HOETICULTURAL JOURNAL. 45 
" I have only had in cultivation some square yards of our Sorghum (Hol- 
cus saccharatus), in rather poor garden soil, and in the vicinity of trees 
unfavorable for it. In that situation, however, there were about twenty 
stems per square metre, or more than 17 per square yard, and of sufficient 
weight for the extraction of juice ; this would be at the rate of 3 kilo- 
grammes of juice per square metre, or 30,000 per hectare, or 27,180 lbs. per 
acre ; and estimating the quantity of sugar at 10 per cent, of the juice, the 
produce per acre would be 2,718 lbs. of sugar, which is much more than the 
average produce of Beet-root. 
"According to these corrected figures, there is a probability that the 
plant in question may prove worth cultivation ; but several years' trial will 
doubtless be necessary before we can ascertain whether it will really answer 
in a commercial point of view. 
" The plant bears much analogy to the Maize, and is similarly cultivated; 
that is to say, by sowing in rows or in patches, in the open ground, from the 
middle of April to the end of May." 
Such was the information existing in France in the beginning of the pre- 
sent year ; since which we have seen no authentic report of further experi- 
ments ; for the announcement in the Gazette de France^ and copied into 
other journals, that this " Chinese Sugar-Cane" produces 30,000 kilos an 
acre more than Beet, is undeserving notice. We understand, however, that 
the plant is attracting great attention among the Continental distillers, in 
consequence of its richness in sugar, and the extraordinary purity of its 
juice. 
Whether it will be of value in this country depends upon three circum- 
stances as yet unascertained ; 1, Whether our climate is warm enough for 
it ; 2, Whether the Excise-laws will permit its use for distillation ; and 3, 
Whether its refuse can be utilised. Upon all these points we must wait for 
further explanation ; it will, however, be easy to determine them next year, 
for we understand that a certain quantity of the seed is likely to come into 
our market in a week or two. — G-ard. Qhron. 
THE MANGOSTEEN. 
Among what are usually thought 'uncuTtivable plants the Mangosteen was 
once pre-eminent. Indian gardeners pronounced it hopeless to attempt its 
growth beyond the hot and damp Indian Archipelago. In Bengal it perishes. 
When it was first brought over, some thirty years ago, all the seedlings 
