SUGAR CANE. 219 



Uba Variety. — This was imported from India in 1884-5. 

 It is a, somewhat thin cane, yellowish to yellow-green in 

 colour. It is hardy, ratoons excellently, so that where condi- 

 tions are favourable, four to five ratoon crops may be obtained ; 

 it is deep-rooting, and very adaptable to a variety of soils; 

 it is resistant to fungous and insect pests. It' produces no 

 fertile seed under ordinary conditions, hence crosses will be 

 difficult to obtain. Uba has a higher fibre content, and 

 requires more power to crush than the softer varieties. 



Agual. — Kesembles Uba in many respects, but is more 

 vigorous and rapid-growing. It is a recent introduction from 

 India. 



Soft Canes. — " These canes are much thicker than the 

 Uba, and the individual canes several times heavier than the 

 individual Uba canes. They are not adapted for growth upon 

 hill soils, but find conditions best suited for their growth in 

 the richer, heavier alluvial and vlei lands. Generally speak- 

 ing they compare badly with the Uba variety. They are 

 strictly limited to certain areas, shallow rooted, poor in ratoon- 

 ing, more liable to be attacked by fungoid diseases and insect 

 pests, and suffer more from winds. They likewise suffer very 

 much during droughty spells. They yield heavier returns 

 for the first year than the Uba, but after one season's growth 

 they ratoon badly, and subsequent crops cannot compare 

 with the ratoon crops of the Uba, and thus are seldom grown 

 in this country."^ In other parts of the world the soft canes 

 are largely grown, but in such parts planting is usual every 

 year — largely because of very cheap labour and favourable 

 growing seasons — and powers of ratooning are not of great 

 value where annual planting is the practice. 



Climatic Eequirements and Distribution. — Sugar cane 

 is essentially a tropical plant, and requires high mean tempera- 

 tures with a heavy rainfall. Consequently, it does best in the 

 warm, moist climates of islands and sea coasts within the 

 tropics and sub-tropics. High humidity seems also necessary. 

 Low temperatures are very detrimental, and frosts are injuri- 

 ous, because they cause the canes to burst and, moreover, 

 difficulty is found in getting the juice of frosted cane to 

 crystallise. 



Sugar cane is grown for sugar manufacture in the Union 

 only in Natal and Zululand. In Natal the limit of profitable 

 sugar cultivation is Port Shepstone, on the south coast; 



