270 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Out Western Jaunt. 
It is our aim to devote the mid-summer sea¬ 
son of every alternate year, to a tour of observa¬ 
tion through the western or mid-western divis¬ 
ion of the great Agriculturist Parish, which 
extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This 
year we went on our fifth western trip, out 
through New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Central 
Ohio, and Indiana, into Illinois and Iowa, and 
returned through Michigan, Northern Ohio, and 
New-York, making occasional stops, going and 
returning. (In these trips we generally ride 
only in the day time, and usually arrange to se¬ 
cure a position in the center of the baggage 
cars of the railway trains, because the wide 
doors give an unobstructed view of the country 
on either side, and we there have the company 
of local employees of the roads, who are able to 
point out objects of interest, and to give much 
general information. In this way we see much 
of the face of the country, the style of culture, 
the condition of the crops, etc. Indeed, were 
we not to stop at all, but travel thus for 3000 
to 5000 miles, we should consider the time well 
spent).—Our main object, this year, was to 
study prairie farming, especially in Illinois and 
Iowa, which are par excellence the prairie States. 
We stopped at some twenty to twenty-five lo¬ 
calities, and from observation, and conversation 
with practical men, gathered a large amount of 
information. It would be impossible to give a 
minute journal of what we saw, heard, and 
learned—as some may expect—a large volume 
would be needed. Sundry items will appear 
in this and other numbers, and we hope our 
western readers will find us still better prepared 
to supply a journal specially adapted to their 
wants, so far as there is any specific difference 
in the modes of cultivation East and West. 
Beet Sugar—Important Experiments. 
Much has been said and written upon the 
question of making sugar from beets, in this 
country. Many journals have urged the culture 
of the Sugar Beet here, claiming that it must 
be extremely profitable, because it has paid well 
in Europe, where the manufactured product is 
subjected to a high tax. We have been censured 
for refusing to admit into the columns of the 
American Agriculturist essays from those who are 
enthusiastic on the topic. The ground we have 
taken, has been, that there have not been suffi¬ 
cient experiments to demonstrate the practica¬ 
bility of manufacturing beet sugar to compete 
with the cheaper grown cane sugars of the 
Southern States and West Indies. That sugar 
can be made from beets in our climate, has been 
proved by experiments on a limited scale, with 
imperfect apparatus, but it is still a question 
whether the soil, climate, and system of labor 
in the Northern States, will enable us to prac¬ 
tice the European methods with success. We 
are happy to chronicle the fact that at one point, 
at least, experiments on a large scale, with the 
best apparatus, are being carried on the present 
year. Last month we made a trip of a hundred 
miles out of our course, to see the establish¬ 
ment referred to, at Chatsworth, Illinois, a new 
town on the Logansport, Peoria, and Burlington 
Railroad, some fifteen miles west of Gilman Sta¬ 
tion on the Illinois Central Railroad. At this 
point (Chatsworth), Messrs. Gennert Brothers, 
(of 142 Center-st., N. Y. City,) have planted be¬ 
tween one and two hundred acres of Sugar Beet, 
and are putting up a large complete building, 
with steam engines, evaporators, and other ap¬ 
paratus, of the most improved and expensive 
character to be found in Europe. The Manu¬ 
factory is in such a state of forwardness that 
it will be ready for the growing crop. We re¬ 
gard this as one of the most important agricul¬ 
tural enterprises of the day, and too much cred¬ 
it can not be given to the Messrs. Gennert, for 
taking hold of the subject in the way they have. 
It is wholly an experiment, and if successful 
will be of immense benefit to the whole country, 
for the manufacture of beet sugar will at once 
be gone into generally; while if it prove a fail¬ 
ure, they and they alone will bear the loss, 
which must amount to forty or fifty thousand 
dollars at least. We made our visit unsolicited, 
and unexpectedly to the proprietors, and we 
found them rather disposed to keep the matter 
quiet, but we think the country should know 
what is being done, and that the Brothers Gen¬ 
nert should have the credit of the enterprise, 
which will be equally creditable to them, wheth¬ 
er a success or a failure. We wish them the 
largest success and profit in the undertaking. 
Until we have the result, it is not important to 
describe particularly, either the manufactory, 
or the process of growing and manufacturing 
the roots. If successful, we shall take the ear¬ 
liest opportunity of placing the whole matter 
before our readers.—At the time of our visit 
(July 24,) the long continued drouth was likely 
to greatly injure the growing beets, and it was 
feared that another week of such weather 
would destroy them for the season. As a heavy 
rain came on before we were twenty minutes 
away, we trust the feared calamity was averted. 
--— -——>- - 
Sorghum. 
A BIT OF HISTORY. 
Seven years ago (1850) we raised our first plot 
of Sorghum, or “New Chinese Sugar Cane,” as 
it was popularly called. We published an ac¬ 
count of it, describing it as promising well, and 
recommending our readers to try a little garden 
plot, to see how and where it would grow, and 
offered free to our readers all the seed we had 
grown and could procure—a little parcel to 
each—but cautioned all against going into its 
culture extensively, even if seed could be pro¬ 
cured, until its merits and demerits were better 
known. Shortly after, a stranger called and of¬ 
fered us half a dollar an ounce for all the seed we 
had, which was refused as it had been promised 
to our readers. On further inquiry we gleaned 
from him that there was such a rage for the seed 
at the West, that he could divide an ounce into 
a dozen parcels and sell them at $1 each. We 
immediately set about procuring, direct and indi¬ 
rect, all the seed we could obtain in France and 
Algeria, where alone it had been cultivated to 
a moderate degree. Several lots, of 100 to 300 
lbs.,were secured, and we commenced scattering 
it free among our readers all over the country. 
Six thousand parcels were sent to Illinois alone. 
Some of our cotemporaries cried out “humbug.” 
But as we then answered, where was the hum¬ 
bug when we gave away all the seed, and speci¬ 
ally advised our readers to try it only on a small 
scale?—The seed thus sent out was grown and 
propagated by twenty to twenty-five thousaud 
persons; and it is not claiming anything too 
much to assert that three-fourths, if not seven- 
eighths, of all the sorghum now grown in this 
country has come from the seed thus sent out 
free from the Office of the American Agriculturist. 
Of the advantage to the country, let the tens of 
millions of gallons of good syrup produced last 
year, and to be produced this year, bear witness. 
[September, 
SORGHUM GROWING IN IOWA. 
During our recent visit in Iowa, we found that 
a large proportion of the families in that State 
depended mainly upon home-produced sorghum 
syrup for family sweetening. A little sugar is 
used for tea, but even tea, and especially coffee, 
is frequently sweetened with syrup, owing to 
the scarcity and high price of sugar. The sor¬ 
ghum syrup is a common article of sale at the 
stores. We saw sorghum mills, generally home¬ 
made with wooden rollers, in almost every part 
of Iowa visited, and very frequently in Illinois. 
In Iowa, there will, perhaps, be not much more 
grown this year than last; the opinion seemed 
to be that it would pay to grow enough for 
home use, but not to produce it for export, ex¬ 
cept when done on a large scale with improved 
apparatus. We saw hundreds of small plots, 
of i to 11 acres, and occasionally a large field. 
The growth and manufacture of sorghum on a 
large scale is in progress in several localities in 
Illinois and Ohio, and somewhat in Indiana. 
400 ACRES OF SORGHUM. 
Near Utica, Illinois, on the Chicago and Rock 
Island Railroad, we saw a plot of about 400 
acres of sorghum, which is being grown for 
special experiments, by Mr. Belcher, the great 
sugar refiner of Chicago. We called upon Mr. 
B. in Chicago, and learned from him that he in¬ 
tends to boil down the juice to syrup, and 
then transport it to his Refinery in the city, and 
operate further upon it. After learning his 
plans and views we concluded that his experi¬ 
ments will be of special value to the public, and 
perhaps result in settling the question whether 
good grained sugar can be profitably produced 
from sorghum. Mr. Belcher has refined many 
thousands of gallons of the syrup during a year 
or two past, and has contracted for a large 
amount this year. He promised to give us 
the results of this year’s operations, especially in 
his experiments with the 400 acre plot. In this 
line, he is doing for the public what the Broth¬ 
ers Gennert are, in the matter of Beet Sugar. 
--— •————. o--- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
The Autumn Exhibitions. 
The time is just at hand for our great annual 
agricultural shows. We hail their return—not 
because we think them unmixed with evils, or 
beyond improvement, but because of the many 
good influences attending them. Their social 
influence is not to be undervalued. They bring 
together old friends, and lead to the forming of 
new acquaintances ; they call out all classes and 
ages from different communities, and bring them 
together on terms of equality and good feeling. 
We, hard-working, care-worn Americans, give 
none too much time to such social gatherings. 
And then they appeal happily to the public 
taste. One can hardly spend a day more profit¬ 
ably and enjoyably than by attending a well- 
conducted Fair. It would be strange if he did 
not see or hear something new. No gardener 
possesses all knowledge respecting vegetables, 
fruits and flowers. No one farmer knows all 
possible things concerning stock, grains, grasses, 
farm implements, and the numerous processes 
of husbandry. Then, too, the ingenuity of the 
ladies is always bringing out some new display 
of handy-work which attracts large admiration. 
And, beside these, there are numerous articles 
of the fancy sort, which please and instruct 
beholders. We are not altogether inexperienced 
in Fairs, yet we never attend one without learn¬ 
ing something new. And we always see young 
