264 Transactions.— Botany. 
syrup is very good, and would doubtless be very suitable in a family where 
there is a number of children. It is free from any unpleasant flavour, and 
had it been properly treated for sugar-production would no doubt have 
yielded more or less dry sugar. Mr. Meiklejohn is of opinion that there 
would be no difficulty in growing a crop that would yield from 120 to 150 
gallons per acre, a quantity which we think is considerably under-estimated. 
With power of some kind to drive the crusher, he believes a.crop of Sorghum 
could be grown and harvested with less risk and trouble than a crop of oats. 
He has found the seed to be valuable feed for fowls, and the strippings, or 
crushed canes, good cattle-food.” 
From my own experience, therefore, and the testimony thus afforded 
me, I think I am warranted in saying that on average land, properly 
cultivated, as for a crop of maize, a crop of Early Amber cane of 15 tons to 
the acre, topped and stripped, may be reasonably expected. On poor soils, 
or if not kept clean from weeds, or in unfavourable seasons, the yield may 
be less; on rich soil, well cultivated, and in favourable seasons, the yield 
may be much greater. So much for the growth of the plant. I now come 
to its economic value. 
That it is eagerly eaten by cattle and horses in all stages of its growth, 
but more especially as it comes on towards ripening, I ean speak from my 
own experience, as well as from the testimony of others. And, as Mr. Johns 
points out, it may be planted after turnips are fed off,—or, as Mr. Banks has 
proved, after an early crop of potatoes has been taken, and come in as 
green food for stock in March, when our Auckland pastures are much burnt 
up. If the cane is kept for syrup- or sugar-making, the seed is most 
valuable for fowls. This brings me to my experiments in syrup- and sugar- 
making during the past season. 
And here I may say that these experiments, though not altogether — 
successful, are at least instructive, and may lead up to better success in the. 
future either by myself or others. The crushing-mill I used was a No. 0 
Victor mill (the smallest size), manufactured by the Blymyer Manufactur- 
ing Company, Cincinnati, U.S.A., price $50 or £10. (With freight per 
rail and mail steamer, it cost me here £16 8s. 6d.) It has worked 
admirably, although I have not been able yet to get it to turn out what the 
makers say it ean do, namely—40 gallons of juice per hour. The greatest 
quantity I have obtained was 21 gallons per hour; but this may be owing 
to the slow pace of the horses used. The boiler used was of copper, and 
was made in Auckland, 4:6 x 2°3 x 92:8, capacity gallons. The 
evaporator made in Auckland was of galvanized iron, 9 feet long x 84 feet 
wide x 8 inches deep. The boiler I found well suited to the work, but the 
evaporator was not satisfactory, They cost respectively £7 and £4 10s. 
