120 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



and alcohol as by-products. In some regions where 

 cane is only produced on a small scale the juice 

 is mostly converted into table syrup instead of 

 being boiled down enough to make sugar. With 

 the old method of open-kettle manufacture much of 

 the molasses was also used for the table, but with the 

 modern vacuum-pan methods the sugar is extracted 

 so much more completely that the resulting molasses 

 is used only for stock food or for distillation. 

 Sugar cane is also used as a forage. It is well liked 

 by cattle, horses, and hogs. Doubtless cane could 

 profitably be used much more widely for feeding 

 purposes than it is at present. The yield of forage 

 per acre is larger than that afforded by any other 

 crop. 



Climatic Conditions. — Cane thrives in all parts of 

 the tropics where there is sufficient rainfall or where 

 it can be irrigated. It is not confined to strictly 

 tropical countries, but can be grown with greater or 

 less success as far north as central Alabama and 

 Mississippi. Cane would grow vigorously much 

 farther north than this, but the seasons are not 

 long enough for it to mature properly and gain its 

 full sweetness, and there would be much difficulty 

 in keeping the seed canes over winter. In fact in 

 practice the northern limit of its cultivation is 

 largely determined by the possibility of wintering 

 the seed cane. The distribution of the rainfall is a 

 very important matter in successful cane growing. 

 Abundant moisture is needed througliout the entire 

 growing season in order to secure heavy yields, but 

 dry weather in which to mature and harvest the 



