426 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



of the Japan pea, and the value of the stalk as fodder, may 

 serve to draw attention to the statement of ex-mayor Smith. 



The Chinese sugar cane, to reach maturity, requires a season 

 of about five months. Seed planted June 18th, attained a 

 growth of nine feet before the first heavy frost. The seeds, 

 which are black when ripe, had just begun to turn of a reddish 

 hue ; the saccharine matter was so far advanced, that, by simple 

 means, about a third of a gill of a rich, sugary molasses was 

 made from a single stalk. At this stage of its growth and for 

 some weeks previously, the casing of the pith was so extremely 

 hard as to remind one of bamboo or cane-pole, being altogether 

 too hard for fodder. The condition of the stalk at an earlier 

 period of growth, was not noted. Should this hard casing be a 

 characteristic of it during a large portion of its period of growth, 

 our farmers may well hesitate to plant it for fodder. From 

 details given relative to its extensive culture in France, it ap- 

 pears to be a '• molasses" cane, rather than sugar cane, as it 

 was found extremely difficult to granulate the sirup. In an 

 interesting and able article published in the London Times, 

 giving the results of extensive experiments made by a gentleman 

 in France on the different varieties of the cane, with reference 

 to their profitable culture in the north temperate zone, it was 

 stated that several of the varieties proved preferable to the 

 Chinese sugar cane in the two important respects, that their 

 sirup granulated far more readily, and they reached maturity 

 much sooner, one or two of them perfecting their growth in 

 three months. As the source from which this information 

 comes is of so high a character, may we not anticipate the intro- 

 duction into this country, through the agent in France of our 

 efficient patent office, of other varieties of the cane superior in 

 these two respects to the Chinese variety ? 



It is a question of the first importance, can we in the North 

 profitably raise our own sweetening ? This is a matter worthy 

 of the most extended research and experiment. We have no 

 substitutes for sugar and molasses. If any of our grain crops, 

 even Indian corn, Avas stricken from the products of the North, 

 we could find substitutes, but for the sugar and molasses we 

 have none. Then consider the large proportion wliich these 

 two articles make of the expenses of every household, and con- 

 sider, too, the great price at which they are selling, and who 



