752 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[March i, 1883. 



your paper) the easy cultivation and rapid growth of the 

 tree should make it well worth the attention of those 

 having suitable land. Your correspondent mentions the 

 month of August-October as being the most suitable for 

 planting - eara, but properly filed seeds set to germinate 

 up to the end of November would be in ample time for 

 planting out in December, with every prospect of having 

 trees from 8 to 10 or li feet high, in six or eight months, 

 with a supply of seeds or cuttings for extended operations. 

 Tbe locality in which Mr. Cross found the Ceara flourish- 

 ing is described by him as manifestly possessing 'a very 

 dry arid climate for a considerable part of the year." — 

 .Madras Mail, 10th yovember IS82. 



Resolved that the above letters be published with these 

 proceedings in the hope that they may elicit further in- 

 formation on the subject, on which many enquiries reach 

 the Society. 



SUGAR-OANE. 



By Ohakles G. W.\rnfoed Lock, f. l. s. 

 From ** Sugar Growing and Uefininyy 



The Plant. — The sugar-cane is a kind of gigantic grass, 

 belonging to the genus Saccharuin. Most botanists are in- 

 clined to ascribe all the varied sorts of sugar-cane now 

 grown to a single species, called iSaccharum officinaram, 

 formeTly ArimJo saccharifera ; this supposes all the forms 

 which are at present met with to be merely varieties 

 induced by the effects of cultivation. The best authorities 

 are not absolutely agreed upon the subject, however; and 

 it is very questionable whether any of the canes now to be 

 discovered growing in an apparently wild state in some 

 of the oldest sugar-raising countries are truly wild, i. e.. 

 have never been subjected to artificial influences, it is 

 probably imposible to arrive at a reliable decision, especially 

 when the original home (or homes) of the sugar-cane 

 remains unknown. 



Varieties. — All practical ends are served by a knowlege 

 of the characteristics which have been developed by educa- 

 tion iu the diflerent varieties. Many of these have been 

 raised to the level of ilistinct species, and have had 

 botanical (Latin) names conferred upon them ; but in view 

 of the lack of e\'idence as to their being true species and 

 not mere artificial varieties, and to avoid unnecessary 

 compUcation, it will be sufficient here to give the colloquial 

 names by which they are generally known to sugar 

 planters, and their native names when they have no 

 otherr, 



1. The Bourbon cane appears to have been introduced 

 into the West Indies from the Island of Bourbon, but it 

 came originally from the coast of Malabar. There it was 

 found growing spontaneously as a small-sized, but soft and 

 juicy caue; but it was so much affected by the change 

 of climate and soil, and the cultivation it received in 

 Bourbon, and so increased in size and richness of juice, 

 that it was planted iu preference to the old species and 

 at length entirely superseded it throughout the island. 

 AVray entertains a suspicion that it is in reality no 

 other than the Tibboo Leeut of Singapore (generally called 

 the Otaheite cane), somewhat altered by change of soil 

 and climate. 



2. The Otaheite canes are two : the yellow or straw- 

 coloured, and the purple-striped or ribbon. The former 

 and the Bourbon are so much alike in all respects, and 

 have become so intermixed on A^^est Indian estates, that 

 it is a matter of great difficulty to distinguish them, if, 

 indeed, they are not the same variety. 



t'onsidered as the same variety, one description will serve 

 for the whole. "With a good soil and favourable season, 

 plants of the first year's growth often attain the height 

 of twelve or fourteen feet, measuring .six inches iu cir- 

 cumference, and with joints eight or nine inches apart, 

 though this exceeds the average. Such plant canes com- 

 monly yield (in Jamaica, Bengal, and the Straits) two- 

 and-a-half tons, and not unfrequently three tons, of 

 marketable sugar per acre. Planted at proper .seasons, as 

 will be treated of hereafter, they often attain maturity 

 in ten months, and very rarely exceed twelve. Under 

 certain pircumstances, as in excessively rich land, or a 

 wet season, it may be expedient to allow them even 

 fourteen months. They require a generous soil and attentive 

 management. Many soils whii-h suit other varities are unfit 



for the proper development of these ; whilst it is generally 

 remarked, that they are more sensible of the injuries com- 

 mitted by the trespassing of cattle, sheep, &c., during their 

 early growth, than other descriptions. 



The purple-striped Otaheite cane is very much like the 

 ribbon cane of Batavia in appearance ; but the former Eas 

 broad purple stripes on a greenish-yellow ground, whereas 

 the latter is of a blood-red on a transparent straw-coloured 

 ground. It is often called the Otaheite ribbon cane, in contra- 

 distinction to the ribbon cane of Batana. Its foliage is 

 of a much darker colour than that of the yellow variety, 

 whilst its leaves droop much less. It is a hardy and esteemed 

 description, of large size, soft, juicy and swiet; .«iud yields 

 sugar in equal quantities, though of a rather dark quality. 



3. Batavian canes are of four descriptions, viz., the 

 yellow-violet, the purple-violet, or Java cane, the " trans- 

 parent," or ribbon cane, and the Tibboo Batavee, or Batavian 

 cane, of the Straits. 



The "yellow-violet," so denominated in the 'West Indies, 

 differs from the Bourbon in beiug smaller, less juicy, con- 

 siderably harder, of slower growth, of much darker foliage, 

 and more erect. When ripe, it is usually of a straw- 

 coloiu', its skin or rind is thick, and the pith is hard; 

 but its juice is rich and abundant. The yellow-violet 

 contents itself with a soil of inferior quality ; this renders 

 it of much importance in planting out large tracts of land 

 some portions of which may be two poor for its superiors. 

 The sugar manufactured from this cane is of a very fine 

 quality, but considerably lees in quantity than from the 

 Bourbon. A very common custom of the old Jamaican 

 planter was to mix the yellow-violet with Bourbon plant 

 canes, according to proportion, for the purpose of correct- 

 ing the juice of latter, and to check burning during the 

 boiling. 



The " purple-riolet," or large black cane of Java, is fully 

 as thick as the Otahetie, with joints varying from 3 to 

 7 inches apart. In height it is usually about 8 or 10 

 feet, with leaves of lighter green than the yellow-violet. 

 The uppermost joints sometimes exhibit faint streaks, 

 becoming imperceptible in the lower joints, which are of 

 the darkest purple colour. Very frequently a white resinous 

 film is .seen encrusted on the jomts of this cane, some- 

 times lying so thick that the purple of the cane itself is 

 in some joints almost hidden. When in perfection, it 

 yields a very sweet anfl rich juice. Being very hard, it is diffic- 

 ult to grind, and aft'ords a comparatively small quanttiy 

 of juice, which is sometimes troublesome to treat. It is 

 very hardy, thriving well in poor dry soils; in Jamaica, 

 it is often planted in the outer rows of the caue fields, 

 to stand the bruut of trespassing cattle. To other de- 

 scriptions of cane, these ravages would be very serious 

 indeed; but the purple-violet is so hardy that it quickly 

 recover.s, and springs up again wiih astonishing rapidity. 

 It was introduced into the West Indies about the same 

 time as the Bourbon, and is still much cultivated. In 

 the Straits, the Malays term it Tibboo Etam. or black cane 

 and grow it around their bouses, for eating. 



The " transparent " or ribbon cane is much smaller than 

 the Otaheite ribbon cane ; is of a bright transparent yellow 

 with a number of blood-red streaks or stripes running 

 the whole length of the stalk, and v.^rying in breadth 

 from J to 1 inch. Its leaves are green similar to that 

 of the yellow-riolet, but more erect. It grows from 6 to 

 10 feet high, with joints from 4 to 8 inches apart and 

 4 inches in circumference. It is generally planted in 

 light sandy soils, where no other cane will thrive; sometimes 

 it is raised promiscuously with the yellow-violet. Although 

 its rind is thick, and its general texture hard, yet it 

 yields a good quantity of juice of excellent qualtity, which 

 is easily converted into fine fair sugar. Planters often 

 grind this cane with the Bourbon, for the same reason 

 as applies to the yellow-violet. 



The Tibboo Batavee or BataWan cane is common in the 

 Straits of Malacca, where it is cultivated by the Malays. 

 In appearance, it is much like the yellow-violet, except 

 in the peculiarity of its colour, which is rather greenish 

 with a pink shade in parts; in some of the lower joints, 

 this pink colour is very bright and pretty, whilst in the 

 upper it is more faint and delicate. The joints are seldom 

 more than from 3 to () inches apart. In height, size, and 

 foliage, it closely resembles the yellow-violet ; it differs 

 from it in being much softer, more juicy, and less hardy 



