214 ' 



HENDEBSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



SOU 



^ the White Liberian and its kindred 

 Afr?can varieties. The Early Amber receives its 

 name from its early ripening, and from the 

 bright amber color which characterizes its syrup 

 whfn properly made. The Early Amber cane 

 on the department grounds did not grow quite 

 so tall as the White Liberian. Its seed-heads 

 were of moderate fullness and of very dark 

 color The Chinese Sorghum grew on the de- 

 partment grounds to about the same height as 

 the Early Amber. Its seed-heads are fuller and 

 more compact, and somewhat resemble a head 

 of Sumac; hence the synonym, 'Sumac Cane 

 It is also known as ' Chinese Cane.' The White 

 Liberian Sorghum is rather taller than the 

 Early Amber. The stalk curves at the top, 

 leaving the head pendent; hence the synonym, 

 ' Gooseneck.' The seed-heads are shorter, more 

 compact, and of lighter color than the Early 

 Amber. The Honduras Sorghum grows about 

 one-half taller than either of the above varieties. 

 Its seed-top is reddish-brown and spreading; 

 hence the synonym, ' Sprangle Top.' It is also 

 called 'Mastodon' and 'Honey Cane.' The 

 results of the analysis of each of the plants in 

 the successive stages of development show that 

 the amount of glucose (or uucrystallizable sugar) 

 diminishes, and the amount of sucrose (or true 

 cane sugar) increases. It may also be observed 

 that the plants differ widely in the date when 

 the sucrose is at its maximum, but are alike in 

 this, that this maximum is attained at about the 

 same degree of development of the plant, viz., 

 at full maturity, as indicated by the hard, dry 

 seed, and the appearance of offshoots from the 

 upper joints of the stalk. It may also be ob- 

 served that the heavy frost of October 24, which 

 was sufficient to produce one-half inch of ice, 

 did not cause any marked diminution of sugar. 

 For the purpose of comparison analyses were 

 made of three varieties of Sugar-cane received 

 from Louisiana, which arrived in excellent con- 

 dition, and doubtless fairly represented the av- 

 erage character of this famous sugar-plant. It 

 will be understood that the results are to be 

 taken as a whole, since it was practically impos- 

 sible to secure in each case specimen stalks for 

 examination in the laboratory, the development 

 of which in every case corresponded to the date 

 when the plant was cut, and, therefore, it 

 doubtless happened that plants taken from the 

 same row upon September 15, for example, were 

 in reality no further developed than those se- 

 lected a week earlier; but, taken as a whole, the 

 several series of analyses are convincing, as 

 showing the rate and progress of development 

 of saccharine matter in the plant. The analyses 

 of the several Sorghums under date of October 

 29 were made after they had been subjected to 

 a very hard frost, sufficient to have formed ice 

 one-half inch in thickness, and this cold weath- 

 er continued for four days before this examina- 

 tion was made. There appeared to be no dimi- 

 nution of sucrose in either of the stalks exam- 

 ined, and no increase of glucose, as the result 

 of this freezing and continued exposure to a low 

 temperature. An examination was made on the 

 8th of November, after a few days of warm 

 weather had followed this cold spell, and the 

 influence of this subsequent thaw was notice- 

 able in the diminution of sucrose and the in- 

 crease of glucose in each specimen examined. 

 From this it would appear that the effect of cold, 

 even protracted, is not injurious to the quality 



SOU 



of the canes, but that they should be speedily 

 worked up after freezing and before they have 

 again thawed out. This is a matter of such 

 practical importance that some experiments 

 should be made to learn whether the syrup pre- 

 pared from the juice of frozen cane diners from 

 that prepared from cane not frozen, but in other 

 respects of like quality. The Early Amber, 

 Chinese, Liberian, and Honduras Sorghums 

 and the Pearl Millet examined, mentioned as 

 having been grown upon the department grounds, 

 were all planted the same day, May 15, 1879. 

 The relative weights of the different kinds of 

 Sorghum experimented upon are as follows: 



Pounds. 



Early Amber, average of 40 stalks 1.73 



White Liberian, average of 38 stalks 1.80 



Chinese, average of 25 stalks 2.00 



Honduras, average of 16 stalks 3.64 



Since these were all grown side by side, and 



afford the data for calculating the relative 

 amount of each variety to be grown per acre. 

 For more clearly presenting the facts developed 

 by the examinations of the four kinds of Sor- 

 ghum, it may be observed that the Early Amber 

 and Liberian correspond in their development, 

 being almost identical, and yet clearly distinct 

 varieties. It may also be stated, that while these 

 two varieties attain a content of sugar in their 

 juices equal to the average content in the juice 

 of Sugar-cane by the middle of August, the Chi- 

 nese does not reach this condition until the last 

 of September, while the Honduras does not 

 reach this point until the middle of October. 

 After having attained approximately the max- 

 imum content of sugar, this condition is. main- 

 tained for a long period, affording ample time 

 to work up the crop. It is doubtless true that, 

 had the season been longer, it would have been 

 found that the Chinese and Honduras, having 

 once attained this full development of sugar, 

 would also have retained it; but the heavy 

 frosts and subsequent warm weather, which hap- 

 pened about November 24, caused a rapid dimi- 

 nution of sucrose in each variety, and a corre- 

 sponding increase of glucose. The converse of 

 what is found true of the sucrose is true as to 

 the development of the glucose, and a minimum 

 quantity, once attained, is continued along time, 

 and this minimum is quite as low as the average 

 amount found present in the sugar-canes. It is 

 obvious that the results are not to be taken as 

 entirely exact, but the general fact is, without 

 doubt, true. An average of all the examinations 

 made of these four Sorghums during the periods 

 when they were suitable for cutting, gives the 

 following results: Early Amber, from August 

 13 to October 29 inclusive, 15 analyses, extend- 

 ing over 78 days, 14.6 per cent, sucrose. Libe- 

 rian, from August 13 to October 29 inclusive, 13 

 analyses, extending over 78 days, 13.8" per cent, 

 sucrose. Chinese, from September 13 to Octo- 

 ber 29 inclusive, 7 analyses, extending over 46 

 days, 13.8 per cent, sucrose. Honduras, from 

 October 14 to October 29 inclusive, 3 analyses, 

 extending over 16 days, 14.6 per cent, sucrose. 

 Besides the investigations above mentioned, 

 there have been made 35 experiments in making 

 sugar from Corn-stalks, Sorghums, Pearl Millet, 

 etc., in all of which there have been used over 

 23 tons of stalks. The result of these experi- 

 ments has been to fully confirm all the experi- 

 ments not only of the previous year, but also to 



