AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 325 



to the increased expense for these necessaries of life always attend- 

 ant upon a failure of the crop of the Southern cane ; and its pecu- 

 liar luxuriance in warmer latitudes will make it a formidable 

 rival to the latter. The great expense and trouble attendant upon 

 procuring and saving the cutting of the cane, are entirely obviated 

 with the Sorgho; and for this reason, even though the actual yield 

 of sugar per acre be much less, it will be more likely to prove 

 remunerative to the planter. The Sorgho ripens three months 

 before the cane — having been crushed in Louisiana throughout 

 August and September. It thus perfects its seed in full time to 

 escape frost; and therefore would be far less liable to a failui'e of 

 crop than the latter. 



Its uses are so various as to obtain for it from the JVaiional In- 

 tellige7icer, the name of ^^ vegetable sheep — every part and portion 

 of which is valuable." A few of these we will enumerate : 



1. For soiling cattle. It gives two, and even three crops of 

 succulent stalks, which are very nutritious and grateful t^ stock. 

 If cut in July, the cane will have attained a growth of five or six 

 feet, and from the stands or stubble, rattoons (young shoots) spring 

 up and yield a bountiful harvest in September and October. In 

 Georgia, Mr. Redmond obtained three crops of fodder, and Gov. 

 Hammond of South Carolina, obtained sugar and fully ripe seed 

 from the second crop. " 



Stock raisers will appreciate this feature of the Sorgho, which 

 places within their reach an abundant yield of fodder at a small 

 outlay of capital and labor. If they found profit in sowing our 

 common corn for fodder, they realize twice as much from this 

 plant, which for the same expenditure gives double results. 



2. The next advantage is the yield of sugar. 



Mons. Arequin of Louisiana, calculates its product of good 

 crystalized sugar, at 1,000 pounds per acre; while Vilmorin of 

 France, puts it at 2,386. 



Each thousand pounds of sugar will drip fifty-five gallons of 

 molasses. If the object of cultivation be simply to obtain syrup, 

 we may count upon four hundred gallons per acre under favorable 

 circumstances. Col. Peters of Georgia, obtained, as will be recol- 

 lected, four hundred and sixty-eight gallons, and this too, with 

 [Am. Inst.] 93 



