14 SUGAR 



After trash-clearing comes the harvest. The canes 

 are reaped with some form of cutlass ; the harvest- 

 makers sever each cane close to the ground, dexterously 

 trim off any odd leaves that may still be clinging to 

 the body of the stalk, and slash off a short piece of the 

 top, from which in turn they sever the head. The 

 long, bare pieces of cane are taken to a mill to be 

 crushed ; the decapitated tops, consisting of the 

 upper joints, are kept for planting. The "heads " are 

 used for fodder. 



CHAPTER IV 



A CHAT ABOUT SUGAR-CANE — Continued 



Although the system of cane cultivation is the same 

 throughout the Sugar World, numerous and widely 

 different practices are followed in regard to details. 

 Some such differences are matters of custom, others 

 are the natural result of local conditions. 



For instance, I said the top joints of canes were 

 cut off and kept for planting ; as a rule, the tops only 

 are used for this purpose, being specially selected as 

 the nucleus of a new crop on account of their com- 

 parative softness and readiness to send forth young 

 shoots. But in some countries the whole length of 

 ripe canes is used for cuttings. 



Again, as a general rule a new crop is raised from 

 cuttings, but successive crops are sometimes grown 

 from one batch of roots. If the old roots are allowed 

 to remain in the ground after harvest, shoots spring 

 from each " stool " or cluster. These shoots produce 

 a fresh growth of canes, called " ra toons," whic h 



