12 SUGAR 



ground, all the roots must be kepf^well covered with 

 soil in the early stages of growth. 



Besides transferring neighbouring soil to the roots, 

 there is plenty of work to be done in the fields whilst 

 the canes are growing ; indeed, even a moderate-sized 

 plantation, which makes any pretension to up-to- 

 date cultivation, demands the manual labour of a 

 whole army of field-hands, under the supervision of 

 agricultural and scientific experts. There is much 

 weeding to be done, the soil must be nourished with 

 manure, watchful eyes must be on the alert for attacks 

 on the canes by those destructive enemies known as 

 blight. 



Moreover, sugar-cane will only thrive under con- 

 ditions which combine heat, a very considerable 

 amount of moisture, good drainage, and dry ripening 

 and harvest seasons. In sugar-cane lands, dry periods 

 can be relied on, to some appreciable extent, to occur 

 in certain months ; thus, knowing the time necessary 

 for canes to attain maturity, it is possible to fix the 

 planting season so as to prearrange for auspicious 

 ripening and harvest seasons, always providing that 

 the climate does not happen to play pranks. But in 

 those countries where alternate floods and droughts 

 are the order of the year, sugar-planters are con- 

 fronted with many difficult drainage and irrigation 

 problems ; for it is essential that the canes shall have 

 an ample but regular supply of water for many months 

 continuously. Brains must be kept active in devising 

 and improving drainage and irrigation systems, and 

 many hands must constantly be at work cleaning 

 trenches, manipulating pumps, and overhauling sluice- 

 gates. 



