238 triandria DiGYNiA. Saccharum. 



can be easily watered ; but, unless the farmer pleases, not 

 easily flooded during violent rains. 



The land is first well ploughed during the month of April 

 and beoinninff of May. The field is then Hooded from the 

 river, if there is not sufficient rain; the upper part of the 

 cane is then cut into two lengths of one or two joints each, 

 (the lower part of the same canes are employed to make 

 sugar from) these are placed over the wet field, at about 

 fifteen or eighteen inches asunder, in rows, the rows about 

 four feet from one another, and trode under the soft wet sur- 

 face with the foot ; in six days after the planting, the field 

 is again flooded, if there has not been rain. In about eight 

 days more the shoots appear ; the land is soon after slightly 

 hoed and weeded. A month after the planting some rotten 

 chaff, or other such manure, is scattered about the young 

 plants. Every ten or fifteen days, if there be not sufficient 

 rain, the field is watered; two months from the planting, 

 some stronger manure is strewed about the plants; and every 

 fifteen or twenty days the field is slightly hoed, and the 

 weeds rooted out. 



During the wet season, drains must be made, to carry off 

 the superabundant water. By August or September, the 

 cane will be from three to five feet high ; in each shoot, 

 the produce of every cutting, which may contain from three 

 to six canes, a straight bamjboo is stuck into the earth, in the 

 centre; to this the canes are tied by their leaves. In this 

 country the leaves are never striptfrom the cane, but as they 

 wither are tied round them. This must impede the free cir- 

 culation of air, which may be conceived hurtful. In Janua- 

 ry, viz. between nine and ten months from the time they were 

 planted, the cane, when stript of its leaves, and the useless 

 top cut off, will be about as thick as a good stout walking- 

 cane, and from four to six feet long; they then begin to cut 

 the cane, express the juice, and boil the sugar, which is with 

 the natives here, a very simple process ; a small mill turned 

 by cattle squeezes, the cane, and one boiler boils it. 



