S ( ) U T \ ] i: R N C T; T. T T V A T () R . 
Mr. Wray laid Ijefore the Club several samples of sugar 
which he had obtained by boiling in a common iron pot. 
The crystals are clear and perfect. One sample resembles 
dried maple sugar, and is not dissimilar to it in taste. It 
is not purged of the molasses, because Mr. Wray desired 
to prove that the syrups of the Imphui, or Sorgho, arc not 
of unpleasant flavor. Another sample resenibies good 
clayed Haxano,, and is fully equal to what I am now using 
at 12 cents per pound, wholesale. 
Of his sixteen varieties, four will ripen in 00 days, and 
are, therefore, suited to our own latitude, and that of Cana- 
da, whilst others, amongst which i.s the gigantic Virn-bfs- 
chu-a-pa, require four and five months. The Northern 
varieties are called, in the Kaffir tongue: 
Nee-a-za-na, Boom-ve-va-na, 
Oorn-se-a-na, Shla-goo-va. 
The Southern varieties are ; 
Sh la-goon-dee, Zim-rnoo-rna-na, 
Vim-bis-chu a-pa, Zirn-ba za-na, 
E-a-na-moo-dee, E-both-la, 
E-thlo-sa, Boo-es-a-na, 
En-za-ma, Koorn-ba-na, 
See-en-gla-na, E-en-gha. 
The juice resulting from them is more limpid than those * 
I from the Sorgho, more free from mucilage or mere extrac- 
I tive matter, and more prone to crystalize ; but yet Mr. 
Wray says there is not the slightest difficulty in securing 
the granulation of Sorgho juice by following his process. 
He claims that he can make as much sugar from the InipJiyee 
as from the Louisiana Cane, and equally good. i 
He likewise exhibited a bottle of alcohol from Sorgho 
juice, as pure, I think, as any I ever sav/. It was sostrong 
that on shaking it in the bottle a beoA could not be raised 
on the surface. This alcohol was manufactured at Hyer- 
es, France, by Mr. Wray's partner, the celebrated Count 
de Beauregard. Turrel, in his Report to Marshall Var- 
iant, says that the Count sold .Sorgho alcohols on the 
Marseilles Exchange, at the ordinary price of other alco- 
hols, and until he made it known, without awakening a 
suspicion as to their origin. 
Mr. Wray is of opinion that the Chinese Sorgho will 
make more alcohol than his Afiican Impluicr,, but the latter j 
v/ill posses.? an advantage in the production of sugar. 
He remains in New York but a day or two and will 
then turn his face towards your ov/n State and South 
Carolina, where you will become fully acquainted v/ith 
him. 
I have recently visited a number of our Northern States 
and have everywhere found the merits of the Sorgho ac- 
tively canvassed. Two firms in Boston have each im- 
poried oter « hr/t of seed. Thorburn, in New York, has 
done likewise, and it is a matter of sor^e difficulty to find 
a .Seed Store or Agricultural Warehouse unsupplied, I do * 
not think it would be an exaggeration to say that fifty 
thousand acres of it will be planted this season, and its 
capacities for sugar, alcohol, stock feeding, etc., will be | 
fully tested. Our ingenious mechanics are astir. I have 
recently seen three mills, by as many different rnanufac- 
turers At the meeting of our Club yesterday, Mr. Hodge.s 
of Philadelphia, exhibited a cut of a mill recently invented 
by him tor crushing Sorgho. It consists of three iron 
rolle.cs, placed vertically, one of which is fast to a beam 
anchored in the ground, the other two are attached to a 
platform and v/ith it revolve about the third rollers. He 
has just exhibited at the Washington Fair, and obtained : 
a medal Something should be invented in season for the 
fall crop better than the wooden roller mill used here- 
tofore, and less expensive than the large apparatus of the i 
plantation. 
A suitable premium for one will be offered at the United 
States Agricultural Society’s Fair, and from present indi- 
cations, 1 should judge we will have several competitors. | 
J4.^ 
With an apology for the length of my communication, 
caused by much personal interest and tlie confidence of 
sympathy on your part, and in the hope of u realization 
of all the flattering promise now giveti by the Sorgho, 
I am, dear sir, very respectfidly yours, 
U S. Ot.cor;-. 
\Vi:Jf‘kc:dcr r'ar'nt School, Ml. Vent, a a, ,V, V., 1^.07. 
AM» (tlllHS’ K<»TAKA 
IfeiKU'f of .Ur. tCnhr.. NoJkou. 
Editors Sol'tfibrn Ct i.TivATOR — ! have caicfuUy eg • , 
arnined and worked “• vl apes’ and Cibb^’ Rotarv Digger/’ 
sent me for trial, and l) 0 g leave to say, thar. in all Cf-sential' 
points, 1 coincide with tlie lb- port of oho “Beecli Island 
Farmers’ Club,” jmblislied in your .^pril :i'n.'iljer. In the 
report of the Northern Committee it is pointed out as ar 
advantage, ‘‘that the lower portion of the stnl Isdisturhed, 
without being elevated or mixed with tixi iiurface,” Thii; 
I must consider a decided disadvanloy/i. As far as i 
understand the principles of working the soil, 1 consider 
it a very essential point for tlie improvement of the land 
to have the surface turned over, so as to cover up all 
vegetable matter growing on if, and also to have some 
of the sub.soil turned up and mixed with the surface. Thus 
according to my experience, is the true principle in im- 
proving land. “Mapes’ and Gibbs’ Rotary Digger” dees 
not accomplish either desideratum. It acts precisely like 
a rnole, leaving all weeds and trash on the surface, and the 
soil is thus unfit for any seed to be put into it, as the 
weeds unquestionably will overtake the crop. Beside.s, 
the implement is very heavy and complicated and 1 can- 
not consider it but a clumsy curiosity, unfit for any prac- 
tical purpose. IlonKFiT Nf'f.son. 
Augusta, Ga., Ayril, 
FIAIATINC; 
Edftors SouTii.BRN Cultjvator — A Iravelllrig irian Lao 
alv/ays .something to tell, and having been much of a 
traveller during the earlier part of my life, 1 arn now 
travelling my life over again atrtbe fireside, fcorne topics 
often occur to my mind, and if you think that the 
following lines might be acceptable or useful to your 
reader.s, you may perhaps, sometime or other give them a. 
place in your valuable periodical. 
Travelling once through Hungary. I came to Pestii, tlcc 
capital of that fertile country. It i.. situated on the lew 
and sandy shores of the Danube, River which is there 
about half a mile v/ide, with a very sluggish curre.nt. 
I'iiere being no suitable localities for procuring a fall & 
v/'d-Uirfor mills, the inhabitants have re,sortfcd to “Floating 
Mills.” 
It looks, indeed, very strange to the traveller to .see mere 
than thirty of such mills, floating on the v/ater; and a , 
the arrangement is so exceedingly simple, and may Oc n: 
some uee to persons V/ ho are living near a river. I -.rh 
describe them in a fev/ v/ords. 'i'.he mill consioUi c' 
two flats laying at anchor out in the stream, about 10 fi. .r 
from each other. On one of the flats (the larger of m e 
tv/o; the whole, and excceediogly econorriicaily put ■ ■ 
grinding concern, is to be found ; between both flats tr.s 
large wheel is v/orking, and the secxind flat (a .urnuLie,; 
one; serve.'; merely for a support for the other end of the 
axel of the wheel. '^I'he v/hee! itself is about 10 feet v/id-^ 
each of the paddles consisting of a board 1 0 feet lofig 
which is the v/idih of the v/neeL There it lays, v/orkir.g 
by the tide or flov/ of tliC stream slov/ly, but constantly; 
day and night. The stand of the v/ater has nothing to do 
with it, for, laying at anchor, it v/ill rise and fall with the 
tide. By a .simple bridge or canoe it has communicatio.’' 
v/ith the shore, and i.s perfectly moveable. 
This is certainly a very easy and cheap use of v./tc.;* 
