Sorghum Culture

We extract the following discussion, touching the cultivation of sorghum, from tbe Free Press report of the proceedings of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the State Agricultura) Society, held laat week at Ypsilanti : The President stated that arrargements had been made for the delivery of alecture on the, subject, but they had been disappointod. He would, however, cali npon Mr. Tafft, President of the Sorghum Association, for a few remarks. Mr. Tafft, of Plymouth, thongh not prepured for a lengthy discourae, had considerable cxpurience in the manufacture of sugar from the cane. gix years ago one of his neighbors conceived the idea of entering upon sugar raising extensively. He planted about twenty acres, but only five of which he cultivated properly. He went on and produced an article which wns pro nounced worthless, but he (Mr. 'I'ntít,) thouht he discovered enough írom the experiment to satisíy him that, with proper facilities, a good artiele of sugar could be manufactured. He therefore went on experitneuting till within tho laat year he had succeeded in producing a good article. He considered that the lodder secured from the cune amply paid for the putting of the carie through the mili. The greatest diffioulty with farmers was. thut they planted too tnuch. Ko one should attempt more than half an acre to commeuce on, and the cane ehould be careiuily handled and cultivated. . VVhen tho stalk can be secured ábout ripe, then i good article of syrup can be hnd, but if otherwise, a poor article of syrup must be the consequence. With regard to the ultimute result he had no doubt. He beüeved that Michigan was destined to bo a great sugar producing State, and he could see nothing abor.t the whole growth that could be considered discouragingly. Other crops would fail as well as tho cane, and we should nol ho djsnppointöd at any occasional failure of a plant not vrholïy, as yet, adapted to our climate. Jn answer to. a qnostion he said he tbougfat the land hest adapted for tho growtb of cune was that wuieh produced the best corn. Ho did not consider a frequent ronewaj of the seed uecessary. To Mr. Lyon-rl have produced g50 gallons to an aere, and huvo never pro duced less than 100 gallons, whioh I sold al filty cents per gallon. Mr. Baxter had some difficulty in accoinmodating hitnself to the taste oi tho syrup, yet ha thonght that those who oould adapt themselvcs to the use of' tobáceo need not despuir. Mr. Tafl't said the frost vvould not ki!Í the cañe nearly a quick as it would curn, but when it ñeezes hard, the cana would beconie porous, and the juice turn BcVór. He vvou'd not ttrip the cañe when t stood in stooks in the field, but would not lay it up wilh tha leaves on. Mr. Kichardíj (f Teanroseh, e.xhibited several specimens of fugar ' iactured by him, and explained Ás pro cess of cultivaron and manufacture. - He considered that the question of raiíing the cace was firmly ostablished in the atlirmative. Eyt'ry ipan who oould raiise an ordicary erop could mise cano. The average erop of syrup is safuly estimatüd fit. 160 rallona per acre, which sells readily at 75 centa pur gallen ; the [ fodder cuuld be esiimated at 610 more, making a Iota] ol $130. The expense of raising would only reach 52.70 per acre, tlius teavitig a net profitof 877, Ü0. The State of Michigan a novv ahead of Ühio, Iudiann and Illinois in the growth ol' sugar. Wo havo conipc cd wiih thera, and alyays successfüly. All hu thouffht noW want'mg "Aas tho cnlistment of eome scientilic procesa lo bring the manufacturo to a stato of i tion, IJis experienco lud liim to the beüet that if the Stase c$ered a prerpium of $1,000 r.j'r a perfect sciuut fló plan, it would bo the iiüist judieious expendituro of inonoy that could be made. Mr. Weeks, of Napoleon, also eshib itod severa 1 specimens ot syrup and sugar. He siid tliat one gallon of the syrup should produce írdriJ four to six pounds of sugar. His process of manufacture has alreaily been explained in these columns. Mr. Clisbo, of Hillsdale, thought the eeed should not be plunted too deep, pi-obably not niore than half au Inch, and then rolled. Mr. Bodwell, of A"n A''"1'. tiad not growïi mucli cañe, Uut had manufacturod cotioiderauly. lie had ivork ed eane that had produced 250 gallons to the acre. An acre of grouud that would yleld filiy bUShels of corn, j woiild produce lwo hundrcd gallons of j syrup. Ho gavo preference to the j cano erop over the corn, making an estímate omewhttt similar to that of Mr. Richards 'J ho fodder was most i Yalqable for úttí. Ho did not think the erop exhansted tho ground more tban corn. He preferred a yellow, gravelly, eandy soil lor growing tho cano. Tho finest cune he ever gruw was on soil from which a erop of corn had been gathered. He was doubtful wboiher steeping the seed before plantiitg hastened jts generation. "Mr. Eraery, editor of tho Prairie Farmer, said that a persou in Nebraska had patentad a procees for granulating silgar, from syrup, in a very short tme, but he did tot tinderstaud the proecss. On motion of Mr. Baxter, ij, was ücsolvtii, That the State society be reóUe$eq tq offer ab increased premium lof the best ppecimens of sorghum syrup and sugar, accornpanied with of canes f rom ivhich the same was produced, and the process of manufacture. Adopted. Resolved, That the State Society be requested to use their influence to secure action on the part of the State ot Michigan to encourage the manufacture ot sorghum syrups and sugars. - Adopted. Mr. Iioward, of the Boston Cultivator, made a few remarks on the pleasure t gave him to see the progress the Northwestern country had made in the manufacture o! s'.igar. He believed it to be a fixed fant, bevond doubt, that sugar could be nuccessfnlly raised in these States. In the Eastern States ita manufacture was not extensive, as tobáceo culture was found to be more profilable.