484 



Agricultural Gazette of N .S.W. 



[Juhj 2, 1920. 



Table IIIa.- 



-Showing distribution of total Sugars in clean canes between 

 Juice and Megass. 



Plant'r's Friend— 

 Single ci'ushing 



Twice crushing - 

 No. 34— 



1st juice contains 44 09 per cent, of the total sugars in canes. 

 1st megass contains 55 "91 

 1st juice contains 44 09 

 2nd juice contains 8"97 

 '2nfl megass contains 46 "94 



o- 1 u- \ 1st luice 



Single crushmg j , , •' 



contains 35 88 

 ( isx megass contains 64" 12 



ilst juice contains 35 '88 

 2nd juice contains 12'26 

 2nd megass contains 51 "86 

 Saccaline — 



„. , , . \ 1st iuice contains 42*01 



Smgle crushing j j^^. ^^^^^^ contains 57 99 



(1st juice aontains 42"01 

 2nd juice contains 6"38 

 2nd megass contains 51 '61 



Conclusions. 



The market value of the alcohol obtained as an average of all the varieties 

 tried, crushing the canes once, would not pay for the cost of cutting and 

 transporting the sorghum to the factory, if the manufacture was carried out 

 on a large scale. 



In the case of the best variety tried (using a single crushing) the value of 

 the alcohol obtained would leave a margin of about Is. ■2d. per ton of soi'ghum 

 as grown, if theoretical yields of alcohol were obtained, or about 6d. per ton. 

 if the usual 90 per cent, of theoretical yield of alcohol were obtained. 



Even if a second crushing were resorted to, the case of sorghum as a source 

 of industrial alcohol is not materially improved, and the value of the alcohol 

 obtained would still be less than the actual cost of cutting and transporting 

 the sorghum. 



In the case of the best variety in the series, crushed twice, the market 

 value of the alcohol obtained would leave a margin of about 2s. 2|d. per ton 

 sorghum in the field if the theoretical yield of alcohol were obtained, or about 

 Is. 5|d. per ton if only 90 per cent, of the theoretical yield of alcohol were 

 obtained. 



It does nob appear to be possible to manufacture alcohol from sorghum at 

 a cost which would enable it to compete with the present industrial alcohol 

 as manufactured from molasses. 



With powerful mills, such as are used in modern sugar factories, it might 

 be possible to increase the extraction to a higher figure, though from 

 experiments made elsewhere there appear to be serious practical difficulties. 



Planting out Elephant Grass. 



Sections of Elephant grass for planting out should be cut in the spring, as 

 soon as the new growth shoots from the mature stems. Three joints of a 

 mature stem should be taken, the severance being made near the lower joint, 

 and two joints should be covered in the soil. Planting almost horizontally 

 is perhaps more successful than upright. — E. Bkeakwell, Agrostologist. 



