124 SUGAR 



of the cultivator to spend any more money on the crop 

 than is necessary to bring' it to maturity. And such is 

 the wonderful fertility of this great alluvial tract and the 

 inherent hardiness of the canes that the plants, once fairly 

 started, can fairly well look after themselves, provided 

 their irrigation turn is not neglected. Lastly, it is 

 possible that, as will be mentioned later, the cultivated 

 sugar-cane first arose by selection from wild species 

 growing in North India, and that the improvements noted 

 in the canes of tropical regions are simply due to the 

 greater warmth and moisture obtainable there. 



Many efforts have been made in the past to exploit 

 this obvious wealth by starting sugar factories. But in 

 almost every case, until recently, this has been done 

 without due recognition of the peculiar difficulties of the 

 case. Experienced planters have been brought over from 

 the West Indies who have exhausted their energies in a 

 vain effort to force the West Indian practice upon the 

 local canes, often bringing with them favourite tropical 

 canes. Manag'ers have been put in charge with no 

 knowledge of the crop at all. In some cases factories 

 have been started without a sufficiently careful study of 

 the local supply and demand, and have failed because 

 they have been literally starved of canes, unless by 

 paying prices incompatible with successful working. But, 

 with the general improvement in tropical agriculture all 

 over the world, things are* commencing to move in the 

 right direction in India. Government is keenly interested 

 in assisting enterprise in sugar-making, and a number 

 of factories have lately sprung into existence with better* 

 prospects of success than ever before. Looking at the 

 matter all round, and considering that India has far more 

 land under this crop than any other country, and is also 

 probably the greatest sugar consumer in the world, it 

 appears to be incontestable that a great sugar-making 

 industry may be confidently expected. Besides a very 

 careful study of the local conditions in each case, there 

 are two directions in which improvements may be reason- 

 ably anticipated. The class of factory and the kind of 

 machinery used in the tropics may very possibly not be 

 those best suited for the thin North India canes and the 



