1862. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER. 



81 



The State Sorghura Convention. — In 

 Session at Joliet. 



The State Convention of Sorghum growers 

 and manufacturers was held at Joliet on the 12th 

 inst., pursuant to a call made by a committee 

 appointed for that purpose. There was a hand- 

 some attendance, and much interest manifested 

 in the proceedings. 



ORGANIZATION. 



The Convention was organized by the choice of 

 Dr. Ira Knapp, of Channahon, as President, and 

 Lyman Meacham, of DuPage, as Secretary. 



BEST METHOD OF SaVING SEED. 



Mr. Meacham, of DuPage, stated that he has 

 raised the cane for four years. He cuts the tops 

 oflF some 12 or 15 inches, and lays them in the 

 sun, or where the air will have free access; they 

 must not be allowed to mold. He has had no 

 trouble with his seed, if treated in this manner. 



Mr. Knapp considered it as easy to save sor- 

 ghum as broom corn seed, and advised the use 

 of the same means as the preceding speaker. 



Mr. Shoemaker goes through the field, and 

 selects the ripest seed, adopting the same gen 

 era! method of curing as that of the last speaker. 



Mr. Brandon had had some trouble in saving 

 seed. He first saved it in too large bunches, 

 and he found that in the centre of the bundle 

 the seed was moldy and did not come up. He 

 advised that it be hung in small bunches where 

 there was free access to the sun and air. 



Mr. Reed had raised cane for four years, and 

 saved seed for that time with uniform success. 

 He cuts off the top of the cane, and spreads it 

 on the field till it becomes wilted, then hangs it 

 in bundle"' in the sun until it becomes perfectly 

 dry, and then separates the seed from the stalk, 

 and heads it up in a flour barrel He has al- 

 ways succeeded in saving seed that is sure to 

 come up. The seed is a hardy one, and is not 

 affected by dew or rain; nothing but frost in- 

 jures it. 



Mr. Tate states that he cut the seed when 

 black, and hung it up in the sun and air. The 

 seed was fully ripe. 



Mr. Eeed said that a kind of green mold would 

 sometimes, unaccountable, collect on it. When 

 this was present the seed would not come up. 

 A brown mold would not injure its vitality. 



DETEBIOBATIOK OF SEED. 



Mr. Hale bad discovered that the cane was de- 

 teriorated from the admixture of broom corn. 

 His experience was that it would hybridize. 



Mr. Beed thought thought that the seed would 

 80 far change as to lose its saccharine qualities. 

 The deterioated cane ripens earlier than the pure 

 cane, although he does not consider this an evi- 

 dence of deterioration. His experience was that 

 hybridization would result from planting near 

 broom corn. Planting near Indian corn did not 

 affect the quality, neither did the coffee corn, as 

 they were out of flower before the sorghum. He 



advised the planting of the best seed, but thought 

 that there was no necessity of importing seed 

 from Algeria or elsewhere. Sorghum and imphee 

 should not be allowed to mix, the result would 

 be disastrous, where the mixture prevails, hy- 

 bridation is effected — there is a great falling off 

 in the quantity and quality of the product. 



Da. Knapp planted the seed in a dozen hills 

 five years since, and saved the seed, which plant- 

 ed an acre. He found in the field four or five 

 stalks altogether different from the rest of 

 tLe field; the stalk was tasteless, and en- 

 tirely free from saccharine matter. He selected 

 his seed from stalks standing far distant from 

 that, and had had no deterioration of seed since. 



PREPAKATION OF SEED FOB PLANTING. 



Mr. Reed stated that he never soaked sefd, 

 or prepared it in any other manner. He only 

 planted it and it came up readily. 



Mr. Meacham soaked his seed in water and in 

 chloride of lime, with gratifying results; he 

 thought that it would hasten its germinating 

 qualities, but found he was deceived. 



Mr. Hill was opposed to soaking seed when 

 the ground is warm and dry, or warm and wet; 

 when cold and wet he wouM advise soaking; he 

 believed whatever hastened the growth was de- 

 sirable; one of his neighbors soaked his seed in 

 copperas and chloride of lime with good results. 



Mr. Shoemaker soaked his seed last year in 

 warm water for three days, then planted, and in 

 five c'ays the corn was above ground from one 

 end of the field to the other; his experience was 

 that growers geoerally plant too deep; when he 

 planted the seed dry he did not succeed so favor- 

 ably. 



Mr. Reed had planted seed two years old, and 

 it germinated properly. 



Mr. Hills had planted seed three years old, 

 which came up well. 



Mr. Young planted old and new seed, and 

 found that, of the older, almost every kernel 

 germinated, 



[We think much of the difficulty with the wan 

 of a good stand is too deep planting; plant shal- 

 low and roll the land, and if the seed is good it 

 win come up, but we know from exper tnce that 

 the best of seed deeply planted will n it germi- 

 nate.] 



PEBPABATIOK OF SOIL. 



Mr. Hills thought that everything depended 

 upon the preparation of the soil; the roots ex- 

 tend deeply into the soil, and the ground should 

 be finely comminuted, so that there shall be no 

 obstruction to the passage. 



Mr. Enapp had learned that the great trouble 

 relative to the germination of the seed arose 

 from the indifferent manner in which the soil was 

 prepared; his experience was that the land should 



be deeply plowed six months in advance the 



later m the fall the better, because the soil pul- 

 verizes more readily from the late plowing; and 

 in the spring, as soon as the frost is out of the 

 ground, he advised to cultivate and break np 



