No. 144.J 615 



sDontained in it from 10 to 16 per cent, a third part of which is 

 sometimes uccrystallizable. To this quantity of uncrystallizable 

 •sugar, this juice owes its facility of readily fermenting, and con- 

 sequently the large amount of alcohol it produces, compared with 

 the saccharine matter, observed directly by saccharometer. In 

 so far as the manufacture of sugar is concerned, this plant appears 

 to have but little chance of success in a northern climate, as a 

 large proportion of that which is uncrystallizable is not only a 

 loss in the manufacture, but an obstacle to the extraction of what 

 is crystallizable. It must not be understood, however, that the 

 produce of this plmt is unprolific or diScult to obtain, but that 

 •all things being equal, its nature renders it more abundant in al- 

 •cohol than in sugar. Yet it would be very diflferent in the warm- 

 er climate at the south, where sugar cane is difficult to be ob- 

 tained, in requiring protection from frost. From experiments 

 made by M. Vilmorin on some dried stalks of sorgho sent from 

 Algeria, it proved that the product of sugar obtained from them 

 ^'as infinitely superior to that produced by the same plant which 

 had been cultivated near Paris. I was also informed by Mr. 

 Wray, who experimented upon the juice at Natal, that the pro- 

 portion of crystallizab!e sugar quite predominates where the cli- 

 mate allows the plant fully to mature. 



The chief advantage of the sorgho, as a sugar plant, is the fa- 

 cility of its cultivation and the easy treatment of the juice. It is 

 thought that the rough product may surpass that of the sugar- 

 cane in those countries where the latter is an annual, and like 

 which, its stalks and leaves will furnish an abundance of nutri- 

 tious forage for sustaining and fattening animals. As the mo-^ 

 lasses, too, is identical with that manufactured from the cane, it 

 may be used in the distillation ( f rum, alcohol, and the liquor 

 called "tafia," which resembles brandy. Tiie greatest difficulty 

 to be apprehended, probably, would be the preservation of the 

 stalks from fermenting, owing to the short time left to the manu- 

 facture. This, however, might be obviated, as Mr. Wray informed 

 me that, in tlie neighborhood of Natal, the Zoulous- Gaffers pre- 

 served it for a long time by burying the stalks in the ground, not- 

 withstanding the climate of their country is very warm and damp, 

 it will also be observed that in the manufacture of brandy or al- 



