524 



sciEJsrci:. 



[Vol. VI., No. 149. 



the probability curve. The applicability of this 

 curve to the representation of height has been fre- 

 quently tested, and is found always to hold wher- 

 ever the conditions upon which the law depends 

 are present; viz., that variations in the phenom- 

 enon in question be due to a large number of 

 causes, no one of which has any great effect. 

 Where the law does not hold in the case of a series 

 of heights, the probability is strong that there are 

 some influences in question which cause a con- 

 siderable variation in the average height. In 

 several parts of France there is a strong indication 

 of the existence of two types, distinguishable by 

 their difference in height. If we draw the curve 

 of height for these portions, this phenomenon is 

 evident. A good example is shown in the de- 

 partment Doubs. The top of the curve for this 

 region is M-shaped, while, in deaUng with a 

 case in which the probability case does hold, — 

 that is, when a single type is present, as in La 

 Creuze, — the top of the curve resembles an in- 

 verted V. There exist, then, in all the provinces 

 in the north-eastern half of France, two types which 

 can actually be separated from each other. This 

 is shown on the map by the occurrence of pairs 

 of smaller circles ; and the ratio of the size of 

 these circles indicates the proportion of the two 

 types in each part. The average height of the 

 tall type is 5 feet 6.6 inches ; of the other, 5 feet 

 4.6 inches. It is certainly a curious fact that 

 these two peoples, w^ho now have every thing in 

 common, — language, mode of life, and all, — 

 who intermarry freely, and probably have no con- 

 sciousness of their dual origin, should still be 

 unidentified by the constant characteristic of a 

 difference in height. 



It is probable that other circiunstances than 

 those of race can affect the stature of a people. 

 Chief among these are, 1°, the well-being of the 

 community ; and, 2°, pathological conditions. 

 There are countries where the average stature has 

 changed without the introduction of a new racial 

 element. In the low counti'ies (Holland, etc.) 

 this phenomenon is ascribed to the effect of the 

 draining of the marshes, and the general better- 

 ment of the people. 



The statistics of Saxony, from 1852 to 1854, 

 make possible a comparison between the heights 

 of the liberal and the laboring professions. If we 

 draw the curves representing the number of each 

 class at each height, the curve for the liberal pro- 

 fessions shows a superiority of height throughout. 

 They have fewer short persons, and more tall ones. 

 The difference between the two, however (5 feet 

 5.6 inches and 5 feet 4.25 inches), is smaller than in 

 the case of racial difference. 



A case in which pathological influences (such as 



cretinism) seem to be active is offered in Switzer- 

 land. Here there seems to exist a true type of 

 dwarfs whose heights centre about 4 feet. The 

 suggestion that minor influences such as these 

 may also be active in producing the differentiation 

 of height in France, is worthy of consideration. 



THE EXTRACTION OF SUGAR FROM 

 SORGHUM AND SUGAR-CANE. 



The experiments in the application of diffusion 

 and carbonatation to the extraction and crystal- 

 lization of sugar from sorghum, which have been in 

 progress under the direction of Dr. H. W. Wiley 

 and his assistants at Ottawa, Kansas, during Sep- 

 tember and October, have been described by him 

 in Bulletin No. 6 of the chemical division of the 

 department of agriculture. The difficulties met 

 with were largely of a mechanical nature, or re- 

 sulting from the effects of early frost injuring the 

 quality of the cane which was used for the experi- 

 ment. 



Of the trial on Oct. 8, Dr. Wiley says that dur- 

 ing a run of about 21 hours, 70 cells, of about 1400 

 pounds of cane apiece, or 49 tons, were diffused, 

 giving from 65 cells 96,140 pounds of juice. The 

 exhausted chips contamed less than 2 per cent of 

 sugars, and the waste waters about the same 

 amount ; so that the extraction may be said to be 

 nearly complete. The cost was about 80 cents per 

 ton, and, with improvements in the mechanical 

 details of the apparatus, labor and fuel can be 

 saved, and the cost reduced to 30 cents. The juice 

 drawn off stood to the cane chips in the ratio of 

 110 : 100 in the first, and 95.3 : 100 in the second, 

 part of the experiments. The solids it contained 

 varied from an average of 1.024 per cent, corre- 

 sponding to a specific gravity of 1.0394 at 25° C, 

 in the first half, to 10.55, corresponding to 1.0405 

 at 25° C, in the second half, of the experi- 

 ment. 



The juice corresponding to 15 tons of cane was 

 defecated by the method of carbonatation, and 

 yielded 4320 pounds of masse cuite, containing 77 

 per cent of solids, or a little more than 14 per cent 

 of the cane worked. This, on being ' swung out,' 

 yielded 1420 pounds, or 30 per cent of sugar well 

 washed and dried, polarizing about 98 per cent, or 

 at the rate of 95 pounds to the ton. The yield of 

 second sugars would, of course, increase the rate of 

 production per ton. Allowing 12 pounds to the 

 gaUon for the masse cuite, the number of gallons 

 per ton would be 24, which is far in excess of the 

 amount usually produced. 



Dr. Wiley's general conclusions are as follows : — 



1. By the process of diffusion 98 per cent of the 

 sugar in the cane was extracted, and the yield was 



