Vol. XV. No. 377. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



323 



THE GROWTH OF THE SUGAR-CANE. 



On several occa.sions attention has been called in 

 •this Journal to the desirability of greater observation 

 work in conne.xion with the growth and development 

 of the sugar-cane. The work required should have 

 regard to measurable characters, as, for instance, rela- 

 tive root growth under different soil conditions and 

 with different varieties. Records would also be useful 

 concerning the rate of growth of the stem under differ- 

 ent conditions and the rate of leaf development. The 

 cane plant on account of its habit of growth affoi'ds 

 good material for making such observations, and it 

 should be easy to establish correlations which might be 

 iiseful in selection work. 



The Louisiana Planter (for September 2) gives 

 this idea consideration editorially, and some of the 

 remarks made on the subject are reproduced below: - 



Under the most favourable circumstances of sugar-cane 

 growth such as frequently characterize the growing seasons 

 in Louisiana in Jul)' and August, when there is ample 

 .sunshine and rainfall, the growth of sugar-cane in the height 

 of the rounded part of the stalk sometimes reaches two or 

 three joints per week. The joints grown under such favour- 

 able conditions are generally of good diameter, say from \\ 

 to li inches and of good length, .say from 4 lo 6 inches, and 

 are apparently much finer canes than are generally grown in 

 the tropics where, while the yields in toial weight may be 

 larger, the canes are frequently slender and .short-jointed. 

 AVe beheve that Louisiana has developed as fine or finer cane 

 culture than practised elsewhere in the cane-sugar world. 

 The fact of the matter is that in the tropics cane grows 

 with such freedom that the planters become somewhat 

 indifferent to its condition and any bad work may perhaps be 

 redeemed by supplying new plantings where the planted cane 

 has died out. This has led to some indifference as to cultiva- 

 tion on the part of the tropical sugar planters so long as they 

 secure adequate supplies of sugar-cane for their great central 

 factories. 



We do not now recall any sugar-cane experiment station 

 work wherein the progress of the growth per day or week or 

 month has been recorded, and it would seem to afford an 

 excellent opportunity for some research work in that direction. 

 By its means the growth of sugar-cane per week could be 

 identified with the rainfall in the same locality per week and 

 the whole season of active growth, thus coming under careful 

 ob.servation, we might find that certain varieties of cane grew 

 more r<pidly under given conditions than other canes, all of 

 which would gradually lead to the utilization of the most 

 .successful and doubtless the best types of cane for our various 

 soils and conditions. Sugar planters have at times marked 

 a given point on the growing end of the sugar-cane by tying 

 a string around it and by driving a stake alongside the cane 

 of the same height as the mark. This would give the growth 

 oer day or per week, or per month of the single instance 

 under observation. If the work were carried on more 

 extensively we would likely find the greatest growth of the 

 cane in the periods of the greatest amount of .sunshine and 

 that cloudy days would give less active growth. It is on 

 this account that the Hawaiians claim that their irrigated 

 plantations, where they have no rainfall whatever and pre- 

 sumably but few clouds, and do have almo.st constant sunshine, 

 give more profitable returns than those plantations in Hawaii 

 where there is nearly if not a full supply of rainfall sufficient 

 for the growth of the cane crop. 



A writer discussing this matter some months ago, stated 

 that by inserting a needle horizontally in the growing part 

 of the cane, by which he means what we call the bud or 

 soft, top joint of the cane, holes are made through all the 

 leaves, sheaths and internodes, which will serve as points 

 from which to measure the growth of the various parts with 

 respect to the outer sheath, which has ceased to grow. 



In order to examine into these results the leaves are 

 removed one by one and the displacements of the holes ia 

 the different parts of the stalk can be measured with respect 

 to the small hole formed by the needle in the outer .sheath. 



Observations indicate that the elongatir'n of the .sheath 

 occurs later than the growth of the leaf: that the internode 

 at the extremity of which the leaf grows, begins to elongate- 

 when the growth of the entire leaf is almost finished. There 

 seems to be a growth at the base of this internode which has 

 not yet reached its maximum growth when the upper 

 portions have already reached theirs. These determinations 

 are made by the measurements hereinabove referred to and! 

 it would seem likely that much valuable data ould be 

 secured by such research work in our experiment stations. 



NOTES ON THE SUGAR INDUSTRY OF 

 CUBA. 



The following facts concerning the cost of production of 

 sugar in Cuba are taken from an article in the International 

 Sugar Journa/. It is possible that in the future the price of 

 cane sugar will be determined largely by the cost of production 

 in Cuba; hence information on the subject is of more than 

 passing interest. 



Most of the cane in Cuba is bought by the factory on 

 a sliding scale dependent on the current price of sugar. With 

 cane at 5 per cent., and sugar at 3c., the cost of a ton of 

 cane is S3, f.o.b. cars. In regard to the cultivation expenses 

 in western Cuba, it is stated that the cost of a ton of cane 

 f.o.b. railway cars in western Cuba works out on an average 

 at something like $2'13 per ton. 



The value of land in Cuba varies according to the situ- 

 ation and fertility: in eastern Cuba, where there remain the 

 most extensive tracts of new land, the price starts at about 

 $.5 per acre and may reach §2.5 under special conditions. 



Concerning harvesting expenses, it is stated that the- 

 price paid for cutting and loading into bullock carts is about 

 60c. per ton; the hauling to the railway siding costs, on an 

 average, -t-Dc. per ton, including the transfer to the railway 

 waggon. 



The cost of manufacturing sugar varies with the size of 

 the factory, its efficiency, and with the percentage of sugar in 

 the cane; it lies all the way from -^6 to $12 per ton, the 

 former figure referring to the larger factories when the yield. 

 is high and the latter under adverse circumstances of small 

 output and small yield. 



As regards cost of factory, it is said that the rough 

 rule for the establishment of a central, applicable to normal 

 times, is to allow .$15 per bag capacity, to include factory, 

 land, houses, oxen, railway system, carts, etc., but not 

 including the establishment of the crop. 



On examination of the above data it will be seen that 

 Cuba is essentially a country of extensive, as opposed to 

 intensive work in both field and factory; an analysis of the 

 cost of production shows that the harvesting expenses form 

 the largest individual item and demon.strate the advantage 

 Cuba possesses in its proximity to the United States market;, 

 and finally, reveals that the cheapness of production is largely 

 due to the absence of any expense or intensification. 



