10 SUGAR 



which has been, introduced into the United State 

 We used to import a considerable amount of Indian 

 palm-sugar, known as " Jaggery " or " Gur," but it 

 is now grown chiefly for native consumption ; maple- 

 sugar, beloved in its homeland as a dainty, is only 

 produced in comparatively small quantities, and practi- 

 cally the whole supply is reserved for American use ; 

 sorghum-sugar is of an inferior quality. None of these 

 sugars is in a position to compete with cane-sugar or 

 beet-sugar, which together rule the world's sugar- 

 markets. 



Of the two plants which are the universal suppliers, 

 by far the older is the sugar-cane. 



The sugar-cane family is generally believed to be of 

 Eastern origin, although some old writers say that the 

 West Indies and Central America have an equal claim 

 to be regarded as its native land. Nevertheless, most 

 authorities agree that Cochin China, or some near 

 neighbourhood thereto, is its only real homeland, 

 whence it was introduced into China, India and Arabia. 

 During their world - famous period of political 

 supremacy, the Arabs started the cultivation of sugar- 

 cane in all parts of the widespread Mohammedan 

 Empire, including Spain. The Spaniards, in their 

 turn, either transported sugar-cane to the West Indies 

 and Mexico, or, if they found it already growing in the 

 West, they considerably developed its cultivation and 

 taught the natives the art of sugar-making. Experi- 

 ments have proved that sugar-cane will grow in all 

 tropical and sub-tropical countries ; at the present 

 time, there are centres of cultivation in every con- 

 tinent. 



Originally, all sugar-canes seem to have been of one 



