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MONOCOTYLEDONS GRAMINE^E DIAGRAM 1 7 



Ear of maize. 



and supply its place with other food. Maize, which is much 

 grown in America and in the south of Europe, is one of the 

 Q-ramineee, but differs somewhat from the cereals ; the flowers 

 have only one sex, and form two ears on each plant. The ear 

 of male flowers is at the very top of the stalk. 

 That of female flowers is lower, and nothing can 

 at first be seen but a tuft of large pistils, which 

 unfold from the leaves. The ripe grains form a 

 compact ear which is stripped to make flour. It 

 is chiefly used in England for making puddings, 

 &c., but in America the grain is cooked in a great 

 variety of ways. 



The sugar-cane is another plant of this family, 

 which is largely cultivated in the West Indies. 

 All the sugar used in Europe was obtained from it until the 

 beet-root begun to be cultivated for the production of sugar. 

 The stalk of the sugar-cane is nearly as large as the arm of a 

 young child, the knots are very close together, 

 and the whole interior is filled with abundance of 

 a sweet sap. When it is time to gather them, 

 the canes are pulled up, stripped of their leaves, 

 and passed between heavy rollers, which crush 

 them. The juice thus obtained is evaporated in 

 ovens, and the residue is the raw sugar which is 

 imported into Europe. To make white sugar, it 

 must be refined. Molasses is the refuse sap which 

 will not crystallise after evaporation. The re- 

 mains of the crushed canes are not wasted, but 

 are fermented to make rum. 



The maize and sugar-cane are very much lar- 

 ger grasses than those of our fields and our cereals, 

 but there are others which greatly surpass these 

 in size, and which reach the size of trees. The 

 'bamboos which grow in warm countries are really 

 gigantic grasses. They are sometimes as large as the arm or 

 the leg ; as the space between the knots is hollow, it is enough 

 to cut the stalk between each knot to make household utensils. 



Sugar-cane. 



