REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



25 



experiments with cane-raising in this locality. When, however, care- 

 ful planting and cultivation and liberal fertilizing, combined with a 

 fairly favorable season for growth, fail to produce 10 tons of cane per 

 acre^ it must be admitted that there is a radical defect of soil. The 

 climate of Washington, however, is peculiarly favorable to cane-growth. 

 Early springs, warm summers, and late falls are all that the practical 

 cane-grower could demand. A sandy loam appears j;o be the most 

 favorable soil for cane. Yet, it should not be forgotten that sorghum 

 is a hardy plant; it will grow even under the most unfavorable condi- 

 tions, and rarely proves a complete failure. 



Manufacturers and intending manufacturers should not base their 

 calculations for the yield of sugar on working canes containing 12 per 

 cent, sucrose and only 1.5 to 2 per cent, of other sugars. It is doubt- 

 ful whether any field of sorghum of 10 acres extent has ever been raised 

 which would give such an average result. In the present state of the 

 industry it would be much safer to count on 9 per cent, sucrose, 3 per 

 cent, other sugars, and 2 per cent, solids not sugar, as an average of the 

 crop from year to year. 



This division would be guilty of a great public wrong were it by any 

 kind of select results or enthusiastic coloring to induce capitalists to 

 invest money w r here they would be led to expect a higher return than 

 the actual facts warrant. 



The results obtained this year, poor as they are compared with those 

 of former years, may nevertheless prove of great advantage to those 

 who are proposing to practically engage in the sorghum-sugar industry 

 by causing them the more carefully to consider all the difficulties which 

 they will have to meet. 



The violent northeast storm which occurred at the beginning of the 

 working season completely prostrated the Amber cane. The heads of 

 this variety of cane were heavy. As soon as the ground was softened 

 -by the rain the stalks could no longer resist the force of the wind. The 

 Amber canes were so nearly mature that they had no power of recu- 

 peration and remained prostrate. A few stalks only of the Amber re- 

 mained standing. Ten days after the storm a few of these canes were 

 collected for analysis. For comparison the same number of fallen canes 

 were taken at the same time and from the same locality. The fallen 

 and standing canes were as nearly alike in size and general appearance 

 as a careful selection could make them. On October 8 another similar 

 collection was made. 



The results of the analyses of these canes are found in the appended 

 table : 



Comparative analyses of fallen and standing canes, illustrating effect of windstorm on canes. 



OS 

 00 



"3 



o 

 6 



Date. 



Condition of cane. 



Specific gravity. 



Total solids. 



Sucrose. 



Otber sugars. 



Total sugars. 



Albuminoids. 



4 



3 

 p< 

 <-! 



o 



a 

 .£ 



"3 

 o 

 o 



% 

 to 



g 



1 



\ 



Number of canes. 





1883. 







Per ct. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 



P. ct. 



P.ct. 



P.ct. 





1 



September 20 



Standing. . 



1.0002 



15. 065 



11.84 



3.12 



14. 96 





.543 



75.7 



8. 01 



15 



2 



do 



Down 



1. 0062 



14. 501 



10. 45 



3. 80 



14, 25 



".2YS 



.448 



72.0 



6.40 



15 



3 



September 21 



Standing. . 



1. 0708. 



10. 758 



11. 88 



3.01 



14.89 



.256 



.617 



71.0 



7. 00 



25 



4 





Down 



1.0571 



13. 359 



8. 39 



3. 64 



12. 03 



.244 



.541 



62.6 



3. 37 



25 



5 



October 8 



Standing.. 



1. 0734 



17. 074 



11.99 



2. 76 



14. 75 





.475 



70.2 



6. 91 







C 



do 





1. 0600 



15. 775 



10. 34 



3. 80 



14. 10 





.436 



65.5 



4. 90 



6 



