432 FIELD CROPS 



cane is used. The saccharine content and the purity of the 

 juice depend on the soil, the cHmate, and many other factors. 

 The stalks consist of fiber and juice. A large proportion of 

 fiber naturally means a low sugar content, hence stalks with 

 short joints are undesirable on account of the extra fiber they 

 contain. Dry seasons also lower the sugar content, because 

 the joints are shorter and the juice more scanty. In order 

 to insure a plentiful supply of water, the crop is quite com- 

 monly irrigated. 



591. Countries Which Produce Sugar Cane. The pro- 

 duction of sugar cane is confined entirely to tropical and semi- 

 tropical regions, as the crop requires a long, hot season with 

 plenty of moisture for its best growth. The world's pro- 

 duction of cane sugar averaged about 10,950,000 short tons of 

 2,000 pounds each during the five years from 1911 to 1915, 

 inclusive. Of this enormous quantity, Asia produced nearly 

 half, or 4,874,000 tons. The leading Asiatic countries in 

 sugar production are British India, with 2,776,000 tons, and 

 Java, with 1,521,000 tons. North America ranks next to 

 Asia in production, with 4,456,000 tons, of which Cuba pro- 

 duced more than half, or 2,741,000 tons. The production in 

 the continental United States averaged only 242,000 tons; 

 Hawaii produced about 598,000 tons, and Porto Rico, 

 393,000 tons. Various South American countries contributed 

 856,000 tons to the world's total, Africa 508,000 tons, and 

 Australasia 314,000 tons. In the United States, the produc- 

 tion of sugar from cane is confined almost entirely to southern 

 Louisiana, though a small quantity is produced in Texas. 

 It is grown in small patches in all the Southern states for the 

 production of sirup. It is locally known as "ribbon cane." 



592. Propagation. Sugar cane is propagated from sec- 

 tions of the stalks. When these sections are planted, new 

 stalks grow from the buds at the base of each leaf. There is 

 considerable difference in the freedom with which different 

 varieties grow from these buds; some grow from buds any- 



