Sugar-cane, Cotton, and Tobacco 219 



and Texas, where most of the crop of the United States is 

 grown, only two or three crops are cut before the field becomes 

 unprofitable. In sections farther north often only one crop 

 can be secured. 



Cuba, Java, .Hawaii, United States, and Porto Rico are the 

 chief countries that produce sugar-cane. 



124. Uses. Sugar is the chief product from cane. It 

 can be made only from fully ripened stalks, thus limiting the 

 production to regions where early frosts do not occur. Sirup 

 can be made from rather immature cane and in sections where 

 early frosts do occur sirup is manufactured. This is not the 

 same as molasses, but is made by boiling the juice of the im- 

 mature cane, while molasses is a by-product of the manufac- 

 ture of sugar. 



In addition to the manufacture of sugar, molasses, and sirup, 

 cane has a few other uses. The tops and green leaves are fed 

 to live-stock ; the crushed stalks are used for silage and fuel, 

 and the making of paper. 



125. Soils and fertilizers. One of the first requirements 

 for sugar-cane is a plentiful supply of water in the soil through- 

 out the whole growing season. The plant with its number of 

 broad leaves presents a large area of leaf surface from which 

 much moisture is sent into the air by transpiration. 



Soils for cane should be fertile and rich in humus. In hilly 

 regions, well drained alluvial bottom lands are very satisfac- 

 tory. 



Commercial fertilizer is used profitably in growing cane. 

 Abundant fertilizer is needed in Louisiana, because the tops and 

 leaves of the cane are burned each year. If this material were 

 plowed under, it would return plant-food and humus to the 

 soil; nevertheless the burning is considered the better prac- 

 tice, because the fire destroys many cane-borers, a serious pest 

 of the crop and, in addition, gets rid of much undecayed organic 

 matter that would hamper the cultivation of the ground. 

 Also the soil with the litter removed will dry out rapidly in 



