The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-02-19
Cane Sugar at the North.

In the report of the Commissioner of
Agriculture recently issued for the wear
1879, the chemist of the department gives
detailed report of the Government ex-
periments made in raising sugar-canes
and of the results obtained therefrom
The varieties of sorghum grown and
subjected to continuous investigation
during the season were Early Amber
White Liberian, Chinese and Honduras
The points chiefly brought out are
At what period in the growth of the
plant does it contain the greatest per-
centage of sucrose or crystallizable
sugar; whether it is most profitable to
press the stalks before or after they are
stripped of leaves; what percentage of
juice, and of sucrose, is contained in the
butts of the stalks, as compared with the
tops; and how do different varieties of
sorghum compare with each other and
with field-corn as producers of sirup and
sugar. These points are not formally
made, but are developed in the course
of the report.
AS to the first point, it appears that as
the plants advance toward maturity
there is steady diminution of glucose.
or uncrystallizable sugar, and steady
increase of sucrose, or crystallizable
sugar. For this reason the sucrose is at
its maximum at full maturity, as indi-
Gated by the hard, dry seed, and the ap-
pearance of offshoots from the upper
joints of the stock" 1t 80 happened
that severe frost occurred October 20.
sufficient to create half-inch of ice on
water, but the analysis made immeoir
ately afterward showed no diminution
of sucrose until a thaw occurred, when
the sucrose lessened and the glucose
increased "From this it would appear
that the effect of cold, even protracted,
is not injurious to the quality of the
canes, but that they should be
speedily worked up after freezing, and
before they have again thawed OUT
In early amber cane the percentage of
juice was greatest July &c, when the
flower stalks began to spread, but the
average per cent. of glucose and sucrose
together at that time was only 1899,
while on October 90 it was 1871. Slight
variations of this result occur in the 9TH
or varieties, but the general result is the
same. The early amber and Liberian
correspond very closely in the period of
her, Development, but'the Chinese and
Honduras are considerably later in at
tanning the period of greatest sugar con-
tents, and are not so well fitted to our
northern climate. The average sugar
contents of the first two is very nearly the
same from the middle of August to the
last OF October, thus giving ample time
or working up the canes.
The experiments with the butts and
tops of the canes seem to have resulted
in nothing very remarkable. In the
early part of the season the butts natur-
ally contain the most sugar until the
seed has reached the milky state, when
the juices in both parts of the plant ap-
pear to be of equal value. Later on
there is slight deterioration in the
quality of the juice from the lower half
OF the stalk, the roots and leaves failing
to supply the amount of nourishment re-
quired, thus showing that they are af-
fected by incipient decay. The statistics
of yield of cane and sirup and sugar are
not as definite and satisfactory as could
be desired. The following table exhibits
the results actually obtained: