Section II.— THE CARBOHYDRATES 

 PRODUCED IN CROPS 



(a) Sugar. — Of the various sugars given in Section I., the 

 di-sacchacrose named sucrose, or cane sugar, is by far 

 the most important. Cane sugar is present in many plants, 

 and is extracted from many different sources. Of these, 

 the sugar cane is the best known, and oldest worked. Sugar 

 cane is grown chiefly in warm climates, such as the Southern 

 United States, the West Indies, Queensland, the Philippines, 

 and India. The sugar cane grows best in a good, deep soil, 

 generally of a dark colour. It is propagated from sets 

 in a manner somewhat resembling potato planting ; that is, 

 sets containing two or three buds are planted a few inches 

 below the surface, in a well-manured soil. In some places 

 entire canes are planted, but this tends to produce an 

 irregular crop. Irrigation equal to 50 inches of rain is always 

 necessary, unless the rainfall is exceptionally heavy. The 

 crop lasts about twelve months, and there is some difficulty 

 in determining when it is ripe. Where irrigated water is 

 diffictilt to obtain, mulches are not infrequently used on the 

 surface. In Mauritius the cane is often planted in pits. 

 Very frequently the crop is grown for two or three years in 

 succession, since after the first crop has been cut the old 

 stem tillers freely, and produces what is called a ratoon crop, 

 which i?, however, never equal to the first year's growth. 

 As in all tall crops, " lodging " is a serious cause of loss. 

 The side leaves have to be removed during the process of 

 cultivation. Some system of rotation is nearly always 

 necessary, so that the cane is not cultivated on the same 

 land more than once in five or six years. The cane is subject 

 to all kinds of pests. An interesting method for protection 



