70 THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE. 
appendix), says he got a result of 83,250 lbs. of green 
forage, per acre. Ourown Patent Office Report, for 1855, 
says, ‘‘ Aside from other economical uses, its value for 
feeding to animals alone, in every section of the Union 
where it will thrive, cannot be surpassed by any other 
crop, as a greater amount of nutritious fodder cannot be 
obtained so cheaply in a given space within so short a 
time; and without wishing to present the question in an 
extravagant light, it may be stated, that this crop is 
susceptible of being cultivated within the territory of the 
United States, to an extent equal to that of Indian corn, 
say 25,000,000 acres per annum; and estimating the 
average yield of dry or cured fodder to the acre at two 
tons, the yearly amount produced would be 50,000,000 
tons, which, to keep within bounds, would be worth at 
least $500,000,000, besides the profits derived from the 
animals in milk, flesh, labor, and wool.” 
SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GROW MORE THAN ONE YEAR. 
It is not at all desirable to suffer the stubble of canes 
sown for fodder to remain all winter and throughout the 
subsequent summer, to raise a second year’s crop of 
fodder or sugar; for the experience of Mr. Hardy shows 
that the shoots of the second year are not larger than 
one’s little finger, and attain only a feeble growth, the 
third season they are contemptible in size. The farmer 
may well be contented with the fodder of the first year’s 
production, for if it be thought profitable practice to 
keep land in grass that cuts only aton ora ton and a half 
per acre, what should be our estimate of a fodder crop as 
