TIME FOR HARVE5TIXG CROP. 131 



He says, that the results of these experiments "admit of no other 

 explanation, but that the best course to pursue consists in grinding the 

 matured cane as soon as it is cut." 



In regard to the remainder of the experiments recorded by him, he 

 says : 



Some of the cane sent on (by farmers growing it near the college! was ground 

 soon after it had been cut; other lots had been cot weeks before their turn in 

 the mill came round. 



It will be observed, then, that only those analyses made previous to 

 September 18th, are of freshly cut cane ; and these analyses fully agree 

 with the average of my results with all the varieties of sorghum ex- 

 perimented with. 



It will be observed, also, that, just as he found in those canes which 

 were brought in some days (or even weeks) after they had been cut, 

 so, too, my results show the inversion of a large amount of sugar ; and, 

 except in the sum of the sugars present in the juices, these results are 

 not at all comparable with those secured by analyses of juices of the 

 same specific gravity from freshly cut canes. It will also be of interest 

 to remember, that the last examiuatious made by Dr. Goessmaun of the 

 canes grown under his supervision, were made only nine days after he 

 describes the "seeds as still soft;" and, by reference to the tables, 

 p. 000, it will be seen that, during each of the past four years, I 

 found that it is just at this period of development of the plant that 

 the sugar in the juice becomes practically available, and that there- 

 after it rapidly increases in quantity. 



Inversion of Sugar in Cid Canes. 



The effects of this invei'sion of sugar, due to allowing the cut canes 

 to remain some time before working, will be seen in the following re- 

 sults with three varieties grown on the department grounds and promptly 

 worked ; these same varieties grown by Mr. Golden and not promptly 

 worked ; and three of the results of Dr. Goessmaun, of which three he 

 reports that the first analysis was of canes which, "after being cut, 

 were left for three weeks upon the field," the second analysis of "cane 

 several weeks old when ground," the third analysis of canes topped, 

 cut up, and "left upon the field nine days." These are the only cases 

 mentioned in his report in which the time is given during which the 

 canes, after being cut up, remained unworked. 



The close agreement of results attaiued with those from Mr. Gold- 

 en's canes is obvious, and the great difierence between these and the 

 results from canes promptly worked up, show the great importance of 



