Gillies. — On Sorghum Experiments. 261 



Art. XXXIII. — Further Notes on Sorghum Experiments. 

 By Mr. Justice Gillies. 

 [Read before the Auckland Institute, 31st July, 1882.] 

 On the 8th of August last I had the honour to present to this society some 

 notes on the growth of Sorghum* in this district, meaning by this district 

 the volcanic soil on which 1 live at Epsom, close to the base of the old 

 volcanic crater of Mount Eden. In such light and poor though quick 

 soil, I did not expect the Sorghum saccharatum to develope its full capacity 

 of growth, nor did I in the moist climate of this Isthmus of Auckland 

 expect it to develope to the full extent its saccharine properties. On that 

 occasion, however, I proved that even on such soil not manured, I had pro- 

 duced at the rate of 6*2 tons per acre of topped but unstripped cane of the 

 Early Amber Sorghum. My experiments this year show me that this was 

 equal to about 5'25 tons of topped and stripped cane ready for crushing. 



I now proceed to give my experiments of this year. First as to the 

 growth of the cane. 



From circumstances over which I had no control, I was able this year 

 to grow and cultivate properly only one quarter of an acre of the Early 

 Amber from American seed. It was grown on the same soil on which I 

 had raised last year's crop, but I gave it chemical manure in accordance (as 

 nearly as I could obtain the ingredients here) with M. Georges Villes' for- 

 mula (on Artificial Manures, Crookes' translation, 1879, p. 396) for Sorgho. 

 I planted in the second week of November (a little too late I think), in 

 drills 3 feet apart, with about 4 seeds 2 feet 6 inches apart in the drill. 

 Absence from home prevented my noting the various stages of growth, but 

 it was ready for cutting, i.e. the seed was ripening, in the second week of 

 April. As you are aware, the season was an exceptionally wet and cold 

 one, which no doubt interfered materially both with its growth and ripen- 

 ing. In the second week of April I cut, topped, and stripped a ton and a 

 half weighed, leaving fully as much more standing for cattle-feed. This 

 gives a yield of 12 tons per acre of topped and stripped cane, or consider- 

 ably more than double what I obtained from the same ground on the 

 previous year. Some of my own seed of the previous, year which I had 

 sown broadcast showed much stronger and heavier, but I had no means of 

 accurately estimating the difference. I had in spring distributed a large 

 quantity of both American and New Zealand grown seed, and so far as I 

 have heard the New Zealand grown seed produced the heaviest crop. 



Mr. Joseph Banks, of Meadowbank Farm, Tamaki, planted in November 

 after taking up a crop of potatoes, and grew a crop of 20 tons of topped but 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiv., p. 373. 



