84 



wasted. In eleven other cases the loss exceeds 60 per cent. Apparently the greener 

 the cane the smaller the loss of sugar by the milling process. 



To explain this loss it is necessary to assume that a considerable portion of the 

 sugar is stored in the cane in a solid state, either as pure crystallized sugar or in some 

 combination easily decomposed or dissolved in water. It is claimed that the micro- 

 scope has shown crystals of sugar in the cells of the sorghum ; if this is true, it is 

 irrational to attempt the perfect separation of sugar from the cane fiber by mechani- 

 cal means. For attaining this end the process of diffusion seems to be the most prac- 

 tical and promising method. It has been thoroughly tested and generally adopted 

 by the beet-sugar industry, and experiments thus far reported indicate that it is also 

 applicable to the sorghum and tropical cane. 



Mr. H. B. Blackwell states in the Boston Journal of Chemistry that by following 

 this process he was able without difficulty to make 13 pounds of crystallized sugar 

 and 6 pounds of good sirup from 100 pounds of Amber cane. 



In my opinion natural crystals of sugar never exist in healthy sor- 

 ghum canes. In 1883 I had this subject thoroughly examined. 1 



Six hundred sections of sorghum and sugar canes failed to show a 

 single crystal of sugar. In very dry seasons the juice of sorghum has 

 been known to exude through perforations made by an insect and to 

 crystallize on the outside of the stalk. A sample of very pure cane 

 sugar formed in this way was sent to me last year (1886) by Mr. A. A. 

 Dentou, of Kansas. 



In 1884 the following data were obtained as the result of the experi- 

 ments at the station. 2 



There were sixteen plots Early Amber all fertilized but two. The per- 

 centage of sucrose in the cane was 8.53 and in the juice 9.39. The aver- 

 age total sugar per acre for the sixteen plots was 1,752 pounds. Two 

 additional plots were planted in Amber and Orange canes respectively, 

 no fertilizers being used. 3 



The total sucrose in the Amber plot was, for the cane 9.20 per cent., 

 and for the juice 10.12 per cent. 



For the Orange the numbers were : for the cane 6.57 per cent, and 

 for the juice 7.22 per cent. 



A plot of amber cane, from seed sent by Professor Henry, of Wis- 

 consin, showed in the same conditions as above : 4 



Per cent. 



Sucrose in cane 8. 63 



Sucrose in juice 9. 49 



The intensely hot weather following May 14, the date of planting, was decidedly 

 unfavorable for sorghum. The soil "baked" hard, the Amber seed germinated 

 slowly, the " moping " period appeared to be unusually prolonged, and tho plants in 

 many hills perished, especially upon plots 12 to 1C, inclusive. For a long time the 

 experiment was regarded as a failure, and received comparatively little attention. 

 Later the development was remarkable, and tho yield of cane from several of the 

 plots was above the average ; in quality, however, in all cases it fell far below pre- 

 vious results. 5 



1 Department of Agriculture, Division of Chemistry, Bull. No. 2 } p. 6. 



2 Fifth Ann. Report New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, pp. 84, 85. 



3 Op. cit., p. 79. 



4 Op. cit., p. 80. 

 6 Op. cit., p. 81. 



