COMPOSITION OF SOIL AS AFFECTING SORGHOI. 177 



At least the experience as recorded, is not against the use of barn- 

 yard manure, as a fertilizer for sorghum. 



It appears from these results, that, although this question of the fer- 

 tilizers is one of great practical importance, the data attained by ex- 

 periments thus far, is by no means sufficient to enable one to draw re- 

 liable conclusions. 



It is especially inijX)rtant that we guard against the tendency to 

 hasty conclusions, which is the greater if our limited data apparently 

 confirms our preconceiyed notions. 



COMPOSITION OF SOIL AS AFFECTING SOEGHTM. 



The character and composition of the soils best adapted to the culti- 

 yatiou of sorghum for sugar production, as also the proper method of 

 fertilization necessary for the best results, are obyiously matters of fun- 

 damental importance. 



At present uur knowledge is yery limited, and the number of care- 

 fully ascertained facts so small, as hardly to warrant more than con- 

 jectiu-e. 



In many respects, the habits of the sorghums, and their demands upon 

 climate and s<jil, are almost identical with those of the seyeral yarieties 

 of maize; and yet there appear to be, in certain respects, marked differ- 

 ences. It is known that, when fairly established, the sorghums, as 

 a class, are capable of sustaining a period of drought which would 

 proye fatal to maize ; and not only this, but that such drought and the 

 accompanying high temperature, results in the deyelopment of an un- 

 usual amount of sugar in the plant. — (See Annual Report Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, 1881-82, page 4o6.) 



It will be seen, by consulting the results of our experiments as to the 

 effects of fertilizers upon the sugar content and ash in the juices of the 

 seyeral sorghums (see page 172) that, although a yery large number 

 of determinations were made, the ayerage result of all was such as to 

 leaye the matter wholly unsettled. 



To those who may desire to aid in these and similar inyestigations, a 

 careful study of these results aboye referred to, may be helpful as show- 

 ing the extreme danger of hasty generalizations ; for any half dozen of 

 the analytical results, selected at random and considered alone, would, 

 in most cases, "warrant a conclusion, more or less decided, which the in- 

 crease of testimony renders less and less probatle. 



The results of the past year, 1882, at Rio Grande, X. J. (where 

 they produced 320,000 pounds of sugar, and where, upon fields identical 

 in character there was great variation in the amount of crop produced), 

 12 



