CONFLICTING OPINIONS. » 



cane is ripe, it should be immediately cut; for, if suffered to remain, after it is 

 ripe, in connection with the roots, a deteriorating effect upon the quality and 

 flavor of the syrup will be the result, and, at the same time, the quantity will 

 be greatlj' diminished. 



e. William Clough, editor of the Sorgho Journal, says (Annual Re- 

 port, Department of Agriculture, 1865, p. 312) : 



It would be best to allow but little time between harvesting and working the 

 cane, and on no account should it be stored and allowed to remain long in large 

 shocks. It is almost demonstrable, that no cane sugar is developed under any 

 circumstances after the cane is harvested. The changes that occur after the 

 cane is cut, if any, must be in their nature depreciative, consisting in the trans- 

 formation of crystallizable to uncrystallizable sugar. 



/. The Sorgho INIanufacturer's Manual, Jacobs Brothers, Columbus, 

 Ohio, 1866, p. 4, directs that 



The cane should be cut and shocked in the field, with tops on, and in this 

 condition it may remain several months before being worked up, for the cane 

 matures and forms more saccharine matter. 



g. A correspondent (Annual Report, Department of Agriculture, 

 1867, p. 359) gives his method of working : 



I strip, cut, and work up the cane the same day, if possible. 



h. E. W. Skinner, Sioux City, Iowa (Annual Report, Department 

 of Agriculture, 1873, p. 393), says: 



As soon as matured, cut, pile, and cover with leaves ; never allow it to stand, 

 after maturity, in connection with the roots. 



i. The Sorgho Hand-Book (Blymyer Manufacturing Company, 

 Cincinnati, Ohio, 1880, p. 8) directs, that 



The cane should be cut several days before grinding, as it will be more free 

 from impurities if cured for a few daj-s before going to the mill. 



j. Professors Scovell and Weber, in their report, 1881 (Illinois In- 

 dustrial University), say : 



The cane (sorghum) should be worked up as soon as possible after cutting. 



The necessity of further investigation of Sorghum. 



a. D. J. Brown (Annual Report, Department of Agriculture, 1856, 

 p. 313) says : 



Let the same skill, directed by science, be applied to the making of sugar 

 from the sorgho sucre, and we may reasonably expect the happiest results. 



b. Dr. J. Lawrence Smith (Annual Report, Department of Agri- 

 culture, 1857 p. 192) further says : 



On investigating the sugar bearing capacity of the Chinese sugar-cane, the- 

 first step required was to ascertain the true chemical constitution of the juice 

 extracted from the plant. From various conflicting statements on the subject 

 nothing satisfactory could be gleaned; some of the best authorities insisting 



