Oct. 1, 1919 Notes on the Composition of the Sorghum Plant 3 



the percentage of potash and phosphoric acid. For these determinations 

 the official methods {20) ^ were followed, except that crude fiber was 

 determined by the modified Sweeney (xo) method, and the preparation 

 of the sample for the potash and phosphoric acid was accomplished by 

 the modified wet ignition method (/<?). 



III.— PROPORTION OF LEAVES AND TOPvS TO CANES 



Since cane is brought to the mills in various conditions, such as fresh 

 whole cane with or without seed heads or leaves or both, and partially 

 dried cane with or without tops and leaves, it is desirable that the average 

 proportion of these three parts be known by the mill operator in com- 

 puting the value of the various grades of cane. Table I presents the 

 average figures for six plots in 191 3. 



Table I. — Relative percentage of leaves, seed heads, and clean cane in whole cane when 

 fresh and in whole cane when partially dried 



' Computed from various field data. 



Collier (5, p. 142) reports 72 per cent of clean cane from fresh material. 

 He also says that the leaves constitute 15 per cent of the topped stalks. 

 This figure appears rather high, for it is practically the percentage of 

 leaves in the whole cane as shown in the above table. From the above 

 data the writers were able to construct a table for the use of manufac- 

 turers, by which they could compute the value of a ton of cane according 

 to its condition when weighed at the factory.^ 



IV.— PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF THE PLANT 



Many analyses are on record of the proximate constituents of the var- 

 ious parts of the sorghum plant, designed to show its feeding value. 

 Most of them agree substantially with the data obtained in the present 

 work, at least as regards the general trend of development of the various 

 constitutents. It would be futile to review these analyses. The present 

 data have been calculated in various ways in order to reveal facts not 



' Reference is made by number (italic) to Literature cited, p. 30-31. 

 2 WiLLAMAN. J. J., West, R. M., and Bull, C. P. op cit. 



