THE SUGAR CANE. 



217 





ANALYSIS OR THE ASHES OF THE SUGAR CANE. 



" Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, were very fine, full-grown canes, from 

 Trinidad, consisting of stalks and leaves, but without the roots. 

 Nos. 5, 6, and 7, were similar canes from Berbice ; No. 8, from 

 Demarara ; No. 9, of full-grown canes, but with leaves, from 

 the Island of Grenada ; No. 10, from Trelawny, Jamaica, 

 consisting of transparent canes in full blossom, grown about 

 six miles from the sea, and manured with cattle dung ; No. 

 11, of transparent canes, from St. James', Jamaica, growing 

 about two hundred yards from the sea, being old ratoons, 

 and also manured with cattle dung ; No. 12, young, trans- 

 parent canes, three and a half miles from the sea, and ma- 

 nured with cattle dung, guano and marl. Prof. Shepard" 



Herapath found that 1,000 grains of the cane when burned, 

 left but 7k grains of ash, which was made up of inorganic 

 bases, in nearly the following proportions, viz. : silicia, 1.8; 

 phosphate of lime, 3.4 ; oxide of iron and- clay, .2 ; carbonate 

 of potash, 1.5 ; sulphate of potash, .15 ; carbonate of magne- 

 sia, .4; and sulphate of lime, .1. 



The amount of fresh cut cane from an acre is sometimes 

 enormous, exceding, probably, in some instances, 30 tone ; 

 but where the trash and bagasse are restored to the. soil, 

 nothing more is required to sustain its fertility ; yet there 

 may still be a failure of the crop from the neglect of rota- 

 tion. Many throw out their land to accomplish this .object 

 by rest ; and while thus lying apparently idle, an important 

 change is wrought in the soil by the action of a new class 

 of vegetable roots, the weeds and such chance vegetation 

 as may happen to occupy the field, which rapidly prepares 

 it for its accustomed crop. But this end is attained more 

 certainly, by a dense covering of such plants as may be best 

 adapted to the purpose. Some alternate with corn, but this 

 will be seen to violate a cardinal principle laid down under 

 the head of rotation, as it approaches too nearly to the cane 

 in its character. Corn may take its place in the fields, but 



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