GENERAL REPORT. 
35 
SORGHUM CULTURE, 
Whicli commenced in Wisconsin, as an experiment, in the 
year 1857, grew rapidly in favor for a time and became so gen¬ 
eral during the period of the war and the two years succeeding 
as even to awaken in the minds of the more sanguine the be¬ 
lief that it was to become an important staple crop. Accord¬ 
ing to the veiy incomplete returns made to the Secretary of 
State for the yt‘ars 1860, I 860 and 1866, respectively, the acre¬ 
age and prod net were as follows: 
I860, 1865. 1866. 
Acres plantexl. 314 1,736 3,486 
Gallons of Syrup. 61,085 138,607 403,952 
V^ilue of product. $21,000 $161,345 $331,834 
It is safe to assume that in 1866 the value of the product 
considerably exceeded half a million of dollars. It was in 
this year that the sorghum fever reached its hight. At that 
time hundreds of fields in every section of the State greeted 
the eye of the traveler with the pleasing spectacle of this lux¬ 
uriant crop, lifting its millions of plume-like panicles rejoicing¬ 
ly in the autumn sun. On every hand groaned and creaked 
the crowded mill, and upward curled the cloud of vapor and 
smoke as incense to Ceres for this, her latest and most wonder¬ 
ful gift. Scores of inventors spent sleepless nights and se¬ 
cluded days in contriving ‘‘ excelsior ” and “ climax ” machin¬ 
ery. Foundries and factories roared and thundered in their 
efforts to supply the growing demand. Proprietors and agents 
clamored at all the State and County Fairs with proof undeni¬ 
able of the superiority of their respective patents, until “ Camp 
Sorghum ” became a very bedlam, and awarding committees 
were pressed to the verge of insanity. 
Thus the stir and strife continued, so long as Southern and 
foreign sugars stood at 25 to 85 cents per pound, and syrups 
at $ 1.00 to $1.50 per gallon—so long as there was a firm belief 
in the adaptation of both Sorghum and Imphee to our climate 
—while there was a prospect of the immediate establishment 
of refineries for improving the flavor of the molasses—so long 
as annually new and surprisingly cheap processes for the man- 
