516 Banendttons:<i=Mixosllaneows: 
These results astound me, and prove Sorghum as a sugar producing 
crop to be valuable beyond my wildest imaginations. I proceed to the 
proof. 
Three years’ experiments have proved beyond a doubt that, on average 
soils, in an average season, with ordinarily decent cultivation, as for maize, 
the Early Amber Sorghwm will, in the northern part of New Zealand, that 
is, from the Bay of Plenty (perhaps even from Napier) northwards, produce 
a crop of from 12 to 16 tons of cane per acre. Two years’ experiments 
prove that from each ton of cane from 80 to 90 gallons of juice can be 
expressed by very inferior machinery. Two years’ experiments prove that, 
if that juice is evaporated in an open evaporator down to 13-15 gallons 
(that is to say one sixth), a rich syrup results, which will remain unaltered 
by fermentation for many months. The analysis of the Colonial Laboratory 
proves that each gallon of this syrup, weighing about 18 lbs., contains 
91 lbs. of cane-sugar, besides 7:15 per cent of grape-sugar or glucose. That 
means that each ton of cane produces 94 lbs. x 18 gallons (taking the 
lowest quantity) — 1233 lbs. cane-sugar; and that means that every acre 
produces (taking the lowest average of 12 tons cane) 1,482 lbs. cane-sugar, 
besides grape-sugar and other what may be called waste products, such as 
the leaves and seed—valuable for cattle- and fowl-feed. The value of this 
. product of sugar, at £30 per ton, is nearly £20 per acre. This, it will be 
observed, is taking all the products at the lowest quantities actually pro- 
duced. Probably the amount of sugar to syrup, 71:6, shown by analysis to 
be present, might not practically be secured ; but, even allowing a large 
margin, the result is extraordinary. When I compare this with the latest 
American results taken from the St. Louis Republican of 80th November, 
1882, kindly furnished me by Mr. Consul Griffin, it will be seen that 
the Early Amber Sorghwm produces here a greater weight of cane 
and developes nearly double the quantity of sugar that it does in Illinois, 
where the Sugar Company at Champaign pays 10 per cent. The following 
is the extract referred to :— ; 
* A company at Champaign, Illinois, which has recently made thorough 
experiments in the manufacture of Sorghum sugar, professes to have 
reached results in the highest degree satisfactory and convincing. The 
company’s experiments were made on the cane grown on 200 acres, culti- 
vated by itself, and that grown on 50 acres more by farmers in the 
neighbourhood. The latfer was bought at $2 to $2 50 a ton. It has 
made 125,000 Ibs. of fair sugar, worth 8} cents a pound, and 22,500 
gallons of molasses worth 44 cents a gallon. This shows an average gross 
product of $80 per acre, What the nett product is we cannot tell 
