132 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cheaph' than that. In that I am full}' borne out by a letter received 

 not a week ago from a large planter in Cuba, who said he saw no 

 reason to doubt but that we could compete successfnlly with Cuba 

 in view of our greater energy and other facilities, machinery, etc., 

 in the production of sugar. 



Among the man}- varieties of sorghum grown and examined, 

 there are at least eight of them which could be grown in an}' lati- 

 tude, where between corn planting time and frost there is a period 

 of ninety days. Many of them would be as unsuccessful in Maine as 

 sugar cane. 



Mr. Gilman — I would ask what is your opinion of this Earlj'' 

 Amber for this climate ? 



Prof. Collier. — Of course it is an opinion, but I have no reason 

 to doubt Earl}' Anaber would work well. These were grown on 

 grounds of the Department in Washington. I have no reason to 

 suppose that the ground was at all exceptional, or but that you can 

 do as well here with several of these varieties as we did thei'e. As 

 matter of fact, in Central New York, I saw a crop of about twenty 

 acres that was at least fifty per cent, heavier than our crop of the 

 same variety — Early Amber. 



I would like to call your attention to analyses of two syrups sent 

 by Prof. Sanborn of New Hampshire, which show the same fact we 

 found true in Washington. When he first sent these specimens of 

 sorghum they contained three and twenty-six one-hundredths per 

 cent, of crystallizable sugar — that was September 10th. And on 

 September 22, they contained eight and fifty one-hundredths per 

 cent. It was going right up. 



Mr. Sanborn — If I had had another week it would probably have 

 gone up higher, but in waiting a day or two longer I got frost on it. 



Prof. Collier — Bear in mind, that in Louisiana they grow sugar cane 

 with just the same embarrassment and risk that Professor Sanborn 

 perhaps may be compelled to grow sorghum with at Hanover ; they 

 have never matui'ed a stalk of sugar cane in Louisiana, nor will they 

 ever ; it requires twelve months for its maturity, and they can only 

 give it about nine, consequently they are compelled to cut it and do 

 cut it and work it up, when it is no better for making sugar than 

 this Early Amber on the 22d of September, when sent to me. I 

 have here a report of a convention of sugar growers at Minneapolis, 

 with statistics for the growth of sorghum in Minnesota the past 

 three years. In 1878 there were grown 3207 acres in Minnesota; 



