EXPERIENCE IN SORGHUM AND IMPIIEE. 
409 
EXPERIENCE IN SORGHUM AND IMPHEE. 
BY J. C. PLUMB. 
Dr. J. W. Hoyt, 
Secretary Wisconsin State Agricultural Society: 
Dear Sir :—According to your request, I herewith submit 
a brief statement of my experience in Sorgho and Imphee 
raising and manufacture during the past year. 
Planted the 27th and 28th of May, on a vacant portion of 
our u ’76 nursery ” grounds; being the crown of a prairie 
ridge, sixty feet above water, underlaid by lime rock ; one 
acre of Imphee and tw r o of Sorghum ; seed from the south ; 
one pound per acre. Only about one-fourth grew ; cause, bad 
planting and unfavorable weather. Rows about two and a half 
by four feet ; well cultivated through the season. June frosts 
nipped it slightly ; those of July, August and September did 
not reach it. It stood green and fine at the time of the Fair 
at Milwaukee, at which we exhibited a quantity of the Imphee, 
as your committee doubtless have noticed. 
Early in October, about one-fourth was stripped, standing 
in the field, without visible effect upon the character of the 
syrup ; and soon after the' whole was cut and placed in broad 
piles of a wagon-load each on the ground, and well covered 
with straw, also a layer of straw underneath ; this simply to 
prevent the action of frost and dews. 
The 25th to 28th of October we made up nearly one-half of 
the canes ; found the Imphee canes with richer juice and bet¬ 
ter flavor than the Sorgho ; having less of the raw vegetable 
taste ; but yielding less sweet per acre. The canes are short, 
and the sheath around the joints possesses a coloring mat¬ 
ter which renders the syrup of a dark color, unless stripped 
early, and thoroughly done. 
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