^60 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



Nearly all the sugar now made in Louisiana is refined 

 during the process of manufacture on the plantation. 



SORGHUM. 



Sorghum {Sorghum Saccharatum) is the only agri- 

 culturally important plant which has been introduced 

 into the United States since the American Revolution. 

 It was introduced about 1845 from China and was 

 widely distributed during the decade prior to the war 

 between the states. 



Since that time it has been somewhat extensively 

 grown in a secondary way for the production of mo- 

 lasses. It has been grown in China many thousands 

 of years.for it§ seed, which is used for food both for 

 man and beast. It is claimed that it has never been 

 used there either for syrup or sugar. Broom corn, 

 Kaffir corn, !Millo maize, Doura, etc., are non-saccha- 

 rine varieties of sorghum. 



In 1879, 28 million gallons of sorghum molasses 

 were produced in the United States. This was nearly 

 twice as much as cane molasses and nearly twenty 

 times as much as of maple syrup. The production 

 of sorghum molasses has probably sensibly declined 

 since that time. 



Prior to that time but little sugar was produced 

 from sorghum and but little systematic effort was 

 made to produce it. During the past decade the sub- 

 ject of producing sugar from sorghum has been thor- 

 oughly studied and several plants have been estab- 

 lished in different states for its manufacture. A con- 

 siderable quantity of good sugar has been produced 

 but the commercial status of the industry is still un- 

 settled. 



