EFFECTS OF FERTELIZEPvS OX SORGHUM. 173 



tioD. The result, however, of all the experiments,, including 34 analy- 

 ses of the ash of juices from sorghum grown upon plats differently 

 fertilized, leaves the matter wholly undecided. 



In the literature of sorghum respecting fertilizers verv much may 

 be found, as in that upon sugar-cane and beets, which appears to bo 

 well established, at least it is with great confidence asserted; but it 

 is very doubtful whether any conclusion as to the effect of one or 

 another fertilizer upon a sugar producing crop rests upon data in- 

 volving over 34 analyses of ash — and, as has been said, even this 

 number foils to prove any thing as to the effect of various fertilizers 

 upon sorghum. 



The following report upon experiments in the use of fertilizers 

 upon sorghum, in 1881, is nuide by Prof. George H. Cook, 

 Director of the Xew Jersey Experiment Station, at Xew Brunswick, 

 K J.: 



For the study of the effect of fertilizers, sixteen adjoining plats, of one-tenth 

 acre each, were measured off, fertilized as stated in the table, and planted May 

 2!^rd, 1881, with Early Amber seed. The cane was doubtless injured by the 

 unusually severe droujiht : it was noticeable, however, that it suffered much less 

 from this than corn plantt-d on neighboring field. It was harvested on the first 

 of October. 



For samples to represent each plat twenty average canes were cut from ten 

 different rows, immediately weighed, and after they had been stripped and top- 

 ped, again weighed and passed singly between the rollers of a heavy cane mill. 

 The juice from each lot of twenty cane, after it had been carefully mixed, was 

 used for the analysis. The determinations of cane sugar were made by means 

 of the polariscope, using solutions clarified with basic lead acetate and 50 per 

 cent absolute alcohol. 



The plan of the experiment was, to ascertain the effect of each of the fertil- 

 izing material applied singly and in combination on the production of sugar — 

 to compare the effect of muriate of potash with that of sulphate of potash — 

 and to determine whether by increasing the amount of phosphoric acid used 

 per acre, an advantage would be gained. The action of the fertilizers is best 

 studied in the table under the heading, pounds of extractable sugar per ton of 

 cane and per acre. It was expected that phosphoric acid would materially 

 hasten the maturity of the cane; it appears to have exercised no decided influ- 

 ence in this respect. It caused, however, an increase of 250 pounds, or nearly 

 30 per cent, of sugar over that yielded by plat No. 15. 



Muriate of potash used alone increases the gross weight of stalks very much 

 more than sulphate of potash; it increases too the yield of sugar per acre. It 

 is a fact, however, of especial importance to the manufacturer, that the yield per 

 ton is 20 per cent greater from the plat No. 12, on which the sulphate was used, 

 than from the muriate plat No. 4. Muriates, too, if taken into the sorghum 

 juice, can not be removed by the process of manufacture now used, and inter- 

 fere seriously with the crystallization of sugar. 



