62 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



gave iu the laboratory excellent results, and promised a sirup of fine 

 quality. By reference to the tables it will be seen, however, that these 

 sirups (see experiments ISTos. 26 and 27) were wholly abnormal and very 

 disappointing. These stalks vrere cut in Frederick, Md., October 11, 

 packed in a close car, and, through an oversight, allowed so to remain 

 during oppressively hot weather until the loth. They were worked up 

 on the 16th, 17th, and 18th. Upon their arrival at Washington they 

 were found so heated as to render their removal from, the car even diOi- 

 cult, and yet, as will be seen, the juice expressed from them appeared 

 of excellent quality, but every attempt to produce from it a crystalli2;a- 

 bie sirup failed, and an analysis of the sirup showed that a very large 

 percentage of the sugar had been inverted (in experiments ISTos. 26 and 

 27), and that the destruction of glucose in the sirup had been unusually 

 large, while the amount of crystaliizable sugar present in the juice, and 

 recovered in the sirup, was less than 30 per cent. 



A few of the results attained appear to be only explicable upon the 

 supposition that there have been slight errors in analysis, but revision 

 of the work fails to reveal such errors, and the results are given in full 

 without omission, hoping that future investigation may enable us to 

 solve difficulties which at present appear irreconcilable. 



'. Conqyarison of the t(pper and Joivcr halves of sorghum-canca. 



Per cent. 



Average per cent, of water in 17 specimens of Chinese sorghum tops . . 73. 05 



Average per cent, of water in 16 specimens of Chinese sorghxim butts . . 74. 46 



Average per cent, of water in 20 specimens of Honduras sorghum tops.. 72. 57 



Average per cent, of water in 20 specimens of Honduras sorghum -..butts.. 76. 15 



Average per cent, of water in 23 specimens of Liberian sorghum tops.. 71. 67 



Average per cent, of water in 23 specimens of Liberian sorghum butts.. 75. 22 



Average per cent, of water in 22 specimens of Early Amber sorghum. . .tops.. 72. 73 



Average per cent, of wat«r in 22 specimens of Early Amber sorghum. butts. . 72. 13 



Average per cent, of juice fiom 10 specimens of Chinese sorghum tops.. 45. 17 



Average per cent, of juice from 10 specimens of Chinese sorghum butts.. 49. 89 



Average per cent, of juice from 16 specimens of Honduras sorghum.. tops.. 42. 88 



Average per cent, of juice from 17 specimens of Honduras sorghum. butts.. 45. 44 



Average per cent, of juice fiom 13 specimens of Liberian sorghum tops.. 42. 63 



Average jier cent, of juice from 13 specimens of Liberian sorghum butts.. 44. 50 



Average per cent, of juicefrom 11 specimensof Early Ambersorghum.. tops.. 46. 68 



Average per cent, of juice fromllspecimensof Early Ambersorghum. butts.. 50. 58 

 Average snecitic gravity of juice from 17 specimens of Chinese sorghum, 



tops".... : 1.0725 



Average specific gravity of juice from 17 specimens of Chinese sorghum, 



butts 1.0708 



Average specific gravity of juice firom 21 specimens of Honduras sorghum, 



tops -•• 1- 0602 



Average specific gravity of juice from 21 specimens of Honduras sorghum, 



butts -■ .---.. 1- 0584 



Average specific gravity of juice from 24 specimens of Liberian sorghum, 



tops 1- 0753 



Average specific gravity of juice from 24 specimens of Liberian sorghum, 



butts 1- 0730 



Average specific gravity of juice from 22 siiecimens of Early Amber sorghum, 



tops 1- 0765 



Average specific gravity of juice from 22 specimens of Early Amber sorghum, 



butts ; L 0771 



Average per cent, of solid matter in juice from 16 specimens of Chinese sor- 

 ghum tops.. 16.21 



Average per cent, of solid matter in juice from 17 specimens of Chinese sor- 



o-hum butts.. 16. 81 



Average per cent, of solid matter in juice from 19 specimens of Honduras sor- 

 ghum tops.. 13.85 



Average per cent, of solid matter in juice from 20 specimens of Honduras sor- 



gbum butts.. 13.82 



