SUGAR FROM SORGHUM 217 



These hulls may be readily separated from some varieties 

 of sorghum seeds and with more difficulty from others. 1 



Comparative analyses of the sorghum seeds with other cereals 

 show the place which the sorghum holds among the more 

 prominent cereals. The seeds contain starch, albuminoids, 

 oil, sugar, and fibre in such proportions as to render them 

 suitable for animal food. 2 These seeds are ground to flour, 

 and are used extensively for food by the people over large 

 tracts of India. 



In the experiments of Dr. Goessmann 3 upon the bagasse 

 with various chemicals, he obtained a colorless pulp suitable 

 for making a superior quality of paper without injuring the 

 fibre. From his analyses he obtained 8.2 per cent, of very pure 

 cellulose or fibre. The manufacturer would probably obtain 

 more, as he could not afford to purify it as completely as was 

 done in the analysis. The increased consumption of paper 

 has for years obliged the manufacturer to seek new sources 

 of vegetable fibre supply. Sorghum promises to furnish this 

 supply. 



The pulp from the mill bagasse of the Rio Grande Sugar 

 Company, by experiment, was shown to rank next to that from 

 linen rags. 4 



Several organic acids probably occur in the sorghum juice. 

 The presence of these acids may interfere seriously with the 

 successful manufacture of sugar and of clear free syrup. 

 Among them aconitic acid has been found, and also malic 

 acid. The free acids vary in amount from .1 to .2 per cent. 

 There is also acid present combined, with potash and other 

 bases found in the ash. 5 The acidity of the sorghum juice 

 is often a serious cause of failure, by inverting the sucrose. 

 After the close of the season at Fort Scott, a comparative 

 study was made of the amount of the inversion which takes 

 place in the diffusion-cells. It was clearly shown "that the 



Special Report, No. 33, Dept. of Agr., by Peter Collier, p. 99. 

 Bui. No. 3, Chem. Div. Dept. of Agr., p. 114. 



"Sugar Cane," by Dr. C. A. Goessmann. From Transactions N. Y. 

 State Agr. Soc., 1881, p. 25. 



Bui. XLI, N. J. Agr. Experimental Station, 1887, p. 23. 

 Bui. No. 3, Dept. of Agr., by H. W. Wiley, p. 16. 



