HISTORY OF SORGHUM. 5S 



Dr. E. Bretschneider, pbysiciau to the Russian legation at Peking, 

 who is quoted in the foregoing notes from Dr. Williams, savs, in his 

 essay, or memoir, on the study and value of Chinese botany, page 46 : 



The true sugar-cane (Saccbarum officinarum) growing in China, must not be 

 confounded with what is called Northern China sugar-cane. This is Sorghum 

 saccharatum, a plant now-a-davs largely cultivated in Europe and America for 

 the purpose of manufacturing sugar from it. This plant was first introduced from 

 Shanghai into France by the French consul, M. Montigny, in the year 1851, 

 whence it spread over Europe and America, after ii was proved that it is very 

 lich in sugar. 



Dr. Bretschneider then relates substantially the same statements 

 respecting Mr. Collins astonishiag the natives by makiug sugar from 

 sorghum, which Dr. Williams also mentions. 



On page 45, after discussing the meaning of the Chinese terms ap- 

 plied to these plants, he adds, in conclusion : 



It seems to me that the meaning of the character translated Shu in ancient 

 times, was not glutinous millet (as Dr. Legge states in his translation of the Shu 

 King}, but rather sorgho, as Dr. Williams translates. 



It seems, then, that the term Chinese sugar-cane is a misnomer, only 

 so far as the plant was not recognized as a sugar producing plant bv 

 the Chinese, while the original seed of the Si)rghum .saccharatum, ac- 

 cording to these authorities, was undoubtedly imported into France 

 from China. 



The above statement is very interesting, in connection with the 

 names of those varieties of sorghum received through President Augell 

 from Northern China. Each of these was called Liang, which was 

 interjDreted millet, though they were, undoubtedly, specimens of sor- 

 ghum. As will be seen, however. Dr. Williams raent'ious panided mil- 

 let as one of the secondary staples grown in China. Besides the com- 

 mon name Liang, the additional names, Hwong-mao-nien, translated 

 yellow-cap-glutinous, were given ; and the name of the grain grown by 

 Dr. AV. is Hwang-itii. 



In this connection, the following quotation from a letter received 

 from John Thorne, Esq., is of interest. It would appear that, if the 

 identity of Hwang mi and Hwong-raao was established as the grain of 

 the plant " Shu," that the cultivation of sorghum in China is verified 

 by historical evidence extending back nearly 4,000 years. 



The note of Dr. Collier I inclose, and note what he says about the meaning 

 of the word in Chinese. I fancy Hwang-mao the same as H. mi, or, better, 

 " shu," which is a radical, and means millet. See Williams' Ch. Dict'ry, Rad. 



