152 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



examination of my cane, it was found that a few of the stalks were hearj" 

 and full of juice, while much the larger portion were nearly as dry as corn- 

 stalks. From the whole quarter of an acre but five and a half gallons of 

 molasses were made — less than one-fourth of what was obtained from the 

 same area two years before. There was no broom corn grown near either 

 of the crops referred to. If I were to plant sorghum again I should select the 

 seed from that crop which should be found to yield the largest quantity of 

 raolasses from the smallest bulk of cane, and should plant as far as possi- 

 ble from corn. Four years .igo an occasional farmer here and there raised 

 a small patch of sorgo, and ground it upon his home-made wooden mill, 

 and boiled the juice in such kettles as he happened to possess or could 

 borrow. Now iron mills are coming in all around, and there is not one 

 farmer in five within the circle of my acquaintance whose table during the 

 coming year will not be abundantly supplied with this new-born luxury ; 

 while at the same time there will be a surplus sufficiejjt to supply the home 

 demand. The owners of iron mills manufacture molasses for fifteen cents 

 per gallon ; the cane being delivered at the mill. The farmer, or aivy one 

 else who can command half an acre of good land, must be poor and lazy 

 indeed who cannot now keep his table supplied with this ni;tritious and 

 wholesome delicacy." 



The writer wishes to know how far north sorghum can be profitably grown. 

 He thinks as far north as Central New York. Perhaps that may be the 

 case in some localities. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Sorghum has but little cultivation in this or other 

 North-Eastern States, though it has been grown to some extent in gardens. 

 My opinion is that it has never succeeded north of latitude 43 degrees, and 

 only partially as far north as latitude 42 degrees 30 'minutes. The fact 

 mentioned by the writer about the degeneracy of sorghum grown in the 

 vicinity of Indian corn, is a very important one. If such is the case that 

 it does hybridize with corn so as to injure its saccharine quality, the fact 

 should be definitely known, and no seed should be used of cane grown ia 

 such a situation. We know that it will hybridize with broom corn, Guinea 

 corn, Doura corn, and other varieties of the sorghum family, but did cot 

 know it would with Indian corn. We have heard much the present year 

 about sorghum that yielded no juice, or the juice of which was not saccha- 

 rine, and we hope that this statement will lead to the cause and a remedy. 

 Sorghum is altogether too important a crop, particularly for the West, to 

 leave anything unconsidered that will tend to its improvement. It is of 

 the utmost importance to keep the seed pure. Its degeneracy in other situ- 

 ations can only be accounted for upon the hypothesis of this case mentioned 

 in Southern Illinois, tliat it has been affected by growing too near Indiaa 

 corn. Let us have more facts. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter said that sorghum was largely grown the present 

 year at New Milford, Conn. This is a little above 41^ degrees. A gentle- 

 man there estimated there were about 250 acres, and that it would yield 

 200 gallons of syrup per acre. There is a factory that grinds the cane and 

 manufactures the syrup for toll. If such factories were established in other 

 neighborhoods, sorghum would be extensively grown in this region as well 

 as the West, 



