58 ' BOTANICAL’ GAZETTE. | March, 
helps the growth of the succeeding plant. But the eee 
in sorghum seems to have no such function. It can a ‘ah 
way aid the incipient growth of the next plant, for that pla 
grows from a seed. 
plant is concerned, it appears to be absolutely worthless. It 
is true that in the cas 
that the sucrose in sorghum is purely 
uch so as an alkaloid or a resin. 
here sucrose is a true reserve material, as 
in seeds, in tubers, and in sugar-cane, we find there is no ten- 
dency for it to disappear until the needs of the new plant 
require it. The sucrose remains, for instance, unchanged in 
the sugar beet until the new growth begins. The same 1s 
eina higher degree of the sucrose in seeds. The fact, 
Sorghum all traces of sucrose may disap- 
at its office is radically ky 
igations I will say that the devel- 
ghum is an accidental function, oF 
a waste material—as m 
with the formation of the starch in the grain and the content 
of sucrose in the plant, and its quantity is at a maximum a 
the time the starch fo ion i 
¢€ 
growth the sucrose may suffer decom- 
Position and help in the i 
here that the only way in whi 
3 r -¢ Passa 
It goes on usually pari p 
FS ee SO tone OS A 
