56 THE CHINESE SUGAR CANE. 
ness to crush and boil, before commencing the harvest of 
the crop. The canes should be allowed to lie but a 
short time before being worked up, and hence it will be 
advisable to commence by cutting and crushing the canes 
which ripen before the major part of the crop, and each 
day cutting up only as much as can be disposed of con- 
veniently. 
SAVING SEED. 
The seed heads, with the two feet of stalk attached, 
should be made into small bundles, and laid up or hung 
up in the loft to dry. At a convenient season, the seed 
should be stripped off with a broom-corn machine, a 
comb, or by some other good method.* Mr. Wray has 
removed his seed by putting the heads into a bag, and 
threshing it with flails. There is a demand now created 
for a sorgho seed threshing machine, and it will not be 
long before it is supplied. The seed may be cleaned by 
rubbing briskly between the hands, and winnowing in a 
strong wind. The leaves stripped from the canes should 
be cured and stored for fodder. 
* A suggestion for a cylinder-hatchel, for stripping the seed, will be 
found in the Appendix, in letter of Hedges, Free & Co. 
