CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOCIETY, IQl 



Best specimen of grapes, (Isabellas,) Johu Reed, Westbrook, 1st 

 premium. 



Byron Greenougb, Portland a basket of very fine grapes, two 

 varieties. 



John Bradford, Portland, a basket of fine Isabellas. 



John Curtain, gardener for J. B. Brown, exhibited specimens of 

 Isabella and Victoria grapes of very superior quality. 



E. P. Weston, Gorham, Sorghum syrup from Chinese sugar cane, 

 a gratuity. (»S'ee statement.^ 



To the Secretary of Cumberland Agricultural Society : 



Herewith I forward to your Annual Fair, a can of Sorghum Syrup 

 from Chinese Sugar Cane. I had no idea of sending to the fair, 

 while, I was raising the Sorghum or manufacturing the syrup, or I 

 might now give you a more exact statement. However I give you 

 such general account as I can from recollection. My ground, about 

 a quarter of an acre, was prepared as for Indian corn, but was not 

 in the best condition. It was planted about the time for corn plant- 

 ing, a part of it in hills, at the ordinary distance of corn hills, and 

 a part of it in drills. It came up in about a fortnight, but seemed 

 to be checked by the cold, wet weather, so that for some weeks it 

 promised nothing. My men laughed at my prospects for a sugar 

 crop and proposed to plow the ground again and plant it with late 

 corn for fodder, so as not to lose the ground entirely. As it was 

 they were obliged to re-plant about half the ground, where the 

 sorghum had failed to come up, or was lost in the wild-rye which 

 would not stop for its feeble rival to get a fair start. The corn 

 planted to fill the vacancies came up and grew rapidly, and was 

 ahead of the "celestial" sugar cane during all the, first part of the 

 summer. But the hot weather of July gave it a start, by which it 

 soon made up its relative loss and outstripped its boasting neighbor. 

 The unbelievers were compelled to acknowledge the corn beaten. 

 Thus far, however, the stalks did not seem to contain any more sac- 

 charine matter than the corn stalks and we looked upon it as promis- 

 ing only a good article for fodder. It reached a good height, ten 

 feet, more or less, and was then cut as we needed it for my cows. 

 But as it became sweeter on maturing, we concluded to save a por- 

 tion to try the experiment of syrup-making. 



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