PLANT ANALYSIS AS AN APPLIED SCIENCE 199 



experiments. 1 Up to October ist, the mean composition of 

 the chips entering the diffusion battery was : 



Per cent. 



Sucrose 8.76 



Glucose 3- 28 



Soluble solids 14.88 



Available sugar 2.64 



Following that date : 



Per cent. 



Sucrose 7.02 



Glucose 4.16 



Soluble solids 14.89 



Available sugar minus 0.85 



With such raw material it was found to be impossible to 

 manufacture sugar successfully. 



It must not be inferred from these discouraging analyses that 

 sorghum is not capable of becoming a good sugar-producing 

 plant. Many samples of cane brought fresh from the fields or 

 from protected parts of piles of cane cut for a day, showed 

 a remarkably high percentage of sugar. 



On September 3oth, a sample of cane from the carrier 

 showed : 



Per cent. 



Sucrose I2 -39 



Glucose 3.76 



Total solids 17.8 



Available sugar 6.98 



Such cane would yield 140 pounds of sugar per ton. 



An October cane cut one day gave an average of 176.6 

 pounds of sugar per ton. 



Dozens of samples of cane during the season would have 

 given over 100 pounds of sugar per ton. When it is remem- 

 bered that sorghum cane can be grown and delivered at the 

 factory for $2 a ton, the importance of these figures cannot 

 be overestimated. If sorghum can be produced which will 



1 Bui. No. 14. 



