9 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



tinues to grow vigorously for this period from a single plant- 

 ing. In St. Domingo, many of the cane fields are irrigated, 

 from the mountain streams, by which the crop is largely 

 increased, and the ratoons or old plants last for several years. 

 Mr. Spalding places the average crop of the uplands in Geor- 

 gia at 500 Ibs. of sugar per acre, and that of the bottom or 

 river lands, at 1000 Ibs., while that of Louisiana is estimated 

 at 800 Ibs. The crushed cane is frequently used for fuel 

 where wood is scarce. This is a wasteful custom as it is a 

 valuable food for stock. Large quantities of the molasses 

 have hertofore been used for distilling into alcohol, but the 

 manufacture of this has materially lessened of late, and a 

 salutary change has been made in its disposal. When it 

 would not bring a remunerating price for exportation, as has 

 sometimes been the case in the West Indies, it has been 

 mixed with other materials and fed to stock. It is healthful 

 and excedingly fattening to animals. Its great value for con- 

 version into fat will be readily seen by comparing the ele. 

 ments of each. Sugar has been analyzed by several chem- 

 ists with slightly varying results. According to the follow, 

 ing authorities, it consists of 



Lussac & Thenard, Berzelius, Prout, Ure, 



Oxygen, 50.63 49.856 53.35 50.33 in 100 



Carbon, 42.47 43.265 39.99 43.38 



Hydrogen, 6.90 6.875 6.66 6.29 



Fat according to Chevreul, consists of 79 carbon ; 11.4 hy- 

 drogen ; and 9.6 of oxygen. The only difference in the 

 chemical character of molasses and sugar, is that the former 

 contains a considsrable addition of water. Thus it will be 

 seen, that fat and molasses are identical in their constituents 

 though varying in their relative proportions ; and it would be 

 fairly inferable from theory, as it has been found in practice, 

 that no food is better suited to the easy and rapid conversion 

 into animal fat if fed profusely. 



THE VARIETIES of cane cultivated in the United States, 

 are the blue ribbon, the stem of which is hadsomely striped 

 with blue and yellow. These were brought from Jamaica, 

 and are thus described by Mr. Spalding: "The first is so 

 hardy, that I think it might be grown in warm, sandy soils/ 

 dressed with animal manures and with diluted ashes, even 

 to New-York, for the feeding of cattle, and other useful pur- 

 poses ; the cane for planting being placed in dry cellars, and 

 only taken out for planting in warm days in April. The 

 white striped cane is the tenderest of all the species, and in 



