AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 447 



Professor Mapes inquired if the sap in the stalks will sour on 

 exposure to the atmosphere, as is the case with the Louisiana 

 cane, and if the crystalizable property was injured? 



Mr. Wray stated that on one occasion he had been absent from 

 his estate when the canes were ready to be harvested, and his 

 Kaffirs, thinking he would return within a day or two, had cut 

 up and stacked his entire crop. He was not able to return, 

 however, until after the expiration of a fortnight, and he then 

 found that about one inch of either end of the stalks had soured ; 

 so, without further loss of time, he had set his men to work to 

 remove these portions, and when the juice from them was boiled 

 down, it made quite as good sugar as any previous sample. 



The Zulu Kaffirs put the stalks into pits which they dig in the 

 ground, and preserve them perfectly for several months. 



In regard to the density of the sap, Mr. Wray adverted to a 

 trial which had been made in Martinique, upon the estate of the 

 Count de Chazelle, the object of which was to decide the com- 

 parative densities of the sugar-cane from the celebrated Grand 

 Terre districts and of Mr. Wray's hriphees, both of which had 

 been grown by the Count. The result was that the latter showed 

 a density superior to the farmer by three and one- half degrees. 

 The sugar-cane gave seven degrees Baume, and the hnphee ten 

 and one-half degrees. This richness is quite remarkable, fjr 

 ordinary Louisiana cane does not average higher than seven and 

 one-half degrees to eight, if we remember aright, and it shows 

 what we may in future expect from the introduction of this 

 valuable plant to the domain of our national agriculture. 



The quantity of juice to be obtained from the stalks was depen- 

 dent upon the power of the mill. Count de Eeauregard had 

 sixty per cent; but his mill was an imperfect one. Under favor- 

 able circumstances as much as seventy per cent might be calcu- 

 lated upon, and of this seventeen per cent was crystalizable 

 sugar. Th^ quantity of sugar per acre he estimated at three 

 thousand pounds, but both quantity and quality would be con- 

 trolled by the perfection or imperfection of processes of manu- 

 facture. Mr. Wray had discovered the only successful m^ethod 

 of obtaining the sugar which has been made public. M. de Mon- 

 ligny, Count de Beauregard and others, had sought in vain for 

 it, but he had been fortunate enough to arrive at a complete suc- 

 cess, as was proved by the samples of sugar which he exhibited 

 to the Club. 



Several specimens were shown. One of them is not purged of 

 the molasses, because Mr. Wray desired to prove that the syrup 



