

REPORT OF THE ay TIRST AssIsTANT OF THE 
“ey 
In 1890 sorghum grown on. Be erips of land that had Becd ion | 
dressed with carbonate of lime averaged considerably higher in 
content of sugar than that from land not so treated. As only 
forty canes were analyzed in the experiment of that season, the 
work was repeated this year on a somewhat larger scale, -Four 
plats, A, B, C and D, were planted, each with the same number of 
varieties in rows, and plats A and C received an application of © 
crude precipitated carbonate of lime at the rate of 6,000 pounds 
per acre, B and D being left blank. No differences of any conse- 
quence in yield or maturity were noticeable. In the fall partial 
analyses were made of the juices from ninety-four individual 
canes from these plats, one-half from the limed plats and the 
other half of like maturity and of the same varieties from the 
blank plats. The average of all the determinations from plats A 
and C was: Specific gravity of juice, 1.0593, and cane sugar 9.36 
per cent; and from plats B and D: Specific gravity, 1.0592; cane 
sugar, 9.59 per cent. From these results it is quite plain that for 
this season at least there was no advantage in favor of an appli- 
cation of carbonate of lime. It may be that on a heavier clay soil 
an application of carbonate of limé will show more benefit, but on 
such a soil it is not recommended to grow sorghum except for 
forage. 
The variations of juices from canes of the several varieties will 
be found in the following table; 

