36 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



EXPERIMENTS IN TILE PRODUCTION OF SUGAR FR03I SORGHUMS AND 



MAIZE. 



Duriug tlie ]iast season there have been made several series of inves- 

 tigations for the purpose of determining the development of sugar in 

 the juices of several varieties of sorghum, maize, and of pearl millet. 



These investigations appear to demonstrate that there exists little 

 difference between the various kinds of sorghum as sugar-producing 

 plants ; and, Avhat is quite a surprising result, each of them is, at a cer- 

 tain period of its develofjment, nearly if not quite as rich in sugar as 

 the very best of sugar-cane. It is a matter, also, of extreme practical 

 importance that this maximum content of sugar is maintained for a long 

 l)eriod, and affords sufficient time to work up a large crop. Another 

 result of these investigations has been to satisfactorily explain the cause 

 of repeated failure in the production of sugar during the past quarter 

 of a century, and to give the assurance that in the future such failure 

 need not attend this industry. For the purpose of making clearthe above 

 points, the results obtained in the laboratory and in out-of-door experi- 

 ments are appended. 



The varieties of sorghum grown and subjected to continuous investi- 

 gation during the season were Early Amber, White Liberiau, Chinese, and 

 Honduras, and Pearl Millet. Besides the above there were made very 

 many examinations of other specimens of sorghums and corn-stalks ; 

 all the results of which only conlirmed the general principle above 

 stated, viz., the practical equality and great value of every variety of 

 this plant. 



Of the following plates the first four represent varieties of sorghum 

 grown duriug the past season on the grounds of the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington, and used in the experiments of the chemi- 

 cal division as detailed in this report. The drawings were made by a 

 gentleman employed in the department. The designations given them 

 are somewhat different from those current in some parts of the country, 

 but are conformed to what are believed to be the most authoritative 

 standards. 



Plate I represents the Early Amber Sorghum, the favorite variety with 

 planters in Minnesota and the Northwest. What is now called the Min- 

 nesota Early Amber cane is claimed as an improvement upon the Early 

 Amber varieties grown formerly in differents parts of Minnesota, by 

 Hon. Seth IsL Kenny and Mr. C. F. Miller of that state. Acting on the 

 theory that cane in a high latitude will degenerate if grown continuously 

 from its own seed, these gentlemen selected the finest specimens of seed 

 from their own crops and sent them to a southern latitude to be grown. 

 The seed product of this southern growth was returned to Minnesota. 

 By this alternation of seed, and by other intelligent processes of cidture 

 they have succeeded in establishing a new and permanent variety, which 

 they claim to be more productive in weight of cane and to contain a higher 

 per cent, of saccharine matter than any other grown in that State. 

 This claim needs to be substantiated by more careful and extended ob- 

 servations before it can be said to be fully established. 



Messrs. Kenny and Miller describe the Early Amber cane as presenting 

 "the characteristics of both sorgo and imphee." By sorgo they mean 

 the Chinese sorgo (Plate II), and by imphee, the White Liberian (Plate 

 III), and its kindred African varieties. The early amber receives its 

 name from its early ripening and from tbe bright amber color which 

 characterizes its sirup when properly made. 



The early amber cane on the department grounds did not grow quite 



