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XX. — On the Composition of Sorghum Saccharntum (Holcus 
Saccharatus) or North China Sugar- Cane. By Dr. Augustus 
VOELCKER. 
The cultivation of the North China sugar-cane, sorghum saccha- 
ratum (holcus saccharatus), the sorgo sucre of the French, lias of 
late attracted much attention. During the past season it has 
been grown in many places in England by way of experiment. 
This new graminaceous plant appears to be cultivated largely 
in several parts of North America, where it has attracted much 
attention on account of the sugar which it contains, and likewise 
on account of its adaptation to the distillation of spirit and the 
preparation of fermented liquors. It is a beautiful-looking 
grass, resembling in appearance Indian corn. In favourable 
climates it comes to maturity in a single season, and reaches a 
height of from 12 to 16 feet. Sorghum sugar, when refined, is 
identical in composition and quality with cane-sugar. Sorghum 
saccharatum is recommended chiefly as a new material for the 
manufacture of sugar, and likewise as a nutritious and fattening 
food for horses and cattle. 
The sorghum which was used for analysis was grown on the 
Royal Agricultural College Farm. The seed was drilled on the 
13th of May, in rows 14 inches apart, and at a depth of about 3 
inches. It came up well and evenly. The plants appeared to 
grow vigorously throughout the summer, and reached a height of 
about 5 feet by the beginning of October. A patch of about 
^-acre furnished a good deal of green food to cattle, which 
seemed not to relish it at first, but towards the end of September 
grew very fond of it. The soil on which the sorghum was 
grown was in good condition, of moderate depth, and, like most 
soils in our neighbourhood, contains a good deal of lime and 
clay, and scarcely any sand. The preceding crop was potatoes. 
As this crop had been heavily manured, no farmyard dung was 
put on the land this season, nor was any other manure employed, 
except some ashes from burnings of roadside parings and the 
clippings of hedgerows. 
The sorghum was submitted to analysis at two different 
periods, namely, on the 23rd of August and on the 26th of 
September, 1859. 
Composition of Sorghum, analysed August 23rd. 
Water. — At this time the plants had no proper stems. 
The stalks consisted merely of leaves rolled up, which could be 
entirely untwisted. 
As there was a good deal of adhering water on the leaves, it 
was necessary to unroll all the leaves, and to dry them with fine 
blotting paper, before making the water-determination. 
