214 THE AFRICAN SUGAR CANE. 
Arduino, ot Florence, to introduce varieties of the [Zoleus 
Saccharatus into European cultivation, and their ultimate 
failure and consequent total disuse, arose from the simple 
circumstance of his having unfortunately lighted upon 
varieties which required too long a period for their per 
fect maturity to suit the short and variable summer of 
Hurope. 
I cannot impress this important point too strongly 
upon the attention of my readers, for on it, in fine, de- 
pends the success or failure of the whole cultivation for 
the purposes of sugar making. In tropical climates the 
planter is of course free to choose whichever variety his 
fancy or his experience in time to come, may lead him 
to prefer: nor can any set rule be laid down which he 
must of necessity follow. 
It is to be supposed that he will select those varieties 
which will not only yield him a large return per acre, 
but will afford him an extended period for his manufac- 
turing operations, instead of all becoming ripe together. 
Sort.—Imphee will grow well and produce sugar 
abundantly in a great variety of soils; and in this res- 
pect it is very similar to the real sugar cane; but among 
the many advantages which it has over its great rival, 
the perfect immunity it enjoys from the attack of whzte 
ants is one much too important to pass over without 
remark. 
In the colony of Natal, on the south-east coast of 
Africa, the white ant is as numerous, and fully as des- 
tructive, as it isin India; consequently, none but low- 
lying, swampy grounds can be used in that colony for 
sugar cane cultivation: and this fact places a restriction 
