Saccharum. jriandria digynia. 243 



on their best lands, which 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 be- 

 ginning of May. The field is then flooded 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 joinis each, (the lower part of the same 

 canes are employed to make sugar frouj) these are placed over the 

 wet field, at about lifteen or eighteen inches asunder, in rows, the 

 roAs about iour feet from one another, and trode under the soft 

 wt't surface with the loot ; in six days after the planting, tlie field 

 is agam Hooded, if theie lias not been rain. In about eight days 

 more the sljools appear ; the laud is soon after slightly hoed, and 

 weeded. A muntli after the planting some rotten chaff, or other such 

 manure, is scattered about the young plants. Every ten or flfteen 

 days, if theie be not suiiicient rain, the fleld is watered ; two months 

 from the planting, some stronger manure is strewed about the plants- 

 and every lifteen or twenty days the held io slightly hoed; and the 

 weeds rooted out. 



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

 perabundant water. By August or September, the cane will be from 

 three to five feet high; in each shoot, the produce of every cut- 

 ting, which may contain from three, to six canes, a straight bamboo 

 is stuck into the earth, in the centre ; to ihis the canes are. tied by 

 their leaves. In this country the leaves are never stript from the 

 cane, but as ihey wither are tied round them. This must impede 

 the free circulation of air, which may be conceived hurtful. \\\ 

 January, 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 fret long ; they then begin to cut the cane, express the 

 juice, and boil the sugar, which is with the natives here, a very sim- 

 ple process ; a small mill turned by cattle squeezes the cane, and one 

 boiler boils it. 



In Bengal there are three varieties cultivated, viz, The above 



£e2 



