PROCEEDINGS OP THE FARMERS* CLUB. 153 



Mr. J. Irish said tliat sorghum had been successfully grown in Onondaga 

 county for several years. Many farmers produce more than tlioy require 

 for use, and consider it easier to make molasses from sorghum tlian from 

 maple trees. There are neighborhood mills estublisii(;d tliere, which grind 

 the cane and make tlie syrup for twenty cents a gallon. The seed ripens 

 perfectly in that county, between 421 and 43 degrees. 



Mr. Weaver said he had lately heard of molasses made of Indian corn, at 

 the rate of three gallons to the bushel. 



Mr. BartU'tt said it must be done bj' previously malting the grain. 



Mr. Irish said he had heard of molasses made of cornstalks. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — That was done extensively at Wilmington, Dela- 

 ware, more than twenty years ago by a Mr. Webb. He found no difficulty 

 in iriaking molasses, and but little in making handsomely granulated 

 sugar. The only secret about the matter in making molasses from Indian 

 cornstalks is to carefully strip off all incipient ears, and then allow the 

 stalks to grow to maturity. Mr. Webb gave up the manufacture of molas- 

 ses because wc were then under the southern rule of no tariff, and foreign 

 molasses was introduced so cheaply that it would not pay to make it at 

 home. There is no necessity now to make it from cornstalks, because sor- 

 ghum is preferable. The only thing we want to know is how to keep the 

 seed pure. 



Strawberry Plants — How to Preserve Them. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — Strawberry plants sent by mail or otherwise 

 are often received in a very dry condition. If set in the earth in tliat state, 

 and watered, they will surely die. If laid upon the surface and covered 

 with damp moss, and that pressed upon them with a board for one or two 

 days, they may revive. I lately received some from Wisconsin which 

 were all apparently dead. I treated them in this way before setting them 

 in the ground, and now they are growing vigorously. If you have no moss 

 at hand, you may cover the whole plant in soil, or with almost any other 

 Bubstance, rather than to plant them in the ordinary way. 



Adjourned. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



November 1, 1864. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely fn the chair. 



Emigration to Maryland. 



A letter was read from Prof. W. Buer, Sykesville, Md., who oflbrs to 

 come here and deliver an address before the Club, giving important inform- 

 ation to those who may desire to emigrate to that State. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — I think there is no better State to emigrate to than 

 some of the counties of Maryland. Land can be purchased there at a mode- 

 rate rate in Kent, Carroll, and Baltimore counties, where I have been in 

 the habit of visiting for the past five years. A friend of mine purchased a 

 farm on which twenty acres of wheat had been planted, which yielded 

 twenty-two bushels per acre. The facilities of getting to a market are 

 easy. The quality of laud is equal to any in this State. 



