SORGHUM.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2317, 7 September 1881, Page 4

SORGHUM.

At the May meeting of the Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club, Mr P. Duncan, of Loburn, read j» paper on the prospects of growing sorghum in the district, and the manufacture of sugar therefrom, whereupon it was decided to procure some seed, and make a trial of this crop. By the last mail the seed came to hand, with the following letter, of July 24th, from Mr R. J. Creighton to the Colonial Secretary :—“ In reply to your letter of June 14th, relating to sorghum, and requesting that I should procure a moderate supply of the beet kinds of seed from trustworthy tradesmen or other reliable sources, I have the honor to state that I forward per mail agents, addressed to the Hon. Colonial Secretary, 1 91 K. of early amber ca'ie and 2lbs common or Chinese cane, which are mentioned in Mr J. Xiowthian Wilson's letter to the Hon. Mr Sail. I made this discrimination for two seasons—First, the early amber is the best for nil purposes for which sorghum is used, and its cultivation is fast superseding the black or common kind ; second, it has been tested and largely bought here by the Japanese Government, and as the soil and climate of New Zealand resemble Japan, it occurred to me that it would meet your wishes more nearly to give it the preference. Be good enough to inform the Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club that early amber seed can be bought in bulk nera from November 15th to March Ist, this season's crop, at 16 cents per lb.; small quantities double that price. Ordinary sorghum is going out of the market. Respecting the cost of presses, I am unable to inform you by this mail, but will write to St. Louis on tho subject. Sorghum machinery is largely manufactured there. I might suggest, however, that it would hardly pay to attempt to make sugar from sorghum in New Zealand. It would pay, undoubtedly, to make sugar ayjrup, the process being comparatively inexpensive anti within the reach of farmers or a farmers’ club. Very costly experiments were the Commission of Agriculture and the United States chemist attached to the agricultural department, the resnlt of which demonstrated the feasibility of making granulated sugar from sorghum and corn stalks, but at an expense too great to be undertaken as a commercial speculation in competition with the increasing yield of sugar cane and sugar beet. Deeming this report of great value to Now Zealand, I forward a copy to tho colonial Government for reference and information. — 1 have the honor, &c., Robx. J. Oebighton.” This report has been forwarded to Mr Wilson for the information of the Kaiapoi Farmers’ Club, and shows the result of exhaustive analyses made upon a number of varieties of sorghum, the weight of each, juice expressed, apeoifio variety of the juice, proportion of glucose, sucrose, and solids not sugar, in the juice. It also contains plates showing the growth of thirteen kinds, and graphical plates representing the results of the analysis, and altogether a vast amount of general information on the nature of the plant.