192 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



ble 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 6500,000,000, besides the profits 

 derived from the animals in milk, flesh, labor, and wool." 



Now, of course, this estimate, like all other numerical castles built upon 

 foundations of only the thickness of a sheet of paper, looks very fair and 

 very wonderful, but it is an exaggeration — for the writer assumes that all 

 the area at present under Indian corn, is to be put into sorgho fodder, and 

 that if so and so be allowed, why then it is plain that the country gains 

 $500,000,000 per annum from the Chinese sugar cane culture. But, 

 although we do not wish to go to any extremes for arguments in favor of 

 the cane, we may assume that the country is this year richer by a great 

 many dollars, because of the introduction and popularization of sorgho 

 and imphee ; and this advantage will be more and more considerable each 

 succeeding year as their culture increases, and farmers learn better what 

 to do with the crop after it is harvested. 



It has been said that both the plant stalks and seeds were poisonous to 

 cattle. This may be so, but I have seen Governor Hammond feeding 

 several hundred cattle and five hundred hogs on imphee stalks, day after 

 day and week after week, and with no ill effects, except that perhaps the 

 animals eat so greedily as to surfeit themselves if not checked. I have 

 fed my own horses, cows and swine on it, and with the reverse of injurious 

 effects. In particular, a team of heavy horses, which subsisted for some 

 two months principally on cut sorgho stalks, and although engaged at 

 heavy labor the whole time, were fat and sleek throughout. 



Mr. George W. Kendall, writing to the N. O. Picayiaie, says that the 

 cultivation is widely extending in Texas, and is a perfect success; that it 

 stands the drouth as a salamander does fire ; that it has entirely escaped 

 the ravages of grasshoppers, although neighboring corn fields have been 

 devastated ; that he has fed his stock on it regularly, and should be very 

 happy to receive any that any timid experimenter may have to spare or 

 throw away. 



A. H. Wren says in the Ohio Farmer of November 20th, that he has 

 proved to his satisfaction " that one acre of Chinese sugar cane will go as 

 far for feeding hogs alone, as an acre of from 75 to 100 bushels of corn, 

 cut up and thrown to their hogs as farmers do their green corn." 



It seems that this cry of the sorgho being poisonous originated in 

 France, and found its way over here. To show how well it is to search 

 out these stories up to the fountain head, I may mention that whilst in 

 London recently, I received a letter from the illustrious Monsieur L. Vil- 

 morin, dated " Gien, 28th October," and in it he makes use of expressions 

 of which the following is a translation: " I am visiting in this district a 

 large cultivator, who informed me of his having had several sheep poisoned 

 by eating sorgho. This is the fourth or fifth example of the kind which 



