88 



ter having varied from 16 to 60. To try the -effect of these changes, I cut one- 

 hundredth part of an acre, which produced 11.15 gallons of juice only, instead of 19 

 or 20 gallons, as before. It had, however, regained its former weight of full 10 B., 

 but was much more acid, rank, and dark-colored than previously. It clarified with- 

 out difficulty, but raised a much thicker and denser scum, and, when concentrated, 

 was very dark and molasses-like ; it, however, produced good, hard, sharp crystals, 

 but the quantity being much reduced, there was no inducement to pursue it further. 

 This experiment proves, however, that this cane will withstand very great vicissi- 

 tudes of weather without the entire destruction of its saccharine properties. 



On page 21 Mr. Lovering announces as a fundamental principle a 

 rule of analysis which he followed, which, unfortunately, has not char- 

 acterized all subsequent investigations. He says : l 



The foregoing are all actual results produced by myself (the polariscopic obsetfva- 

 tions having been taken on the spot, under the supervision of my partner, Mr. Will- 

 iam Morris Davis), with no object in view but the truth and a desire to contribute 

 whatever useful information I could towards the solution of this interesting and im- 

 portant question. 



But even thus early he was led into the error of making sorghum 

 sugar on paper, a process which for ease and profit is far superior to 

 making it from canes, and which, unfortunately, has been largely prac- 

 ticed since these days of initial experiments. Taking only his experi- 

 ment No. 4, he figures a yield of 1,466.22 pounds of sugar and 74.39 

 gallons molasses per acre, adding 2 



Further, it will be observed that my acre produced but 1,847 gallons of juice. I 

 have, however, seen published accounts of far greater yields than this one for in- 

 stance, in this county, apparently well authenticated, reaching 6, 800 gallons per acre, 

 which, according to my actual results would produce 4,499 pounds of sugar and 274 

 gallons of molasses, and according to the foregoing probable results, would yield 

 5,389 pounds of sugar and 274 gallons to the acre. 



Mr. Loveriug was also the first one to show (on paper) that sorghum 

 was quite as fine a sugar-making crop as the sugar-cane in Louisiana. 

 He makes the following comparison : :) 



As a result of the study of all his experiments, he arrives at the fol- 

 lowing conclusions : 4 



(1) That it is obvious that there is a culminating point in the development of the 

 sugar in the cane, which is the best time for sugar making. This point or season I 

 consider to be when most if not all the seeds are ripe, and after several frosts, say 

 when the temperature falls to 25 or 30 F. 



1 Op. cit., pp. 21 and 22. 

 *Op. dt., pp. 23-24. 



3 Op. cit. p. 25. 



4 Op. cit., pp.26, 27. 



