SORGHUM SUGAR CANE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2465, 1 March 1882, Page 3

SORGHUM SUGAR CANE.

A few days sinoe (says the Auckland " Herald ") there were on view at Mr Lavers' •hop, Queen street, two samples of the sorghum sugar cane grown in this province. It will be remembered that last year, Mr Justice Gillies was sent to the South a short time before his orop of sorghum cane was ready for cutting and crushing. As he was thus prevented being at home during the crushing operations, the oane was not out for sugar purposes, but allowed to ripen its seed. In due time a large quantity of seed was plaoed in the hands of Mr Layers for distribu-

tion amongst those settlers who would be likely to grow the plant with some oare. Some forty to fifty Bottlers were thus supplied with seeds of the early amber cano aud tho Honduras eane. As yet only one has reported to Mr Lavers the result of the experiments made, Mr J. Anderson, of Manurewa. It was from him that the specimens shown were obtained. The Honduras oanes are apparently much later than the early amber, though both were sown at the same time, in the early part of November. The three Honduras oanes are each 6ft in length, while the three early amber canes are each 10ft Cin. The canes of each variety shown were stated to be fair average samples of the whole. In each case the weight of the three oanes was as near as possible, 4£lb. The early amber oanes are just on the point of flowering while in the Honduras variety the panicle is only bursting forth from the sheath. The canes will Rrow heavier than they are at present, and it is probable that when fully matured, each cane, after being topped and stripped of leaves, will weight at least 21b». As there will be soma 20,000 canes on eaoh aore, we thus obtain from Mr Anderson's experiment, data for believing that at least from 15 to 20 tons of crushable canes can be produoed in this dietriot, and this, too, from seed grown and ripened last year in the Auokland olimate. This so far is highly encouraging, and if, upon careful examination, the looally grown cane be found to produce a fair percentage of orystallisable sugar, the basis of a large industry may very soon be laid in our midst. But who is to prove the sugar contents of the cane when grown ? The aid of the analytical ohemist should be called in, and the oane from this time forth tested at different periods, to asoertain the devel. opement of the sugar in the juice of the plant. As tbe sugar soon decomposes after the oane is cut, arrangements should be made with our local ohemists to have these tests mado, so that the cane can be proved on the day it is out. We trust that suffioient public spirit will be shown by Auckland oitizens to have this matter fairly and fully tested, now that our settlers have taken the trouble to grow the cane. To be in a position of supplying our own sugar would give an enormous impetus to local trade, and, if sugar production is ever to become an established trade in New Zealand, we believe the sunny North has the fairest prospect of having the lion's share of this industry. We may add that Mr Anderson's cane was grown without manure of any kind.