262 Transactions. — Botany. 



unstripped cane to the acre, equal to 17 tons of stripped caue ready for 

 crushing. On two tons of this I experimented, as I shall afterwards de- 

 scribe. 



Mr. William Johns, writing on 28th March, 1882, reports to me as 

 follows regarding the growth of Early Amber Sorghum at Te Rahu, 

 near Te Awamutu : — " On the 25th of October, 1881, I planted out the 

 greater portion of a packet of seed of the above received from you through 

 Mr. L avers. 



" It was planted on fair land, manured with bone-flour at the rate of 

 about 5 cwt. per acre. The seed grew well until the plants were some 8 

 inches high, when unfortunately, on account probably of its being planted 

 alongside a plat of maize, which shared its fate, nearly every plant was 

 pulled up by the pheasants. 



" Having fortunately a little seed left (about 1 oz.), I replanted a por- 

 tion of the ground on the 15th November, sowing — as before — the seed about 

 2 inches deep, about 3 feet apart in the rows and about the same distance 

 between each hill, 5 or 6 seeds to each hill. This seed grew very rapidly 

 undisturbed by the pheasants ; the time at which it was planted being, in 

 my opinion, more suitable than earlier in the season. 



" By the latter end of January the canes began to form and on the 20th 

 of February the first flower-top appeared, being considerably later than 

 what I expected ; but the ground having a slight southerly aspect may 

 account for this. By the end of February the flowers had become well 

 developed, the canes at this time being 8 to 9 feet high. At the present 

 time (28th March) the seeds are well ripened, the amount of seed which I 

 estimate to save being about half a bushel (20 to 30 lbs.), portions of which 

 I intend to distribute among my neighbours, so that its growth here in 

 "Waikato may be well tested. 



" Judging by the growth of the small plat I have, I estimate 

 the weight of cane that could be grown on an acre at from 15 to 20 

 tons at the least, from which I should say about a ton of seed could be 

 obtained. 



" Not wishing to interfere with the growth of the seed, I did not cut any 

 of the canes for the purpose of expressing the juice, save a few only by way 

 of experiment, from which I am led to believe — first, that the very large and 

 the very small canes yield comparatively poor saccharine juice ; and second, 

 that medium-sized canes, of say three-quarters of an inch in diameter at 

 their lowest joint, are far the richest in that respect ; as a rule those ex- 

 ceeding an inch and those under two-thirds of an inch respectively at their 

 lower joints, do not equal those that vary within those two measures in 

 richness of juice. 



