64 CHARLES ANTHONY GOESSMANN 



plant, and increases to three or four per cent, before 

 the cane sugar is formed. The cane sugar is first notice- 

 able when the flower-stalks begin to be visible above 

 the leaves, and its amount increases until the seeds are 

 of full size but still soft. The relative proportion of 

 grape and cane sugars was generally about three to 

 seven. The better quality of the juice in the later life 

 of the plant is due rather to a loss of moisture than to 

 the continued formation of sugar. The cane sugar 

 changes gradually into grape sugar after the plants 

 are cut. 



The best way to secure the full benefit of the crop for 

 syrup and sugar manufacture is to begin cutting when 

 the seeds are full-grown but still soft, and to grind 

 without delay. In the process of converting the juice 

 into syrup, the relative proportion of the cane sugar 

 and grape sugar was seriously altered, showing this 

 plant to be unsuitable for the production of sugar. The 

 average yield per acre was 160 to 170 gallons of syrup, 

 which was yellowish in colour and somewhat peculiar 

 in taste, though pleasant and quite generally liked. 



Observations of the cane brought in from surround- 

 ing farms confirmed the conclusions drawn from the 

 examination of the cane from the College field. The 

 injurious changes which the cane undergoes after be- 

 ing cut were quite conspicuous. A trial made to see 

 whether it would be better economy to grind the cane 

 with the leaves or without, showed that the saving of 

 labour in the field by omitting the stripping did not 

 compensate for the loss suffered in the clogging of the 

 mill and the waste of juice when the leaves were left on. 



