200 PLANT AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



contain five per cent, available sugar from the whole crop, 

 the future of the industry is a most promising one. 



Until the variations of the percentage of sucrose in the 

 juice can be controlled, sorghum cannot be considered a profit- 

 able crop for sugar production. 



It is purely a question of more scientific agriculture. As far 

 as the processes are concerned, the problem of extracting 

 the sugar from the cane has been solved. 



To insure the financial success it will be important to se- 

 lect a suitable situation of climate and soil. Before embarking 

 upon a large money outlay, the scientific representative of a 

 company should experimentally grow, under trial conditions, 

 sorghum cane in the localities where it is proposed to start 

 the industry. 



On a broad scale the northern and southern limits have 

 been already defined. Seventy degrees Fahrenheit is the iso- 

 therm * for the best sorghum sugar production for June, July, 

 and August ; but cane for syrup will grow north of that line. 



At a comparatively small expenditure the question of cli- 

 mate for special localities and other conditions could be tested 

 by a chemical analysis of the plant, whose juices respond as 

 quickly to favorable or adverse conditions as the mercury to 

 heat and cold. 



Dr. Wiley 2 recently, in his annual address as President of 

 the Washington Chemical Society, said: "The hope of sor- 

 ghum is not in new methods and new machinery, it is in the 

 skill and patience of the agronomist. Wise selection of seed, 

 intensive culture, judicious fertilization these are the factors 

 that can make the sorghum sufficiently saccharifacient." 



It seems to me that the refinements of plant analysis are 

 destined to play an important part in this connection. Chemi- 

 cal analysis of chosen seed would ensure a wise selection for 

 planting. Analysis of the cane and juice would show the re- 

 sults of experimental culture. For experiment, the proportional 

 constituents of the soil may be varied, to determine if the 

 proportion of chemical constituents of the cane, detrimental 



1 Bui. No. 3, Chem. Div. Dept. oj Agr. 



2 "Our Sugar Supply." 



