88 The Sugar Cane. QJuLY, 



called the arrow, is four or five feet long ; it is terminated by a panicle of sterile 

 flowers, which are eighteen or twenty inches high. 



" In new and moist land, such as the colonies of Dutch Guiana, the cane 

 grows to the height of twelve, fifteen, or even twenty feet. In arid calcareous 

 soils, it sometimes does not attain a greater height than six feet, and one of ten 

 feet is considered long." 



The cane originally brought from the Island of Bourbon, and reported 

 by the French to be the growth of the coast of Malabar, seems now to 

 the favourite. It and the Otaheite cane are similar in growth and ap- 

 pearance. They are much larger than the Brazilian, the joints of some 

 measuring eight or nine inches long, and six in circumference. They 

 are ripe enough to grind at the age of ten months ; they appear to stand 

 the weather better, and are not liable to be attacked by that destruc- 

 tive insect the borer. They are considered so superior to the old canes, 

 that their adoption has nearly banished the original Brazilian plant from 

 our islands. " A mixture of clay and sand, or what has been called 

 brick-mould, seems to be generally acknowledged as most favourable to 

 the growth of the cane ; and, although the effects of rain on this soil 

 are apparently soon over, the inner portion retains a considerable degree 

 of moisture, even in the driest weather, and it has the advantage of sel- 

 dom requiring trenches to be made even in the wettest season." (p. 33.) 

 Next to this the favourite soil is a black mould. We must, however, 

 refer to the publication itself for much valuable information on this sub- 

 ject, and also regarding manures, the application of which the Chinese 

 are said to understand better than most of our planters. 



In planting canes the use of the plough is recommended, and is fre- 

 quenty used on lands that are suitable for its operations. Cf In about a 

 fortnight after planting, the young sprouts appear a few inches above the 

 earth." The holes are filled up with earth as the plant rises, and care 

 is taken to extirpate weeds, and also to clear away the oflf-shoots, which 

 draw off the nourishment from the main shoot. " When the skin of the 

 cane becomes dry, smooth, and brittle ; when it is heavy ; the pith grey, 

 approaching to brown; the juice sweet and glutinous ; then it may be con- 

 sidered in perfection. It is of great advantage that the canes should be 

 cut in the dry season, as they then always produce better sugar than those 

 cut in the rainy season, when they are more replete with aqueous juice, 

 and require more fuel in evaporating it." 



The ratoons are the developement of the buds which form the second- 

 ary stole of a plant that has been cut. These are called first, second, 

 third, &c. according to the age of the root from which they spring; they 

 are found annually to diminish in length of joint and circumference. " It 

 is found, from observation and experience, that the juice from the ratoons 

 is much easier clarified, and its essential salt requires less care in concen- 

 tration, than that of the plant cane, the sugar obtained from which is 

 also of an inferior quality." (p. 49) On some soils it is found to be advan- 

 tageous to depend chiefly on ratoons. 



When vegetation appears too active, it is then advisable to take off the 

 decayed leaves from the cane, that the plant may receive the uninter- 

 rupted rays of the sun, otherwise its juices will be poor and aqueous. 

 This is called trashing the cane, and it requires great judgment to know 

 when to have recourse to it. Various kinds of vermin do considerable 

 injury, and the usual methods of destroying them are pointed out. 







