THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



adapted to the military rifle, will continue to
burn for ten minutes, with an intense flame
which cannot be extinguished with water."
Such are the descriptions of the modern in-
cendiary shells called by some persons "Greek
Fire.' As phosphorus was U'nknown to the
ancient Greeks, of course it is sheer nonsense
to credit them with the invention of this fire.
Thus far such incendiary shells seem to have
caused but little mischief. An officer of the
United States artillery recently informed us
that he had made experiments and found them
of no utility, owing to the inflammable liquid
being so scattered when the shells burst. Ile
believed that if a considerable quantity of
the inflammable liquid could be held together
and thrown into one place, it would prove de-
structive, but this could not be effected with
any of the incendiary shells which he had
tried. For producing destructive results by
setting wooden vessels, buildings and other
combustible materials on fire, red-hot shot is
more to be depended upon than liquid fire-
shells.  The modern method of producing
such shot is to fill shells with molten iron,
then fire them from guns. A small cupola
has been put upon one of the English iron-
clads for melting pig iron, thus to fill shells;
but against armor-clad vessels, of course,
such shot would be useless, as they would
spatter azainst iron plates like balls of clay.
-Scientific American.



     MI SCELLA N EOU S.

          Sorghmn the Past Season.

  Ma. EDITOR. -As many are enquiring about
the results of Sorghum-growing the past
frost season. and inasmuch as I nni meetine



and conversing with many in the course of
my business who have been engaged in its
cultivation and manufacture more or less ex-
tensively, allow me to talk a little upon the
subject in this, your closing number for the
year.
  The amount of Sorghum that was grown
and manufactured in Illinois and Iowa du-
ring the season of 1862, and the handsome
profit it yielded those who managed well, to-
gether with the general awakening upon the
subject, induced our farmers to plant much
more the last spring than hitherto, and but
for the peculiarly dry, bad, early season, and
more frosty late season, large crops of it
would have been grown and handsome re-
sults been realized by the cultivation.
  ThRl,: OR -raIv nrn-A h- th. fear -h. nlant -



ed properly for a dry season, and upon suffi-
ciently elevated lands to mainly escape the
frosts. Among the many, we know a num-
ber of such, who have grown good crops, and
obtained handsome yields of excellent syrup
from the same.
  One gentleman in this vicinity, informed
us, that he obtained over two hundred gallons
to the acre, of very thick and superior syrup.
We have also heard of several others whodid
as well.
  Over Two Thousand Gallons have been made
by another farmer near this city, from his
own and his neighbor's cane, and all of it,
except a couple of barrels made in the first
start, we are assured is of the very finest qual-
ity; a sample of it we have seen we know is,
in fact it is one of the best samples we have
ever seen.  We understand the gentleman,
that much of it was made from quite inferior
cane; but that he had no trouble in making
a good article from it, and that he has readi-
ly marketed all his syrup at an average of six
shillings per gallon. He states that he was
occupied a little lesa than a month, in the entire
operation, though running but a small set of
apparatus; and that it paid him very hand-
somely indeed. He thinks he shall secure the
planting of one hundred acres in his neigh-
borhood next season, feeling that it will be but



little more personal trouble to him to make
from ten to fifteen thousand gallons than two
or three thousand, only requiring a little
heavier machinery and a few additional
hands. He is the man that can do it here if
he tries. But as he has promised to get up a
statement of his operations, for publication,
I will not refer further to the matter myself,
except to illustrate in some small degree, from
what has been done what may be done by
good resolute farmers in cane growing, com-
pared with corn and wheat growing.
  The past has undoubtedly frightened some
of that faint-hearted class, who are always
scared at shadows,especiallyin all new things.
Such men seem to forget that the frost even
the present season, has hurt the corn crop
-or   -n thle Arhum  almost invariably.



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