CHAPTER II. 



THE COMPOSITION OF THE CANE. 



The cane is not by any means of even approximately uniform composition, 

 but differs with variety and conditions of growth. The limits of composition 

 of single canes may be estimated as : Water, 69 per cent, to 75 per cent. ; 

 Saccharose, 7 per cent, to 20 per cent. ; reducing sugars, to 2 per cent. ; 

 fibre, 8 per cent, to 16 per cent. ; ash, -3 per cent, to *8 per cent. ; organic non- 

 sugar, -5 per cent, to 1 per cent.* 



The percentage of sugar in the cane, though to some extent dependent on 

 variety, is by no means entirely so ; conditions of soil and climate have a great 

 influence. In Demerara, where up to 1900 practically the whole crop was 

 Bourbon cane, canes grown on virgin soil gave heavy crops, with generally less 

 than 11 per cent, of sugar, the sugar percentage of canes grown on older land 

 often rising to 14 per cent, or more. As an instance of variety affecting 

 composition the difference between Lahaina and Yellow Caledonia cane grown 

 under the same conditions in Hawaii may be cited, the former almost invariably 

 affording a sweeter purer juice, and also containing less fibre ; amongst other 

 canes that by comparison with the Lahaina ( Bourbon, Otaheite, &c.) afford a 

 poor juice may be cited the Elephant cane, the Cavengerie (Po-a-ole, Altamattie, 

 Giant Claret, &c.) and the Salangore. 



When seedling canes were first grown, evidence was obtained on the 

 small scale that high sugar content was an inherent property of certain 

 varieties, of which D. 74 may be quoted ; on the estate scale, however, the 

 results were very disappointing. Latterly, however, much evidence has 

 accumulated that the cane B. 208 is one of high saccharine content and 

 similar results have been obtained in Java ; in addition it has been shown by 

 Kobus that it is possible to obtain a strain of canes of high sugar content by a 

 process of chemical selection. 



* Mr. Prinsen Geerligs on p. 94 of Cane Sugar and its Manufacture gives the following 

 limits : Sucrose, 11 per cent, to 16 per cent. ; reducing sugar, -4 per cent, to 1*5 per cent. ; Fibre, 

 10 per cent, to 15 per cent. ; Ash, '5 per cent, to 1 per cent, and elsewhere protests against 

 exaggerated statements of the sucrose content of the cane. The crop averages for canes raised 

 in the arid areas of the Hawaiian Islands under irrigation often reach 16 per. cent, and for 

 single weeks may be as much as 18 per cent., single canes even containing 20 per cent. On the 

 other hand the writer has met with large areas of year old plant cane in Demerara containing 

 only 7 per cent, and with reducing sugars over 2 per cent. 



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