BACCHARUM 

 IM'I\N CANES ornciHARUM 



< i| il is the Selangore can*, known M libbu biltong berabu (the powdery dark 

 cane) or tibbu eappor (= the ohalk eane) of Singapore and Malacca. That* 

 names are due to the presence of a large qua .vhite reainotu hut.ntanee 



<.n tin- -i. til,. l!\ nmn\ writers this is spoken of SM tho finest oane in the world. 

 Mm in tin- Strait* it i* often called the China cane, because grown net* 



settlers in the Straits before the Europeans commenced cane-planting. Tim 

 leaves are very broad and deeply serrated on the edge*, very dark gr 

 volour and lirmly at t.i. -h.-.l t the cane. The cone-it, h t, uvmlly very prevalent 

 on tins pi, mt. The tibii-liut (or < lay cane) seems to be identical with the Ota- 

 i !!,..-i \\ rit.-is. 'l'li.< tii>i,u tth'tr (or egg cane) seem peculiar to Taune. one 

 <>t tli.- N.-u 11,-i.n.l.--. Tho leaves are smooth and the stems bulge between the 

 i-n.i- t<> Mirh an . \t-nt as to have suggested its name. The leaves are shed a* 

 they ripen, and the stem becomes HO l-ntil.- tli.it it breaks readily. It 



i-ilv rulti\at.-d. The juice is copious an.l n-h in .nnility. The tibbu etAm 

 or obat is the Mark <>r medicine, cane of the Malays. It is a small cane of a rich nuck Cms*. 

 jmrple .-"lour. 



The red-purple cane of Singapore is generally accepted as the stock from B*i-porpU. 

 uhi-h has l>een developed tin- ivd .un.-s .>i H.. ml. ay. Tin-, in interesting in the 

 'i.-ht t' 'he other suggestions ami opinions \\hi.-li point to Bourbon and the 

 Mi-iiw-roloured otaheite canes being identical, and to th.-ir having originated 

 from Malabar. Thus the early European sugar-planters appear to have ob- 

 tained their stocks from Malabar, Batavia, Madagascar and the Straits. Hence 

 it may be added, in conrlusinn. that nothing has been discovered in philology, 

 botany or history that seriously upsets the hypothesis that all the forms of 

 sugar-cane emanated from a common species, which was very probably originally 

 a native of India and perhaps also of the tracts adjacent to India. 



7. Indian Canes. It has been pointed out by Benson and others Indian 

 that foreign canes introduced into India rapidly manifest a decline, in the Indigenous 

 percentage of sugar-yielding juice. The crop of cane continues high, but 

 the merit in sugar-production declines. This fact has led naturally to 

 greater faith being placed in the improvement of Indian stock than in 

 the acclimatisation of foreign canes. Commenting on the Madras canes, 

 Leather observes that " undoubtedly some of the cane which is at present 

 grown in the Madras Presidency is second to none in the world." A 

 movement has, therefore, been started to study the Indian canes critically 

 by growing them side by side at test farms. Saiyid Muhammad Hadi, 

 having devoted considerable attention to the study of the canes of the 

 United Provinces, published a valuable work designated " The Sugar 

 Industry of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh" (1902), and assorted cuiflc*tJco. 

 the canes there described and illustrated into three groups as follows : 



Group I. Ukh Canes. These are the most numerous and most Ukh Canes. 

 extensively cultivated of all races. They are grown entirely for the pro- 

 duction of sugar. The majority have a fairly luu.l. tirmly adhering skin, 

 vhirh cannot be detached with a knife beyond the joints. Stems (canes) 

 small, thin, erect, reed-like, thickest a little above the middle, mostly 

 lemon-green in colour, with age becoming paU> yellow or, in a small sub- Dcriptioa. 

 group, blotched with red. Leaves narrow, small, dark green and soft. 

 Aerial roots proceed as a rule from but a few of the lower joints. The 

 internodes are short, only slightly constricted at the joints, and often 

 possess a distinct central cavity that is even surrounded with strong 

 fibrous cords. Buds small, depressed. 



These, Hadi refers to the following sections : (a) canes other than 

 yellow. Of this nature he forms three series as follows : (1) dhaul canes, 

 of which he figures and describes seventeen different kinds. (_') matna 

 canes, of which he shows ten kinds. And (3) kuswar canes, which he 

 refers to twelve different kinds. Then under (6) the red ukh cane*, he 

 places the chin or chan canes, of which he describes six different forms. 



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