SUGAR CONTENT OF MAIZE STALKS. 43 



carefully conducted experiments on several varieties of maize 

 obtained the following results for maize stalk juice, in which 

 the specific gravity exceeded 1.055: — 



Per cent. 



Juice obtained 54-0O 



Sucrose in juice 11.72 



( ilucose 2.27 



Solids not sugar 2.39 



Number of analyses — 28. 



Collier, in reporting upon his extensive investigations in 

 this connection, drew attention to the erroneous idea, prevalent 

 at the time, that the stalks of maize are dry and useless when 

 the grain is ripe, and went on, further, to say that it seemed 

 possible that the judicious use of the stalk would add greatlv 

 to the profit of the industry. 



During the period in which Collier was conducting his 

 experiments, the subject was being independently investigated 

 in Pennsylvania by Mr. F. L. Stewart, who. as I pointed out 

 in the previous paper on this subject, found that if the cobs 

 were removed whilst immature, the amount of sucrose in the 

 juice increases, and also that stalks from which they have been 

 removed remain green and vigorous for a longer period than 

 the stalks bearing ripe corn. 



Stewart has been working upon the subject for a number 

 of years, and some time -ago advanced the opinion that the 

 maize plant could be economically used for the production of 

 sugar, cellulose and alcohol simultaneously, the process being 

 characterised by the complete utilisation of the plant, stalk, leaf 

 and col). Although figures are quoted which show that the 

 profit when the maize plant is so used far exceeds that at pre- 

 sent obtained, Mr. Stewart states that the crop has not hitherto 

 been utilised on a large scale for this purpose, for the reason 

 that until recently his work in developing the different branches 

 was not entirely completed. 



With a view to determining the sugar content in the juice 

 of stalks of Rhodesian grown maize, an experiment was con- 

 ducted on a small scale last year, the results of which were 

 given in my previous paper. As pointed out at the time, the 

 crop was very unsatisfactory for tde purpose of the investiga- 

 tion owing to the lateness of planting and the heavy infestation 



