The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-04-04
H|GHSUGAR PRICES
BOOMFORSORCHuM
War Is Bringing It Return of Old
Time Popularity.
EARLY AMBER Is THE BEST
is Early Maturing Variety and So Is
Most Suited to Michigan Climatic
Conditions.
From Department of Farm Crops
Michigan Agricultural COLLEGE.

From Department of Farm Crops
Michigan Agricultural College.
East Lansing, Mich.-One of the
many interesting minor effects of the
war upon Michigan agriculture which
in the southern and central counties
of the state appears to be quite gen.
eral, is growing demand among
farmers for sorghum seed. This de-
mand has already assumed such I'M
| precedented proportions that many
seedmen are forecasting that If II con-
tinues, as now seems not unlikely, the
visible (ApriD supply will all of it be
melted away long before the planting
season arrives.
Sorghum, as crop both for forage
and sirup-making is however. by no
means new one in Michigan. There
was time not so long ago I'm fact
when the sorghum press, where the
! juice was squeezed out of the cane,
was just as common feature in Mich
igan's rural communities as the cider
mill-and for that matter there are
still some sections where farmers
raise sorghum to supply sweets for the
family table.
But there will he many more farms
upon which this will be done this sea-
son, for with sugar daily growing
scarcer and commanding price which
compels the utmost economy, corn
sorghum sirup will find n welcome
place on the family table, and a ready
sale on the market.
The seed corn shortage is nj the
same time causing many other farmers
to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of putting
In sorghum as forage crop-though
the dearth of sorghum seed is almost
as pronounced, If not more so, than is
the seed corn shortage.
What and When to Plant.
SOrghums are planted from ten days
to two weeks after corn, for the seeds
are small, and If the ground Is cold
they do not terminate well and poor
stand results. Early amber an early
maturing variety. is probably the best
adapted to Michigan conditions.
The land is prepared for sorghum in
much the same way as for corn. The
7
II Is essential to get rid of as many
weeds as possible before planting. For
strip the rows are drilled SO to AZ
inches apart with corn planter, us
ing G to pounds of seed per acre.
The method of cultivation is the
same as for corn. The first cultiva-
ton can be given with spike tooth
harrow, and is quite effective in kill
ing young weeds. The next cultivation
should be with shovels or sweeps,
deeply the first time with two or three
shallow civilizations following.
Harvesting For Strip.
Sorghum increases in percentage Of
sugar as well as in total dry matter
until il is mature. From the early
dough stage until the hard dough
stage is the right time for strip max
ing. If the seeds become hard there is
danger of frost before all of the canes
are made up, while if the seeds are in
the milk stage an acid sirup with an
unripe taste is produced. For best re-
suits the leaves are stripped while
canes are standing. The seed head,
with six or eight inches of the upper
cane should be cut off. as this part
contains many impurities. Suckers
should be discarded for the same rea-
son. Canes may be cut by hand or
with the corn binder.
In warm weather canes should not
be cut more than two days before
using as there Is danger of fermenta-
ton. When a heavy frost occurs the
sorghum should he cut and placed in
large shocks at once. A heavy freeze
will do but little damage provided the
canes can be worked up at once upon
thawing but after thawing they will
spoil in very short time. A ton of
canes will yield 500 to 1000 pounds of
Juice which will make 8 to % gallons
of strip. Four to eight tons Of canes
per acre Is a good yield.
Making Strip.
The sirup manufacturing process
consists Of three main stages-Q) Elk
traction of juice; (2) Qualification of
raw juice and (3) evaporation of juice
The extraction is done by passing the
cane between rollers. Two-roller and
three-roller mills can be purchased
Seventy to so per cent of the canes
, are water. but 1t is not possible to OBJ.
tain all Of this as juice. With a three
, roller mill so per cent of the weight
. of the cane should be obtained unless
the cane is very hard and dry. The
canes after being passed through the
, mill can be used for roughage. Often.
time they are put in the silo either
with corn or alone. The juice as II
comes from the mill should be run
through a strainer made of fine wire
(the same as Is used for strainine
milky into a settling tank or barrel
: also used for storage. There should
be three tanks. one being filed, while
: one is being emptied and the third set