Belding banner., 1918-03-13
SORGHUM RAISING
ADVANTAGEOUS TO
ANY COMMUNITY


1
John j. Spriggs is much interested
lin the growing Of sorghum by the
farmers the coming season. To aic
them in cultivation of the crop Mr.
ISpriggs has written an article dealing
with the raising of sorghum, which Il
lprinted below. You will be interested
in. the crop, and the article even II
you do not contemplate raising any
this year. Here is what he says.
The first sorghum grown in the
United States was brought from
France and grown on Long Island in
1852. In 1852 there was quite a ship
ment sent here from China and dis
tributed by the Department Of Agrl-
culture at Washington. In 1858 more
was shipped over, some from China
and some from India and Africa. AT
one time there was said to have been
78 varieties growing on the agricul-
tural grounds at Washington. This
grown in the United States.-( Gov
ernment Bulletin No. 246.)
There is no doubt that the sugar
canes originated in tropical or semi
tropical regions. 1t is supposed to
have been derived from equatorial
Africa where it is now represented by
numerous and widely different var
Iieties. At the present time it is
more or less cultivated in some of its
forms in all tropical and warm tenn
lperate climates of the earth-in
North China, Manchuria, India and
north to the forty-fifth degree north
latitude. Sugar cane forms an inn
~
the human race as well as for do
mestic animals, and in the United
States it is raised from the far south
to almost the northern boundary; but
principally in the southwest, north
west and wesct.-(Fa Bulletin
| No. 246, Washington, ID. CO
There are an extremely large num-
Der of forms and varieties of sorg-
huns, so-called. They hybridize with
the greatest ease; especially is this
true of the broom corn family (sor-
hum saccharatum) Sorghum Vul-
gare" or Indian millet, native of the
East Indies. The Chinese>sugar cane
raised here, is a variety of this
species Woods botany, also the
African inphe. Many distinct varieties
have at one time or another been re-
garded as distinct species and have
been divided and subdivided on very
lunimportant characteristics, such as
the shape or position of the panicle or
head, the color of the glume, or chaff,
which holds the seed, etc.
The "Saccharum Officinarum," a
perennial plant is the genuine sugar
cane raised in tropical and semi
tropical countries and is grown in the
south from South Carolina to Texas.
The so-called Orleans sugar and mo-
lasses is the product Of this plant. 1t
was unknown to the ancients.-(Prof.
Woods Botany.)
Sorghum can be grown anywhere
that Indian corn will ripen and is the
source of much of our so-called mus
cavado sugar and syrup. The varieties
now : generally grown are called
Orange and Early Amber. Both
make fine syrup and granulate
readily.
Planting in this latitude begins
about the 10th to the 18th of May
about the same as corn planting.
prefer ten days earlier if there is not
any danger of late frosts. Some
think it is better to plant after corn
planting is over. Sorghum may be
planted in hills the same as corn, 3
feet each way, then thin out the
lplants to a or stalks in hill. Or
plant in drills feet apart and thin
out leaving the stalks from 3 to 6
inches apart in the row. / think you
get just as large stalks and more OF
them by drilling in rows than plant
ling in hills. Sorghum grows slow
when it first starts until it gets about
foot high, then the roots commence
to penetrate down and it soon jumps
ahead of the corn and the dry wealth
er does not effect it like corn on ac-
count Of its deep roofing system
ed. Keep clean of grass and weeds
and keep the ground well stirred.
/ If you wish it for syrup alone sc
lit will not granulate, cut when the
seed is in the dough. If allowed tc
lget fully ripe it will granulate easily
and become wet mushy sugar. Thei
lit would have to be drained and wher
Thoroughly dried becomes a fine light
i In handling the stalks care shoulc
be taken not to break them as the
Juice will sour quickly to the join
leither side of the break, and it take:
but very little sour cane to spoil {
lot of syrup.
After the cane has been topped ane
lstripped it should be cut immediately
for if it is left standing three days i
will become sour and worthless. III
stripping off the leaves some use {
wooden knife made out of soft woot
board about three feet long, and 9th
ers use stick. prefer stripping j
| with the hands, commencing at th'
top and running the hands down keep
ing the leaves in my hands. Whel
my hands are full / bind them il
bundles with a couple of leaves th'
same as wheat and keep them fo
fodder. In topping cut off at the tol
leaf with sharp knife, saving tn
earliest and ripest seed-heads fo
planting, as there is an ever increas
ing demand for seed to plant for for
age crops. All the seed that is Sc
cured is that which is obtained iron
that which is raised from sorghum
for syrup or grown and allowed :
ripen for fodder. That which !
grown for hogs is sown broad-cas
or wheat-drilled and cut green TO