18 THE CHINESE SUGAR-CANE. 



the term is already applied to our common broom- 

 corn, if not to other species, this name cannot 

 with propriety be retained. Mr. Leonard Wray, 

 of London, who has devoted much time and 

 attention to the cultivation of this plant with a 

 view of extracting sugar from its juice, at Cape 

 Natal and other places, informed me that in the 

 south-east part of CafFraria there are at least fif- 

 teen varieties of it, some of them growing to a 

 height of twelve or fifteen feet, wath stems as 

 thick as those of the sugar-cane. M. Vilmorin 

 also says that in a collection of seeds sent to the 

 museum at Paris, in 1840, by M. de Abadie, there 

 were thirty kinds of sorghum, among the 

 growth of which he particularly recognized sev- 

 eral plants having stems of a saccharine flavor. 

 Thus it will be seen that there is much cause of 

 confusion, and a necessity for a critical exami- 

 nation of the subject. I would state, however, 

 that Messrs. Vilmorin and Greenland are engaged 

 conjointly in the cultivation, and in determining 

 the properties of this and the allied species, and 

 we have every reason to hope that their researches 

 will enable us soon to know their botanical types. 



'' Sorgho Sucre is a plant which on rich land 

 grows to the height of from two to three or more 



