61 



Dr. Thomas Antisell 1 reports analyses of frozen and fresh canes. The 

 juice from frozen canes had the following composition: 



Per cent. 



Sucrose 11. 10 



Glucose 8.90 



The juice of the fresh canes had the following composition : 



Per cent. 

 No. 1. Sucrose 7.86 



Glucose 4.38 



No. 2. Sucrose 5.94 



Glucose 3. CO 



Dr. Autisell adds the following observations : 



Contrasting the amount of sugar in the fresh and dry cane, the latter greatly pre- 

 ponderates; and were the question only on the amount of sugar to be obtained, the 

 decision would ho in favor of working on the partially dried canes ; hut on observing 

 the ratio of glucose and cane sugar in the fresh juice and that expressed later, it will 

 bo remarked that the relative amount of glucose is much higher, so that the sugar 

 appears to be gradually passing into glucose the longer it remains in the cane, show- 

 ing that the fermenting causes are as active within the stem of the drying cane as 

 after the juice has been expressed and exposed to the air. Several attempts were 

 made in the laboratory to granulate the sugar of this juice ; but whether neutralized 

 and defecated or not, the invariable result was the disappearance of cane sugar, and 

 a uniform sirup of uucrystallizable sugar. Thus far, then, laboratory examinations 

 indicate the necessity of evaporating the juice of the recently cut canes, if it is de- 

 sired to obtain any crystallizable sugar. 



In 1878 Dr. Collier began his extensive studies of sorghum. Dr. Col- 

 lier gave the following result of the analyses made by the Department 

 of Agriculture in 1879 2 : 



Early amber, from August 13 to October 29, inclusive, fifteen analyses, extending 

 over seventy-eight days, 14.6 per cent, sucrose. 



White Liberian, from August 13 to October 29, inclusive, thirteen analyses, extend- 

 ing over seventy-eight days, 13.8 per cent, sucrose. 



Liberian, from September 13 to October 29, inclusive, seven analyses, extending over 

 forty-six days, 13.8 per cent, sucrose. 



Honduras, from October 14 to October 29, inclusive, three analyses, extending over 

 sixteen days, 14.6 per cent, sucrose. 



In 1880 these analyses were continued in large numbers on samples 

 of cane grown in the Department grounds and on others sent in from 

 various localities. The details of these analyses are to be found in 

 the Annual Keport of the Department of Agriculture, for 1880, pp. 37 

 et seq. 



The canes, according to development, were divided into nineteen 

 classes. With the seventh stage, the seed is just entering the milky 

 state. Since a large part of the seed will still be in this state, when the 



1 Department of Agriculture, report, 1866, p. 48. 3 Sorghum., p. 186. 



