224 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



dark purple at maturity. lu France it is an annual, Trhere 

 its cultivation and period of growth correspond to those of 

 Indian corn; but, from observation made by M. Yilmorin, 

 it is conjectured that, from the vigor and fulness of the 

 lower part of the stalks in autumn, by prott cting thcra 

 during the winter, they would produce new plants the fol- 

 lowing spring. If cultivated in our southern States, it is 

 probable that the roots would send forth new^ shoots in the 

 spring, without protection, in the same manner as its sup- 

 posed congener the Dourah corn. At the North, the ma- 

 turity of the seed probably would be more certain if plant- 

 ed in some sheltered situation ; but if the object of culti- 

 vating be for the extracting of sugar, or for fodder for an- 

 imals, an open culture woutd be sufBcient, where the soil is 

 rich and light, and somcwliat warm. According to the 

 experiments of M. Ponsart, the seeds vegetate better 

 when but slightly covered with earth. M. Ledocte pro- 

 poses to associate with the plant another of more rapid 

 growth, such as lettuce, or rape, in order that the labor- 

 ers may distinguish the young sorgho from grass, which it 

 greatly resembles in the early stage of its growth. Any 

 suckers, or superfluous shoots, which may spring up in the 

 course of the season, should be removed. 



" The irrcat obicct soudit in France, in the cultivation of 

 this plant, is the juice contained in its stalks, which fur- 

 nishes three important products: namely, sugar, which 

 is identical with that of cane; alcohol, and a ferment- 

 ed drink analogous to cider. This juice, when obtain- 

 ed with care in small quantities, by depriving the stalk 

 of its outer coating, or woody libre and bark, is near- 

 ly colorless, and consists merely of sugar and water. Its 

 density varies from 1-050 to 1-075, and the proportion of 

 sugar contained in it from ten to sixteen per ccni., a third 

 part of which is sometimes uncrystallizable. To this 

 quantity of uncrystallizable sugar this juice owes its facility 

 of readily fermenting, and consequently the large amouut 



