SUGAR. 385 



power of vegetation is equally strong. The cane- 

 plant is possessed of the power of tillering, in a man- 

 ner similar to that shown by wheat, although not to 

 an equal extent. 



In preparing a field for planting with the cuttings 

 of cane, the ground is marked out in rows three or 

 four feet apart, and in these lines holes are dug from 

 eight te twelve inches deep, and with an interval of 

 two feet between the holes. Where the ground is 

 level, larger spaces are left at certain intervals, for 

 the facility of carting ; but there are many situations 

 at the sides of steep hills where no cart can be taken, 

 and in such cases these spaces are not required. 

 The ripe canes are then conveyed to the mill in bun- 

 dles on the backs of mules, or are passed down to 

 the bottom of the hill through wooden spouts. 



The hoeing of a cane-field is a most laborious 

 operation when performed, as it must be, under the 

 rays of a tropical sun. Formerly this task was al- 

 ways effected by hand labour, but, of late years, 

 where the nature of the ground will admit of the em- 

 ployment of a plough, that instrument has been sub- 

 stituted, to the mutual advantage of the planter and 

 his labourers. The planting of canes does not re- 

 quire to be renewed annually ; in such a case the 

 utmost number of labourers now employed on a 

 sugar plantation would be wholly inadequate to its 

 performance. The most general plan is for a cer- 

 tain portion of the land in cultivation to be planted 

 annually and in succession, the roots and stoles 

 of the canes of the former year being left through 

 the remaining parts of the plantation. From these, 

 fresh canes, which are called rattoons, spring 

 up, and are nearly as large the first year as plant 

 canes. Rattoon canes have a tendency to deteriorate 

 at least in size every year they are continued, for 



VOL. xv. - 33 



