Sacchanim, triandria digynia. 545 



Ohs. This new species, for such it appears to me, was introduced 

 from China into the Botanic Garden, at the close ©f the year 1796, 

 iii hope of finding it in some respects better than the common cane 

 culiivaled over India. It promises considerable advantage ; particn- 

 lail, from its being so solid, and hard, as to resist the forceps of the 

 white ants, and the teeth of the jackall, two great enemies to our 

 East Indian .sugar piuntations. At the same time it bears drought 

 much belter than the sorts in general cultivation. It produces a 

 proiiiable crop even to the third year^ while the common cane of 

 India must be renewed every year. It is also said to yield juice of 

 a licher quaUty. 



This seems to be the sort employed over China for making their 

 suoars, as appears horn the following extract of a letter from Mr. A. 

 Duncan, surgeon to the factory at Canton, to Richard Hall, Esq, 

 President, lS.c. of the Select Committee, dated Canton 26th October, 

 1796, which accompanied plants of this cane from China; explain- 

 ing the mode of cultivation and manufacturing the sugar in the pro- 

 vince of Canton. 



" Sifoar canes. A first and second sort are cultivated in the pro- 

 " vince of Canton ; the former being small, compact a\id highly Sac- 

 "charine, is manufactured into sugar, whereas the latter, being of a 

 ''larger size, and looser texture, is generally cut into joints, and eat 

 **by the natives, either raw, or gently healed. 



"The culture of sugar canes commences about the middle of 

 « March or beginning of April, in proportion to the temperature of 

 " the weather, when a good, light, sandy soil is thrown up into beds 

 " of about four feet diameter leaving intermediate spaces of one 

 "and a half, which serve as drains and passes for the husbandmen. 

 ** A composition of human manure and water is thrown over the beds ; 

 " after which the tops of sugar canes, fifteen inches long, (the Chi- 

 " nese are here economical) are planted in a slanting position, and 

 *•' occasionally watered at sun set, till the young shoots rise a cubit 

 " high, when the husk and refuse of the ground nut, or of some oleagi- 

 *'nus seeds after the oil is extracted, are well beaten into a kind of 



