SORGHUM. 211 



a farmer can grow on his land, whether for the man- 

 ufactured article, so healthy, palatable, and useful 

 for family use, or the plant for soiling or fodder for 

 stock of all kinds, which seem to relish it so much. 

 That a plant so valuable should be laid aside so 

 quickly, can only be accounted for. on the main 

 ground of its acquiring so much extra labor from the 

 already overburdened (with work) farmers every- 

 where ; that its cultivation for manufacturing pur- 

 poses, under the existing state of high-priced labor, 

 has to be abandoned ; but for the use of cattle, it 

 can be as cheaply raised as Indian corn grown for 

 the same purposes. I have cultivated it in various 

 ways, but have found sowing or dropping five or six 

 seeds in a hilJ, one foot apart in the row, cultivated 

 one way, to be the most satisfactory and profitable 

 method. 



The ground should be well prepared for it, by 

 ploughing in well-rotted manure, and, before harrow- 

 ing, sow fertilizers of some description, open drills, 

 three and a half or four feet apart ; drop seed, as al- 

 ready stated, five or six in a hill, one foot apart, and 

 cover lightly. Afterwards keep the cultivator going, 

 and one or two hand hoeings will, in most cases, be 

 sufficient. 



Cut before beinrr caught by the frost. A few forked 

 sticks, with rails stretched along them, will be found 

 a very expeditious and convenient method for stack- 

 ing, or rather placing the Sorghum against as it is 

 cut. Stand it well up on both sides. In a day or so 

 it may be stripped, and, as soon as possible after- 

 wards, pressed, and boiled on the evaporator. This 

 latter must be done by an experienced hand, as many 

 a fine lot of sorghum has been spoiled by inexperi- 



