AMJERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
8 
THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE- 
' DISTRIBUTION OF SEED, ETC. 
A telegraphic dispatch from Washington 
this morning (December 26) states that: 
The Commissioner of Patents is now sending 
to the State Agricultural Societies a parcel of 
Chinese sugar cane seed, raised under the direct 
supervision of the Patent Office, sufficient to 
plant sixteen acres, with a view of extending the 
culture of this plant. It has, since its introduc¬ 
tion into this country, proved itself well adapted 
to our geographical range of Indian corn. It is 
of easy culture, being similar to that of maize or 
broom corn, but will prosper in a much poorer 
soil. A correspondent, writing to the Commis¬ 
sioner, speaks of the extraordinary richness and 
delicious flavor of the milk of cows which had 
been fed on that description of food 
One sentence in the above is ambiguous ; 
is there to be only seed enough distributed 
to plant sixteen acres in all 1 or is there to 
be that quantity sent to each society 1 If 
the former be the case, we are rather ahead 
of Uncle Sam in this enterprise, as we were 
first in the field, and we shall distribute free 
among our subscribers alone, enough to 
plant more than one hundred acres. We sup¬ 
pose, however, the Commissioner will be 
able to furnish at least enough for sixteen 
acres to each State, and we are glad that 
this is the case. We wish to see a thorough 
and general trial made of this plant, without 
any such impositions upon farmers as have 
been practised by the introducers of some 
new things in years past. 
Although we have really high hopes of the 
Ch«nese sugar cane, we frankly confess that 
we are not so confident in our opinion, as to 
recommend our readers to enter largely into 
its culture before the results of another year 
are known. Wc have on our desk some 
samples of syrup made from the plant in 
Georgia, and also on Long Island, N. Y. 
That made on Long Island has been pro¬ 
nounced by many persons who have tasted 
it, as fully equal to maple molasses, and yet 
it was manufactured by those knowing little 
or nothing of sugar-making. The juice was 
pressed from the stalks witli two rude 
wooden rollers, and then boiled down in a 
brass kettle; the large quantity obtained 
is quite surprising. Our own experiments 
have been already briefly described. Mr. 
Peters, of Atlanta, Georgia, who experi¬ 
mented so largely, wrote us recently that 
we could not say too much in its favor. 
Many others in different parts of the country 
tell us the same story. Several persons say 
that cattle, and especially swine, eat the 
plant at ajj stages of growth with great 
eagerness. W T e kept our own plants for 
seed, and to give away as specimens of the 
stalks, and did not try them for feeding. 
On the contrary, however, a few intelli¬ 
gent persons assure us that their cattle 
would not eat the stalks at any stage of 
growth, though the leaves have been greed¬ 
ily devoured. If only the leaves will be 
eaten, the plant will not be so valuable for 
fodder. We trust there is some mistake on 
this point with those who have not found it 
relished by cattle, as their experience has 
been different from that of many others. 
Everything considered, we advise all who 
can to try a small plot next season, even as 
far north as Canada East. A few square 
rods, planted at the same time, and culti¬ 
vated like corn, will involve very little ex¬ 
pense. It will be an interesting experiment, 
at least, and will furnish abundant seed for 
another season, should it be wanted. 
We have already secured a large amount 
of seed, and are getting new supplies. Two 
packages are on the way from Europe, 
which we shall receive this month, if they 
meet with no accident. We can certainly 
distribute some two hundred seeds (free) to 
all subscribers to the Agriculturist who de¬ 
sire it, and who will furnish a stamped and 
directed envelop to send it in; and perhaps 
we can increase the amount to three or four 
hundred seeds. 
time of distribution. 
We intended to send the seed out early in 
January, but it will take considerable time 
and extra labor to put up all the parcels now 
applied for; and as we are waiting to make 
the amount as large as possible, it may be 
six or eight weeks before we get through 
with the entire distribution. Those expect¬ 
ing seed, and not receiving it before, say the 
end of February, may conclude there has 
been some miscarriage by mail, and they 
will then please write us again, as we shall 
keep some extra parcels for such cases.— 
Ed. __ 
HOW TO GET CHEAP TURNIPS. 
Turnips are coming more and more into 
use among us for feeding stock, and it be¬ 
comes a question how to produce them at 
the least cost. Even the white fleshed field 
turnips are valuable for feeding in early 
winter, and a good stock of them judiciously 
fed, tells a good story either in the milk pail 
or the beef barrel. 
We tried an experiment with the cow-horn 
turnip, as a second crop after corn, the past 
summer. The corn consisted of about one 
acre, had been manured with fish applied to 
the growing crop in June, and yielded about 
sixty bushels to the acre. The soil was in 
good heart, but not highly manured. The 
seed was sown at the last hoeing, early in 
August. As the ground was shaded by the 
corn the turnip seed came up well, and the 
young plants made good progress even in 
dry weather. About the middle of Septem¬ 
ber the corn was cut up by the roots and put 
in shocks. The turnips having the full advan¬ 
tage of the sun came on rapidly,and by the mid¬ 
dle of October had made roots two or three 
inches in diameter and a foot in length. We 
thinned out the field, taking off about fifty 
bushels, and had a final gathering the last of 
November of over fifty bushels more. The 
whole expense of raising these roots was 
the harvesting, which we estimate at four 
dollars. 
Turnips at four cents a bushel are a cheap 
fodder. The seed sowing was trusted to an 
inexperienced hand, or the yield would have 
been much larger. Full one third of the 
field was vacant. We think this the cheap¬ 
est method of raising turnips, and purpose to 
follow it up until we find a better.— [Ed. 
Have important papers all together, where 
you can lay your hands upon them at once 
in case of fire. 
HAMS-PICK LEOR BRINE FOR. 
We have made several inquiries for the 
best pickle for hams. The following two 
have been long used, and so far as we can 
learn have given very good satisfaction. The 
first is called the 
KNICKERBOCKER PICKLE. 
6 gallons of water, 
9 pounds salt, coarse and fine, 
3 pounds brown sugar, 
3 ounces saltpetre, 
1 ounce pearlash, 
1 quart molasses. 
Boil the whole together and skim. 
After the hams are taken out in cutting up 
the hog, rub them over with fine salt, whec 
they may lay a day or two in cold weather 
if more convenient. Then pack them close¬ 
ly in a barrel or cask, and fill with the brine 
which may be used hot or cold, taking care 
to keep the hams entirely covered with it. 
Pickle No. 2.—A Long Island farmer of 
our acquaintance, who kills a large number 
of hogs, and whose hams are highly prized 
by epicures in this city, uses the following 
pickle : 
8 gallons of water, 
12 pounds of salt, coarse and fine, 
3 pounds of brown sugar, 
4 ounces of saltpetre, 
H ounces of pearlash, 
1 quart of molasses. 
We like the addition of the pearlash. Soda 
would do just as well we suppose, as the 
presence of a free alkali will neutralize any 
acidity, (souring.) The second pickle is to 
be used in the same manner as the first. 
The hams are usually left in either of the 
above pickles for about four weeks before 
removing to the smoke-house.—E d 
PO OR EG GS. ~ 
There is considerable complaint at this 
season, and will doubtless be still more a 
few weeks later, of the poor quality of eggs 
which have been preserved in lime or pick- 
led. A housekeeper lays her complaint be¬ 
fore us, and says that she paid four shillings 
for sixteen eggs, and only nine of them 
proved to be sound. We cannot help her 
out of the difficulty, further than to tell her 
and others that is a very easy matter to test 
the goodness of eggs. Take them to a mo¬ 
derately dark place, and hold them between 
the eye and a candle or lamp. If the egg is 
good—that is, if the albumen is still unaf¬ 
fected—the light will shine through with a 
reddish glow, while if the egg is affected, it 
will be opaque or dark. A few trials will 
show any one the ease and simplicity of this 
method. In Fulton and Washington mark¬ 
ets a man may he seen testing eggs at al¬ 
most any time of the year. He has a tallow 
candle placed under a counter or desk, and 
taking up the eggs, three in each hand, 
passes them rapidly before the candle, and 
deposits them in another box. His practiced 
eye quickly perceives the least want of 
clearness in the eggs, and suspicious ones 
are re-examined and thrown away, or passed 
to a “ doubtful” box. The process is so 
rapid, that we have seen eggs inspected per¬ 
fectly at the rate of one to two hundred per 
minute, or as fast as they could be shifted 
from one box to another, six at a time.— [Ed 
