350 Annual Report jor 1888 0/ the Consulting Chemist, 
Under the direction of the Council of the Society, I analysed 
two samples of the sorghum which had been grown. The 
following is a copy of my report on a sample consisting of 24 
plants, grown near Maidstone : — 
Water , . , 
Soluble albuminoids . 
Insoluble albuminoids 
Digestible fibre , 
Indigestible woody fibre 
Sugar 
Other soluble carbo-hydrates, 
Soluble mineral matter 
Insoluble mineral matter 
87-50 
•26 
•60 
3-96 
305 
•47 
2^48 
1-29 
•39 
10000 
Albuminoid nitrogen "14 
Non-albuminoid nitrogen ..... "21 
Total nitrogen. . . . . • ^35 
The highest of the 24 plants did not exceed 3 feet, and the analytical 
results, as might be expected in the case of such a season as the past, are 
not satisfactory. 
There is less than half per cent, of sugar. It will be noted also how 
large a proportion of the nitrogen is in the non-albuminoid and less valuable 
form. 
The analysis, in addition to the low height reached, shows only too 
clearly how very dependent this plant is upon the influence of the sun and 
of hot weather and climate. 
In a second sample, grown near London, where the plants 
were two to three feet in height, I found even poorer results, as 
the plants contained practically no sugar at all. 
Attention is called in the report of the Department to the 
late Dr. Voelcker's investigation on this subject made in 1859 
(Journal, Vol. XX., First Series), in which he showed that, 
whilst there was no sugar in the plants at all during August, 
the warm weather in September caused them to grow well, and 
when examined on September 26 they contained 6 per cent, of 
sugar in the natural state, and 32 per cent, in the dried condition. 
It is clear, therefore, that, at best, the growing of sorghum must 
be attended with great uncertainty and risk, and in the majority 
of seasons it could not be expected in this climate to succeed. 
Indian Wheat Soils. — In connection with a paper on 
Wheat-growing in India which appeared in this Journal (Vol. 
XXEV., Part I., April 1888), I had three samples of soil sent 
to me on which wheat is cultivated in India. In the absence 
of particulars respecting these, and of indications whether 
