84 



NORTHERN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



tained in the juice and the time of vegetation of the sorghum, the 

 experience of this year permits us to state that : 



1st. The quantity of sucrose is smallest immediately after the blos- 

 soming, while relatively that of the glucose is largest. 



2d. The quantity of sucrose is largest ten days after the maturation 

 of the seed, while at the same time the quantity of glucose is smallest, 

 decreasing nearly in proportion to the increase of the sucrose. 



3d. The quantity of sucrose in the gatherings made one month after 

 the blossoming, and as soon as the maturation of seeds is completed, 

 is almost equal in the two gatherings, and much greater than that of 

 the gathering made immediately after the blossoming. 



The quantity of glucose, which in the first two gatherings above re- 

 ferred to remain almost equal, diminishes considerably in that made one 

 month after the blossoming. These results agree with those obtained 

 in the United States. Only the quantity of sucrose and the density 

 of the juice were always somewhat greater in this experiment than those 

 found in America." 



The results of the experiments at the other stations in Italy are equally 

 as interesting. The sorghum plant appears to thrive much better in 

 Italy than in this country, and the percentage of both sugars in the 

 juice reached in some of the experiments 26. These cases were in canes 

 which were not analyzed until a month after cutting, and it is but fair 

 to suppose that the juice had become somewhat concentrated by evap- 

 oration. It is also noticed that sorghum canes retain their sucrose for 

 a longer time than with us, in at least two cases the percentage of this 

 sugar being 19 one mouth after the canes were cut. It would have been 

 of interest had the Italian Minister of Agriculture told us how the canes 

 were preserved for so long a time. In absence of any definite statement, 

 it is probably safe to say that these canes were kept under ground. 



The remarkable results of the Italian experiments indicate that in 

 this country our experiments have not extended far enough south to 

 secure the best conditions of growth. In the great majority of cases 

 the Italian canes that were cut after the seed were ripe, and analyzed 

 on the following day, showed a richness in available sugars which is fully 

 equal to the best tropical canes. 



METHODS OF ANALYSES PRACTICED IN THIS DIVISION WITH JUICES 

 (RAW AND DEFECATED), SEMI-SIRUP, SIRUP, AND MELADA. 



Sucrose was determined by double polarization in a large Laurent 

 shadow saccharimeter. The mean percentage of sucrose in all the raw 

 juices examined was — 



SUCROSE. 



By direct polarization 

 After inversion 



Per cent. 

 . . 8. 72 

 . . 8. 38 



In the defecated juice : 



By direct polarization 

 After inversion 



8. 91 

 8. 62 



