ANALOGY TO WHEAT. 35 
in length. The frequent occurrence of ‘volunteer cane,” 
that is, cane which has grown from seed dropped accident- 
aily in the ground during the preceding autumn, and has 
vegetated during that time, or in the earliest days of spring, 
renders the resemblance to wheat still more close and strik- 
ing. The young plants which have thus begun to grow in 
the fall survive the cold of winter, in the climate of Central 
Missouri and other States of the Southwest, the roots 
remaining in the ground uninjured, and when the frosts 
are over they shoot up rapidly, and, if properly cared for, 
far outstrip in growth and early ripening any plants from 
seed deposited in the spring. Do not these facts indicate 
a mode of treatment for the cane as closely resembling that 
adapted to wheat, as the constitutional tendencies in each 
are found to be alike? The order of development in both 
is the same, but they differ in the length of the successive 
periods. The wheat plant finds a congenial climate, in the 
early stage of its growth, in the cool weather of late 
autumn and early spring, and in winter beneath the snow. 
Says Liebig: 
“The action of a low temperature in autumn and winter, 
which puts a certain limit to the activity of the outer 
organs, without altogether suppressing it, is essential to 
the vigorous thriving of winter corn. It is a most favor- 
able condition for future development, if the temperature 
of the air is below that of the soil, so as to retard for sev- 
eral months the development of the outer plant.” 
At what period, then, if the analogy holds good, is that 
‘favorable condition” of temperature to be secured for 
sorghum? Plainly, during very early spring. Although 
found capable often of surviving the winter in milder cli- 
mates, it is neither necessary to its habits nor desirable, 
that, as in the case of winter wheat, the first period of its 
growth should be extended back beyond the time in eariy 
