CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER I. 
SUGAR AND SUGAR PLANTS. 
Cane Sugar—Its Early History—The Period of its Introduc- 
tion into Europe—Comparatively unknown to the Ancients 
' —Pliny’s Observations—Importance of the Sugar Industry 
at the Present Time—Sources from which Sugar is now de- 
rived—The Tropical Cane—Its Climatology —Sugar Pro- 
duction in the United States—Insufficiency of all our Native 
Sources of Supply—The Cane in Louisiana—The Sugar 
Maple—The Beet—Grape or Starch Sugar—Its Low Rank— 
Inapplicable to the most Important Purposes for which Cane 
Sugar is used—Sorghum Saccharatum, the Northern Cane 
—Sketch of its History—Its Relations to Soil and Climate 
—lIts True Character and Value. ; : : ° ° 
CHAPTER II. 
METHOD OF CULTIVATION. 
The Method of Cultivation adapted to the Nature and Re- 
quirements of the Plant—Resemblance to Indian-corn not 
so close as has been supposed—Cereal and Saccharine Plants 
—Importance of adherence to System—Some Considerations 
of Primary Importance—The Selection of the Seed—Vari- 
eties of Cane—Chinese and South African—Characteristics 
of Good Seed—How Germination may be hastened—Physi- 
ology of the ae ee and Cultivation—Outline of a 
System defined . ° : . : 
CHAPTER III. 
METHOD OF CULTIVATION (CONTINUED). 
Inequality of Development of the Stem and Roots of the An- 
nual Grasses during the early Period of Growth—This Pe- 
culiarity must be recognized in any Rational System of 
Planting and Culture—All Cultivated Plants divided into 
two Great Classes, according to their mode of development 
—Relations to Climate—The Oat Plant—Ahrend’s Experi- 
ments—In what Respects the growth of Sorghum is Analo- 
gous—The Characteristics of the Plant at different Periods 
of Growth exhibited—Physiology of the Leaf, Stem, and 
Root—Treatment which the Plant should receive at each 
Period : 
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