﻿312 
  INTRODUCTION 
  TO 
  BOTANY 
  

  

  About 
  one 
  third 
  of 
  the 
  world's 
  supply 
  of 
  sugar 
  comes 
  from 
  

   the 
  sugar 
  cane 
  (Saccharum 
  officinarum), 
  which 
  has 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  

   dozen 
  varieties 
  that 
  thrive 
  in 
  tropical 
  and 
  sub-tropical 
  coun- 
  

   tries 
  (fig. 
  234). 
  This 
  plant 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  heavy 
  root 
  system, 
  

   from 
  which 
  several 
  stalks 
  grow. 
  Its 
  leaves 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  

   numerous, 
  so 
  that 
  much 
  chlorophyll 
  work 
  is 
  possible 
  ; 
  hence 
  

   much 
  sugar 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  plant. 
  The 
  stalks 
  when 
  full- 
  

   grown 
  are 
  so 
  well 
  filled 
  with 
  sugar-laden 
  sap 
  that 
  natives 
  

   often 
  use 
  them 
  directly 
  as 
  food. 
  The 
  sap 
  from 
  good 
  cane 
  may 
  

   contain 
  from 
  17 
  to 
  18 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  sugar. 
  After 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  

   stripped 
  off, 
  the 
  stalks 
  are 
  cut 
  and 
  the 
  sap 
  is 
  pressed 
  from 
  

   them 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  machinery 
  specially 
  designed 
  for 
  that 
  pur- 
  

   pose 
  ; 
  after 
  this 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  sugar 
  by 
  

   evaporation. 
  Some 
  sugar 
  cane 
  is 
  grown 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  but 
  

   sorghum 
  is 
  more 
  widely 
  distributed 
  and 
  produces 
  a 
  sirup 
  that 
  

   is 
  extensively 
  used. 
  1 
  

  

  Sugar 
  beets 
  (Beta 
  vulgariii) 
  have 
  been 
  grown 
  in 
  Europe 
  for 
  

   many 
  generations, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  recent 
  years 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  widely 
  grown 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  They 
  have 
  already 
  

   become 
  a 
  prominent 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  sugar 
  industry. 
  Sugar 
  beets 
  

   thrive 
  in 
  temperate 
  climates, 
  mature 
  in 
  a 
  relatively 
  short 
  sea- 
  

   son, 
  and 
  grow 
  well 
  in 
  a 
  wide 
  range 
  of 
  soil 
  conditions. 
  Besides 
  

   these 
  advantages, 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  productive. 
  The 
  sugar 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  from 
  beets 
  is 
  rapidly 
  coming 
  into 
  general 
  favor. 
  2 
  

  

  295. 
  Fiber 
  plants. 
  Primitive 
  people 
  learned 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  

   strong-iibered 
  grasses 
  and 
  the 
  tough 
  bark 
  of 
  some 
  trees 
  in 
  mak- 
  

   ing 
  bands 
  and 
  cords 
  for 
  tying 
  various 
  articles. 
  Leatherwood, 
  

   or 
  moosewood 
  ( 
  Ttirca 
  palustris), 
  and 
  Indian 
  hemp 
  (Apocynum 
  

   cannabinwriy, 
  often 
  so 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  early 
  settlers 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  

   have 
  fibers 
  of 
  very 
  great 
  strength, 
  which, 
  when 
  dry, 
  are 
  almost 
  

   as 
  strong 
  as 
  leather 
  thongs. 
  The 
  making 
  of 
  cordage 
  from 
  plant 
  

   libers 
  has 
  become 
  an 
  important 
  industry. 
  Many 
  grasses, 
  palms, 
  

   hemps, 
  etc. 
  have 
  extremely 
  long, 
  strong 
  fibrovascular 
  bundles, 
  

   which, 
  when 
  removed 
  and 
  twisted 
  together, 
  make 
  twines 
  of 
  

  

  1 
  " 
  Sugar 
  Cane 
  in 
  Porto 
  Kim." 
  Hu/hthi 
  .'>, 
  Porto 
  Rico 
  Agr. 
  Exp. 
  Sta., 
  1910. 
  

  

  2 
  "The 
  Sugar 
  Beet," 
  Farmers' 
  Bulletin 
  52, 
  U.S. 
  Dept. 
  Agr., 
  1910. 
  

  

  