SORGHUM AS A SUGAR PRODUCING PLANT. 419 



stalks of common maize, after the ripened grain had been plucked, sugar at 

 the rate of 900 pounds to the acre." 



At 900 pounds per acre the yield upon the above calculation for the 

 62,000,000 acres would be 55,800,000,000 pounds, or 28,800,000 tons. Since 

 the annual production of sugar for the whole world is only about 6,000,000 

 tons, it is seen that by a failure to utilize the means of wealth which 'have 

 been so carefully pointed out, we waste every year a quantity of sugar more 

 than four times larger than the whole product of the world. Those of us who 

 have been brought up on a farm and know by experience the exceptionally juicy 

 and saccharine character of the cornstalk when the grain is fully ripe, can 

 appreciate the explanation which the committee make of Mr. Thom's failure 

 to produce sugar from cornstalks, namely : "It is possible if the maize had 

 been allowed to mature, in place of being cut when the ear was in an imma- 

 ture state — fit for canning — the result might have been diiierent." Credat 

 Judaeus AppoUo ! 



The above opinions show the danger of forming conclusions which, from 

 insufficient data, or from those which are partial, are not safe guides to the 

 whole truth. 



There is one fact, however, which is emphasized in the analytical data, and 

 which demands careful attention. It is seen by numerous analyses of the 

 juices of a single or a few stalks of sorghum that they are often very rich in 

 sugar. The question therefore arises, may not a whole crop of this kind be 

 produced? In illustration of the fact above cited, I call attention to the 

 means of seven analyses of sorghum juices made at Fort Scott from Sep- 

 tember 19 to October 5, 1886 : 



Sucrose 13. 72 per cent. 



Glucose 2.60 " 



Total solids 19.76 " 



With such cane juices, although they are not as pure as the average sngar 

 cane juice in Louisiana, it would not be difficult, in my opinion, to make 

 sugar profitably. 



The data which I give above are easily duplicated by the analyses of many 

 other chemists, but the fact that sorghum sugar cane in exceptional circum- 

 stances, contains large amounts of available sugar, has long since been 

 settled. 



In contrast with this I will cite an equal number of analyses made at Fort 

 Scott in the same circumstances as above, namely, from September 16 to 

 October 13: 



The means of the seven analyses are as follows: 



Sucrose - 6. 56 per cent. 



Glucose .- 7.82 



Total solids 18.26 





It seems almost incredible that two sets of analyses so entirely different in 

 their results could have been made on samples of cane grown in the same 

 locality aud taken in identically the same manner. This remarkable fact 

 discloses the great difficulty which the sugar-maker working on sorghum has 

 to encounter, namely, the entire unreliability of his raw material. The 

 worker in sugar cane and sugar beets is reasonably sure of his material ; 

 what it is to-day it will likely be to-morrow, and so continue sensibly until 



