59 



TESTS OF SOME NEW VARIETIES OF SUGAR CANES. 

 By F. Watts, F.I.C., Government Analytical and Agricultural Chemist 



In October 1896, Mr. R. Craig of Danks Savoy procured from 

 Hope Gardens ten varieties of sugar cane ; these were planted in nur- 

 sery beds on somewhat stony land of the estate. On August 28th 1297 

 these canes were cut aid used for planting the field on which the fol- 

 lowing experiment was conducted ; both tops and lower joints of the 

 canes were used for planting. The trial plots had each an area of one 

 forty-fourth of an acre and the canes were planted in rows 6ft. apart 

 and 2^ feet apart in the row. The soil, a friable loam, was in good 

 •condition ; no manure was used. The piece of land employed is in 

 a somewhat shady place screened by a hill from any rapid circulation of 

 air. 



At the request of Mr. Craig analyses of the juice were made : in 

 order to effect this appliances were taken to the property and the 

 anaxyses were made in the boiling house at Danks. It must be pointed 

 out that the specific gravities of the various samples of juice were 

 taken by means of a Beaume*'s hydrometer, hence no high degree of 

 accuracy can be claimed for the figures representing total solids and 

 purity. Cane sugar and glucose were determined in the usual 

 manner. 



The canes were cut, weighed and crushed and the analyses were 

 made on February 1st and 2nd, 1899. 



In the following table the canes are arranged in the order of the 

 yield of cane sugar in the juice per acre; the table shows the weight 

 of canes per acre, the gallons of juice, the percentage of juice expressed 

 by the mill, the composition of the juice, the number of pounds of cane 

 sugar (unmanufactured) contained in the juice from an acre, together 

 with the proportion of rotten or k ' rum " canes. 



A sample of 2nd Ratoon Caledonian Queen canes from the ordi- 

 nary crop of the Estate was examined at the same time for purposes of 

 comparison. 



It will be observed that the saccharine richness of the juice in 

 every case is exceedingly low while the proportion of glucose is very 

 high : in only two cases, China and No. 78, does the cane sugar rise 

 as high as 1*4 pounds per gallon, while in one instance Po-a-ole it is 

 below 1 pound. It is difficult to account for these anomalous figures; 

 at first sight they are suggestive of unripe canes, but it will be seen 

 that the canes were over 17 months old : on the other hand it does 

 not seem probable that the low saccharine richness and high glucose is 

 due to over ripeness for the canes were juicy and in no way dried. 

 The season during which they were growing was pronounced a good one. 

 Probably the situation with insufficient sun and air may be held to 

 account largely for the poor quality of the juice. It is thought prob- 

 able that if grown in a more sunny position these canes would give 



