REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



CHEMICAL DIVISION. 



Tlie work aocoiiiplisTiecl in the Chemical Division up to the 27th of May, 

 1879, was indudcd in the annual report for 1878. From that date to the 

 present time there have been made — 



First. Ninety-one miscellaneous analyses, including soils, waters, fer- 

 tilizers, clays, ores, marls, and other mineral substances. 



Second. Thirty approximate analyses of various food and medicinal 

 materials. 



Third, Two hundred and se\cntyfour analyses of various sugar-yield- 

 ing ])lants and their juices. 



Fourth. Five experiments in alcoholic distillations from the refuse of 

 sugar-manufacture, and twenty-eight experiments in making sugar from 

 various sugar-yielding plants — in all thirty-three. 



The experiments entered upon for the purpose of determining the 

 amount of sugar in the juice of the several varieties of sorghum, of the 

 stalks of maize and of pearl millet, give results which enjoin their earli- 

 est possible ])ubli(:ation that they may reach the farmers for their instruc- 

 tion before the time for the spring planting arrives. 



A fair conclusion from these investigations appears to be that there 

 exists but little difference between the various kinds of sorghum as 

 sugar-producing plants, and that the juice of each of them is at a cer- 

 tain period of its development nearly as rich as that of tlie best tropical 

 sugar-cane grown in this country. 



It is a matter also of extreme practica,l importance that it should be 

 known that this period of raaxinuim content of sugar is maintained for 

 a sufficient time to enable the manufacturer to work up a large crop of 

 stalks. Another result of this investigation has been to satisfactorily 

 explain the cause of repeated failure in the production of sugar from 

 certain i)lauts during the past quarter of a century. 



For the purpose of making clear the above points, a few of the results 

 obtained by the chemist are appended. The varieties of sorghum canes 

 subjected to this investigation were " Early Amber," " White Liberian," 

 "Chinese," "Honduras," and "Pearl Millet." 



DcTelopaieut of plant. 



Early Amber . 



ChincGO 



Wliita Liberian ... 



Sec.(l-l:er.(l just out 



Seed IjanleniiiS 



Si'od /'ipe, hard, dry... 



After hard ficst 



Sced-li.ead just out 



Seed Iiardeiiius 



Seed vijie, hard, dry... 



Alter hurd frost 



Keed Just in milk 



Seed nearly viy.o 



Si'od ripe and Jiard 



After hard frost 



July 

 Axig. 

 Sept. 

 Oct. 

 Ant;. 

 Auk- 

 Sept. 

 OA. 

 July 

 Au^. 

 Sept. 

 Oct. 



ti o 



34.6 

 a2.7 

 22.9 

 33.3 

 32. 7 

 2y. 

 28. 1 

 31.0 

 38. ,'■. 

 29. .5 

 21.2 

 28.8 



1047 

 1080 

 1080 

 1088 

 1033 

 1067 

 1085 

 1076 

 1046 

 1082 

 1078 

 1081 



tea 



Pi 



3.77 

 1. 54 



0. 6.3 



1. 10 

 r>. 00 

 5.25 

 1.45 

 1. 85 

 3.50 

 1.40 

 0.95 

 2.10 



4.43 



14. 07 



15. 95 

 17.00 



1. 85 

 0. 4.5 

 13.90 

 13. 15 

 4.70 

 13. 70 

 15. 20 

 13.09 



