when we acknowledge we have
sorzhunl-on the brain, says G. H. Turner
in Tennessee Farmer. In spite of sor-
ghum having been raised in this section
for the past twenty-five years, from our
correspondence and the numerous inqui-
rfes we are almost daily receiving in re-
gard to best varieties. Where seed may
be obtained?'' and, cat what prices? Can
steam be utilized in the manufacture Of
svrup2 And, if SO, how best to do it?'' We
are constrained to believe that sorghum
is not 50 universally known and raised as
we thought We have many calls for
seeds" and Samples" of syrup. from
Indiana. Illinois, Missouri. Georgia
and stranger still, more than
from Louisiana the heart Of
the sugar belt) than any Of the others, also
from our own state. We have raised sor-
ghum for upwards of twenty years and in
our zeal to obtain the best have tested
every variety obtainable. The first va
riety with which we became acquainted
was the 'Black-top." 1t is needless to
state it is the sorriest specimen ever came
our way. This was closely followed by the
'Red-top'' which retained well-deserved
popularity until superseded by superior
- x
really good variety, enormously produc-
tive and making a very fair article of
syrup and lots of it per acre, but it had
one serious defect, the heads were very
heavy, making it easy to blow down, this.
together with the hook" or crook
make it when blown down (Which it did
almost every year, such an inextricable,
tangled mess as to be more expense than
profit The 'Red-top' stands upright and
is less affected by winds than any variety
of our acquaintance, but there is a pecu-
liar ''greenish" wild flavor about the
syrup made from it that no amount OF
cooking can dispel
The Texas Honey-Comb'' is a fine look
ing variety, but is hollow, pithy and is
comparatively destitute of both sap and
sugar; seems to be a mixture of sorghum
and broom corn. The Honey Drop"
Golden Drop" and Golden Rod" etc,
seems to be but little if any better The
early Amber ia valuable on account of
its extreme earliness, alone making it the
cane par excellence for all those who live
too far north for any better cane to ma
ture Il makes a very good article of
syrup, but on account of the diminutive
size OF the cane and consequent small
Weld of syrup per acre, it is not as profit
able in the central and southern states
as are the larger and more robust growing
varieties The only use we of the south
have for il is to prolong the syrup-making
season, the Early Amber" coming in July
and August, the later varieties in Septem-
Der and October, so that one can, with
these two varieties alone df desired),
extend the syrup-making season from July
! until long after killing frost, or say,
Nov. l, making four full months, allow
ing a small horse-mill to turn out in a
sfngle season 500 to 1890 gallons Of
svr,ip. On mill Of this description we
have averaged the season through
hfty-two gallons per day, max
irnum days work, sixty-four gallons.
we now come to the last, but Gin our esti-
nation also the best variety OF sorghum
for the southern ana central states, and
as far north as it is possible, practicable