320 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
details are given. This work contains very 
many valuable hints in reference to all kinds 
of farm buildings. It is published by C. M. 
Saxton & Co. Price $1. We can procure 
a copy for anyone desiring, and send it post¬ 
paid, for $1.—Ed. 
MORE ABOUT THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE. 
Last month we alluded to our trial of this 
new plant, now generally called Sorghum 
Saccharum, or for brevity Sorghum.* 
We promised to distribute the seed among 
our subscribers, but unfortunately a part of 
the plants were killed by the severe early 
frost on Oct. 16, so that we shall have but a 
limited quantity of our own raising for dis¬ 
tribution. We expect, however, to procure a 
supply of seed from others, so as to scatter 
small samples pretty widely over the coun¬ 
try. As previously stated, we did not plant, 
until the last of May, and that on poor soil. 
Others in this latitude, who planted earlier, 
have ripened it well. 
Our correspondent I. H., (see page 325,) 
says cattle will not eat it. We do not un¬ 
derstand this. Other reports are quite to 
the contrary. The full-grown canes are 
doubtless too hard to be eaten well by cattle 
without cutting or grinding ; but one charac¬ 
teristic of thisplant. is, that if cut down when 
three or four feet in bight it will send up 
a great number of new shoots. We still 
think it will prove highly valuable to sow 
thickly for fodder. 
Will il be valuable for sugar ? 
On this point the experiments are not yet 
sufficiently numerous or definite. During 
the past month we have watched carefully 
for any new light. We now incline to the 
opinion that the Sorghum Saccharum will 
not only prove profitable for sugar-making, 
but that it will, in a measure, take the place 
of the sugar-cane itself. How far north it 
may be grown for this purpose is yet to be 
determined. 
Mr. R. Peters, of Atlanta, Geo., has ex¬ 
perimented largely the present season, and 
is so well convinced of its superiority to the 
old sugar-cane, that he intends to plant a 
large surface next season. One decided 
advantage is, that it can he raised from the 
seed in a period of less than five months, 
while double that time is required for the 
sugar-cane, which renders it very liable to 
be killed by the frost. 
We do not learn that crystalized sugar 
has yet been produced, but an excellent 
syrup or molasses has been made, and a 
method of crystalizing it will doubtless soon 
be discovered. Mr. I. H. says the juice 
emitted an offensive odor when boiling. He 
should have added a small quantity of lime, 
which would not only have prevented this 
odor, but would also have increased the 
quantity of molasses. Before another Au¬ 
tumn we shall be able to give the most ap¬ 
proved quantity of lime. 
Everything considered, we advise a pretty 
general trial of the Sorghum next season. 
The literal meaning of Sorghum Saceharum is broom- 
corn sugar-cane —the plant resembling broom-corn in ap¬ 
pearance, and sugar-cane in the sweetness of its sap or 
juice. 1 he words are pronounced sor-gum sak-ka-rum, 
both words being accented upon the first syllable. 
A small quantity of seed sown in a drill, or 
planted in hills, will require but little care or 
expense. There is no necessity for paying 
much for the seed. It is now pretty well 
scattered over the country. If we can get 
seed at any price, we shall send enough for 
trial, free of charge, to as many of our regu¬ 
lar subscribers as desire it, on their forward¬ 
ing a stamped envelope, redirected to them¬ 
selves, so that we shall only have the 
trouble of putting in the seed, sealing, and 
sending to the Post-Office. Directions for 
cultivation will be published in one of the 
Spring numbers of the Agriculturist, in time 
for planting.—[En. 
TIM BUNKER IN T TALL CLOVER. 
THE FAIR, AND HOW HE TOOK THE PRIZES. 
“ Taking in your squashes then, this 
morning, Esq. Bunker,” said Seth 
Twigs, as he looked over the garden fence, 
and saw Tim very busy. The smoke curled 
up from his pipe, and both hands were 
thrust into his waistcoat pockets, as he stood 
wtth his weight poised upon one leg, and 
both ears opened. 
“ it. is you, is it Seth,” said Tim, as he 
deposited the last squash in the basket. 
“ Did you hear how I came off at the fair 
yesterday 1” 
“ N ot exactly. I kind ’o thought it 
wouldn't be strange if them carrots of you’rn 
got a premium.” 
“Carrots, man! why I made a clean 
sweep, and got a premium on everything I 
carried. Had the grandest time, I and my 
family, ever experienced. You ought to 
have been there Mr. Twigs, to see Hooker- 
town in its glory. First, you see our town 
train was made up of seventy-one yoke of 
oxen, besides .Tim Latham’s steer train of 
five yoke, which the Committee said would 
not count. This was bigger than anything 
upon the ground, and took a prize. Then 
Deacon Smith’s fat pair of cattle, that 
weighed five thousand pounds upon the hoof, 
could not be beat. He also had some South 
Down wethers that weighed near two hund¬ 
red a piece, and were said to be the finest 
fat sheep ever exhibited in the State. 
“ But ( I was going to tell you how our 
folks come out. You see Mrs. Bunker’s big 
squash, that grew there in the carrot bed, 
beat everything in the vegetable line for size. 
There was a fellow up from Shadtown, on 
the river, that tho’t he was some punkins. 
But, la suz, Seth, his squash could not hold 
a candle to ours, by sixty weight. He said 
he manured with fish, and calculated he 
should make a clear sweep on the vegeta¬ 
bles, squashes in particular. The fellow 
got a premium on potatoes, which seemed 
to comfort him some.” 
“ Whurra for our side !” exclaimed Seth, 
swinging his beaver. 
“ But I hain’t done with the women yet. 
You see our Sally made up a batch of bread 
out of the new wheat that I raised on Stone 
Hill. It was ground over to the city, so that 
the whole stuff was Connecticut manufac¬ 
ture, from top to bottom,—wheat, flour, 
yeast, and the girl that made it. And who’d 
’a thought, Seth, that same loaf of bread 
took the premium.” 
“ Didn’t the gal blush when it was read 
off?” inquired Seth. 
“ I shouldn’t wonderif she did ; but wheth¬ 
er it was about the bread, or one of the min¬ 
isters that was on the Committee, I couldn’t 
say. They do say that the young man they 
have just settled in Shadtown, is mighty 
fond of exchanging with our man, and that 
Sally’s singing is very much to his mind. 
But that had nothing to do with the premi¬ 
um, for it never got round that the bread 
was made of Connecticut flour, until after the 
premiums were read off. Then, you see, I 
let the cat out of the bag, and told them that 
No. 5 was made out of our home-made flour 
by our Sally. 
“John’s onions, too, came out just as they 
were labeled, No. 1, and the boy has got the 
money for them in his pocket. His Bramen 
geese were the largest exhibited, and the 
white Dorkings could not be beat. You 
know our Suffolk pigs; I had them all 
washed up the day before the fair, and they 
were clean enough to go into the pork bar¬ 
rel all alive. They were the best lot exhib¬ 
ited. 
“ There was a good deal of competition on 
the vegetables. One man brought a hund¬ 
red varieties, and another ninety-one. My 
carrots were hard run, and the Committee 
declared that they were a good deal both¬ 
ered to knowhow to decide, and I guess they 
were so. But you see my star was in the 
heavens that day, and my carrots took 
the prize. That is what I call doing pretty 
well. But it isn’t a circumstance to what I 
shall do next year. I’m bound to lay my¬ 
self out at the next fair. I wish I couid get 
my American Agriculturist for the full year, 
right off, so as to have all the good hints it 
gives, before hand, to be thinking ov. But, 
hovvsumever, everything comes along about 
in its season, so I’ll keep watch of the num¬ 
bers which come the first of every month. 
I say, Seth, you must subscribe right off 
now. You needn’t wait till January, for the 
Editor has some notion of his about having 
all subscribers end with each year, and he 
says all new subscribers who begin now will 
be charged nothing for the November and 
December numbers. That’ll be so much 
clear gain. Why, I wouldn’t take a dollar 
for them two numbers alone.” 
AGRICULTURAL SHOWS FOR 1857. 
The Agricultural Shows and the “ Agri¬ 
cultural ” Horse-races are nearly over for 
the season. We are advised of only three 
yet to be held, viz.: the State Exhibition of 
Alabama, at Montgomery, Nov. 11th to 14th ; 
of South Carolina, at Columbia, Nov. 11th to 
15th ; and of S. C. Institute, at Charles¬ 
ton, Nov. 17th to 22d. 
American Herd Book, Vol. III.—Those 
who have addressed inquiries to us, are in¬ 
formed that it is proposed to issue the 3d 
Volume, May 1st, 1857. All pedigrees to be 
entered must be sent in before Dec. 1st, 
1856. A circular giving full particulars can 
be obtained by addressing the editor —Lewis 
F. Ai.len, at Black Rock, Erie Co., N. Y. 
