( 118) 



HISTORY. 



In the fall of 1853, Dr. Jay Browne was sent by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture to Europe to gather seeds for distribution 

 from the office. He saw a small patch of sorghum at Verrieres, 

 near Paris, and being struck with its resemblance to corn, thought 

 it would be an accession to our forage crops, and possibly might be 

 used as a sugar plant. 



Four years before, M. de Montigny had sent the seed from the 

 north of China to the Geographical Society of Paris, in a package 

 of many different kinds of seeds. They were planted, and but one 

 single sorghum seed germinated. The product of this plant was 

 distributed, and the next year, so great was the demand, a gardner 

 of Paris sold his entire crop to Vilmoriu, Audrieux & Co., of 

 Paris, for a franc a seed. Through them it was sent over the whole 

 of Europe and America, for it was on their farm Mr. Browne saw 

 it growing. 



In 1850, Mr. Leonard Wray, of the East Indies, a practical 

 sugar planter, on a visit to Kaffir- land, found the imphee, another 

 species of sugar cane, growing around the huts of the natives, 

 which they cultivated for its chewing qualities. On examination, 

 he discovered its rich saccharine character, and was satisfied of its 

 value. He therefore brought it with him to England and had it 

 planted there, as well as in France and Belgium. He memorial- 

 ized the French minister of war, and also Mr. Buchanan, who was 

 minister in England at that time. He afterwards cultivated it in 

 the West Indies, Brazil, the Mauritius, Australia, Turkey, Egypt 

 and in this country. 



The Kaffirs cultivated sixteen varieties that differed in the 

 amount of saccharine principle, as well as in the time required to 

 mature. In 1856 Mr. Wray exhibited sugar, molasses, alcohol, 

 plants and seeds of the imphee at the Paris Exposition, and not 

 only obtained a silver medal, but a grant of twenty-five hundred 

 acres of land in Algiers was made him by the French Government 

 that he might prosecute his researches. During this same year, 

 Orange Judd, of New York, distributed 25,000 packages of seed to 

 his subscribers, spreading them throughout the country. In 1857 

 Mr. Wray brought to the United States the seeds of several varie- 

 ties of imphee. So then, when Mr. Browne obtained the seeds it 

 was really in its initial state of cultivation in France. It had been 



