alterations therein which seemed necessary. The results of the chemi- 

 cal work in each case wijj.be found iu^ connection with the reports of 

 the respective stations. 



The result of the work at Rio Grande is disappointing- in its nature. 

 For some reason the cane grown in that locality has failed to improve, 

 although it apj>ears that it has had the benefit of careful attention and 

 fertilization. There has been upon the whole, as indicated in Bulletin 

 18, a deterioration of the cane at Rio Grande, the crops which were 

 raised six or seven years ago showing a higher percentage of sucrose 

 than those of the present time. This deterioration has been caused 

 either by admixture of a non-saccharine variety with the seed, by the 

 method of culture, or by the influence of the soil and climate of that 

 locality. I am inclined to attribute much of the depreciation to a fault 

 of the seed; whether or not it has been mixed with broom-corn lam 

 unable to say. The almost total failure of the amber cane at Rio Grande 

 would seem to indicate that some such accident had happened to it. 

 While amber cane in other localities has continued to show a high per- 

 centage of sucrose in the juice, at Rio Grande it has become a worthless 

 variety for sugar-making or even the production of sirup. The impor- 

 tance of seed selection is emphasized by this fact, since there is every 

 reason to believe that if seed of the early amber, such as was planted 

 at Rio Grande seven or eight years ago, w r ere again planted in that 

 locality it would produce an equally rich crop of cane. It would be a 

 useless task, however, for any one to attempt the successful manufacture 

 of sugar by any process from juices no richer than those reported by 

 Mr. Hughes during the present year; such canes at best could only 

 make molasses, and that probably of an inferior character. These 

 agricultural results are the more discouraging because of the system- 

 atic attempts which have been made at Rio Grande in conjunction with 

 the New Jersey experiment station for the production of a high-grade 

 cane; these are not, however, sufficiently discouraging to justify aban- 

 donment of similar attempts in other localities. In respect of the cli- 

 mate at Rio Grande, I can see nothing which would lead me to believe 

 that it is unfavorable to the growth of sorghum. On the other hand, 

 the climatic conditions appear extremely favorable, unless it be true 

 that sorghum will not develop a maximum content of sugar in localities 

 favored with abundant summer rains. Aside from this, the favorable 

 conditions for growth and the practical immunity from early frosts ren- 

 der the locality a most favorable one for the production and manufiirt- 

 ure of a crop of sorghum cane. The soil of this locality, it is true, is not 

 naturally as fertile as the soils of Kansas, but with the judicious fertili- 

 zation which has been practiced, the tonnage per acre has been fully as 

 great, if not greater, at Rio Grande than in most other localities. 



