.338 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



sugar-cane is one of the best of all plants of economic value, to keep 

 cleared ground in tropical forests free from weeds or the invasion of 

 other plants. Excessive rains produce a rank luxuriance of the canes 

 at the expense of the saccharine principle. Rich manuring is neces- 

 sary to attain good crops, unless in the best of virgin soil. The lower 

 leaves of the stem must successively be removed, also superabundant 

 ;Suckers, to promote the growth upwards, and to provide ventilation 

 iand light. Out of the remnants of sugar-cane either molasses or rum 

 or taffia can be prepared. The average-yield of sugar varies from 

 1 ton 6 cwt. to 3 tons for the acre; but exceptionally as much as 

 6 tons per acre have even been obtained in the hardly tropical 

 Hawaian Islands. The world's production of cane-sugar in 1875 

 amounted to 2,140,000 tons (Boucheraux). Among some other works 

 for fuller information the valuable volume of Mr. A. McKay, " The 

 Sugar-Cane in Australia," should be consulted, particularly in the far 

 southern colonies. The stately S. spontaneum (Linne), which extends 

 from India to Egypt and New Guinea, is available for scenic culture. 

 It attains a height of 15 feet, and ascends in Java, according to Dr. 

 Junghuhn's observations, to a height of 17,000 feet. Other tall kinds 

 of Saccharum occur in South-Asia. For the conditions and prospects 

 of the cane-sugar industry in the Southern United States see the 

 special report of the Hon. General Le Due, Washington, 1877; also 

 the " Sugar Industries of the United States," by H. W. Wiley, 1885. 



Sagittaria lancifolia, Linn4. 



From Virginia to the Antilles. This very handsome aquatic 

 plant can doubtless be utilized like the following species. It attains 

 a height of five feet. 



Sagittaria obtusa, Muehlenberg. (S. latifotia, Willdenow.) 



North- America, where it replaces the closely-allied S. sagittifolia. 

 A few other conspicuous species are worthy of introduction. The 

 Tule or Wapatoo-root of California is derived from a species of 

 Sagittaria. 



.Sagittaria sagittifolia, Linn. 



Europe, Northern and Middle Asia, east to Japan. One of the 

 most showy of all hardy water-plants; still not alone on that account 

 deserving naturalization, but also because its root is edible. If once 

 established, this plant maintains its ground well, and might occupy 

 submerged spots not otherwise utilized. 



Salix alba, Linn.* 



The Huntingdon or Silky Willow of Europe, originally of North- 

 Africa, Northern and Western Asia; according to Prof. Andersson 

 of exclusively Asiatic origin. It bears the frosts of Norway to lat. 

 63 52'. It is positively known, that the Silky Willow will live to 

 an age of 150 years, and probably much longer. Available for wet 

 places not otherwise in cultivation. Height reaching to 80 feet, cir- 

 cumference of stem sometimes to 20 feet; of rapid growth. Foliage 



