PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. ISI 



A Plant for a Name. 



Mr. G. also says: "I send a specimen of a small, pretty vine, tliat came 

 in a box of plants from New Jersey. It has a yellow flower. I would like 

 to know the name." 



Professor Thurbcr. — Tliis jilant is known among country people as penny- 

 wort. Its bota?\ical name is li/^iniachia nianmularia. It g-rows verj'^ pret- 

 tily from hanging baskets, that is, baskets tiUed Avitli damp moss in which 

 the roots of the vine are planted, and from its small, shining round leaves 

 grow and hang over so as to drape the sides of the basket and form a very 

 pretty winter ornament for rooms. 



Sorghum in Southern Illinois — It Deteriorates. 



Our seasons here are several weeks earlier than necessary for the matu- 

 rity of sorghum. It was not injured by frost last year, though it came five 

 weeks earlier than usual. The seed is planted in May ; it might be in 

 autumn. Scattered seed often grows to become a nuisance in the cultiva- 

 tion of the nest crop. Cane need not be fully ripe to make good molasses. 

 I have made it of excellent quality from canes where the seed had not half 

 turned. A neighbor made some fiom unripe cane, which much resembled 

 maple mrilasses. The opinion generally prevails that the seed should be 

 fully ripe. That opinion is erroneous. For family use a plain wooden mill 

 will answer where an iron mill is inaccessible. The juice should be skim- 

 med thoroughly just before and just after it begins to boil, and it should be 

 boiled inimediately after it is pressed, and boiled as rapidly as possible, 

 and removed from the kettle as soon as done, beciause the affi'nity of the 

 molasses for the iron injures its quality'. Glean the kettle thoi'oughly be- 

 fore using again. That sorghum sometimes degenerates, is an established 

 fact; but I am not aware that the cause of such degeneracy has been fully 

 brought to light. I will therefore give the club the benefit of my experience 

 in full, bearing upon that point. Three years ago last spring I planted 

 one-fiiurth of an acre in the corner of a cornfield, and the yield of molasses 

 was very satisfactory. I saved a portion of the seed, and the next spring 

 planted three- fourths of an acre in the same corner. I was not at home 

 when the crop was worked up, but found that tlie yield was but little more 

 than that of the preceding year from one-tliird of the land. At that time I 

 attributed the deficiency to some defect in the old wooden mill, or to the 

 incapacity of those left i» charge. A portion of the seed had been saved,, 

 witli which I planted one-fourth of an acre the following spring in another 

 corner of the same field; corn still growing upon two sides of the patch, as 

 in the two former years. Upon commencing to grind out tin's crop, I soon 

 discovered there was some serious defect in the cane ; the juice was not 

 there. So I abandoned the job, and hauled what was left to an iron mill, 

 the owner of which told me my cane was running into broom corn. He 

 also inf(M-med me that he had f(tund a good deal of difference in the pro- 

 portional quantity of juice afforded by different crops; and pointed out one 

 pile which he said was not worth working up. This, upon inquiry, I found 

 to belong to 9 man to whom I had given the seed. Upon a more critical 



