49 



standard can be secured. In most crosses at the present time there 

 would be found many reversions to parent types, so that the appearance 

 of " sports "or of canes differing from the general type planted from 

 such seeds must not occasion astonishment. 



For the first time, however, the Department has been able to offer 

 during the present season to intending growers for commercial pur- 

 poses a quantity of seed sufficient to plant their fields, grown from cane 

 developed from four years of careful selection, and containing, as we 

 believe, the germ of new life for the sorghum industry. With ordinary 

 seeds grown in the ordinary way the sorghum factories have almost 

 been able to be profitable. In fact, during the past year some of them 

 have made a profit. With seed which it is believed will produce at 

 least from 20 to 30 pounds more sugar per ton it must be possible for 

 such factories to enter upon an era of commercial prosperity. 



The great object of seed selection and culture work, after all, is to 

 secure a large yield of merchantable sugar in the factory. That method 

 of selection and culture which will develop the variety best suited to 

 this purpose is the one that will stand the test of experience and result 

 in the greatest good. It is believed that the lines upon which the work 

 has been carried on during the past four years will need very little 

 modification to reach these results. The most speedy way to accom- 

 plish them is to combine the experimental factory with the experimental 

 field work. It is proposed, therefore, in another season to carry them 

 on together, so that the work of seed selection and testing of the vari- 

 eties in the experimental factory may be carried on side by side. In 

 this way not only will a greater economy be secured in conducting the 

 work, but also a greater efficiency. 



The magnitude of the experimental work carried on in Sterling may 

 be realized by reference to the number of analyses executed. The whole 

 number of tests for the season amounted to over 100,000; this in- 

 cludes the examination of single canes and the general samples. In 

 order to obtain the average sugar content of any given plat a large 

 portion of it was run through a two-horse mill and the juice issuing 

 therefrom subjected to analysis. The total number of polarizations 

 made was 29,306 and the highest number of polarizations made in any 

 one day 1,520. Over 100,000 stalks were put through the mill sepa- 

 rately, and the juice therefrom examined with the saccharonieter. 

 The total number of single canes examined by polarization was 26,634 ; 

 of these 13,946 contained 15 per cent and over of sucrose in their 

 juice, and 12,688 failed to reach the standard of 15 per cent and were 

 rejected. Of the 13,946 samples which reached the standard, 5,905 

 contained a content of sucrose between 15 and 16 per cent; 5,296 from 

 16 to 17 per cent; 2,550 from 17 to 18 per cent; 1,727 from 18 to 19 

 per cent, and 23 contained over 19 per cent, 

 21383tfo. 34 4 



