61 



established the sorghums as a class are capable of sustaining a period of drought 

 which would prove fatal to maize, and not only this, but that such drought and the 

 accompanying high temperature results in the development of an unusual amount of 

 sugar in the plant. (See Annual Report of Department of Agriculture, 1881-'82, p. 

 456.) 



It will be seen by consulting the results of our experiments as to the effect of fer- 

 tilizers upon the sugar content and ash in the juices of the several sorghums (see 

 Annual Report, 1880, pp. 118, 145) that, although a very large number of determina- 

 tions were made, the average result of all was such as to leave the matter wholly un- 

 settled.* 



To those who may desire to aid in these and similar investigations, a careful study 

 of these results above referred to may be helpful as showing 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 increase of testimony renders less aud less probable. 



The results of the past year at Rio Grande, N. J. (where they produced 320,000 

 pounds of sugar, and where, upon fields identical in character, there was great vari- 

 ation in the amount of crop produced), were such as to awaken great interest in these 

 questions of soils and fertilization. Besides, the juices of the sorghums there grown 

 proved to be remarkably pure, comparing well even with the best sugar-cane juice. 

 Therefore, average specimens of the soils from the several fields were obtained, aud 

 a record of the yield of crop and the fertilizers applied to each was also secured from 

 the president of the Sorghum Sugar Company, George C. Potts, Esq., of Philadelphia, 

 Pa. 



Rio Grande is a small hamlet sour 1 6 miles north of Cape May, N. J., in latitude 39 

 degrees north aud longitude nearly z degrees east from Washington. It is situated 

 upon a sandy peninsula, about 5 miles in breadth, with the Atlantic upon the east 

 and separated from the mainland by the Delaware Bay, at this point about 2J miles 

 wide. Average samples of soil from six fields were selected for analysis, viz : 



A. Harne farm, This field received an application of 300 pounds of Peruvian guano 

 per acre. The average yield of stalks was 3- tons per acre. 



B. Richwine farm. This farm also had 30D pounds Peruvian guano per acre. The 

 average yield was 5i tons of stalks per acre. 



C. Hand farm. This field received an application of 300 pounds of Peruvian guano 

 and 30 bushels of lime per acre. The average yield was 7 tons of stalks per acre. 



D. Neajiefarm. This field received same amount of guano and lime as C. Average 

 yield per acre, 8 tons stalks. 



E. Uriah Creese farm. Same amount of guano and lime as C and D. Average 

 yield per acre, 15 tons stalks. 



F. Bennett farm. Same amount of guano and lime as C, D, and E. Average yield 

 per acre, 17 tons stalks. 



From the above results it will be seen that the application of the expensive fertil- 

 izer Peruvian guano was without any apparent benefit, while the application of lime 

 seems to have been beneficial, although it is to be regretted that we have not the 

 data for comparing the yield of these fields with and without the application of fer- 

 tilizers. 



With the exception only that the amount of pebbles of an appreciable size, one- 

 twentieth to one-quarter inch in diameter, was more in some of the samples than iu 

 others, there was to the eye no noticeable difference iu the character of the six. 



The samples were passed through sieves of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 meshes totbe 

 inch, and the following results obtained : The column marked residue consisted of 

 pebbles which would not pass through a sieve of twenty meshes to the inch, or rather 

 of one-twentieth inch diam< ter. The column marked 20 was that portion whichb 

 passing meshes of one-twentieth inch, would not pass those of one-thirtieth, &c. 



