270 The Sugar-Beei in America 



In Hawaii, eighteen months are required for it to ripen ; 

 it tassels about a month before it is ready to cut. In 

 Louisiana and Texas, the crop is harvested in nine or ten 

 months after planting ; in Cuba, it is cut in twelve months 

 whether it is ripe or not. In the Philippines, it is har- 

 vested in about fourteen months, being planted in No- 

 vember and December and harvested a year from the 

 next January and February. 



ADAPTATION 



Sugar-cane is strictly a hot-climate plant. In order 

 to flourish, it must have abundant sunshine, plenty of 

 moisture, and a fertile soil. It is usually confined to the 

 tropics, included between twenty-two degrees north lati- 

 tude and twenty-two degrees south latitude, although in 

 a few places it reaches beyond these boundaries, having 

 been grown as far north as thirty-two degrees in Spain 

 and as far south as thirty-seven degrees in New Zealand. 

 The most favorable growing conditions are found with an 

 average annual temperature of about 75° F. and seven to 

 nine months of growing season with warm days and 

 nights. 



It flourishes in the Hawaiian Islands, Cuba, Mexico, 

 Central America, islands of the East and West Indies, 

 Australia, China, India, along the shores of the China 

 Sea and Indian Ocean, and in parts of Africa and South 

 America. In the low altitudes of temperate zones it 

 grows, but is only fairly successful. 



The water requirement of the crop is exceedingly large 

 and can only be met by an extremely heavy rainfall or 



