CHAPTER III. 



KANGE AND CLIMATE. 



The sugar cane is essentially a tropical plant, but under certain favourable 

 conditions is successfully cultivated in sub-tropical districts. 



The extreme limits of its cultivation are the South of Spain (36-37 N.), 

 Japan (SO^SS ]^.), and Georgia, U.S.A. (32 N.), on the one side, and Cape 

 Colony (29-30 S.), and New Zealand (35-37 S.) on the other. The other 

 countries where the cane forms a staple product are Madeira (33 N.), Java 

 (6-8N.), the Hawaiian Islands (18-22K), British India (10-30N.), the 

 West Indies (8-22 N.), including Cuba, Porto Eico, Jamaica, Martinique, 

 Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Croix, Barbados, Trinidad ; 

 British and Dutch Guiana (6-8 N.), Brazil (0-20 S.), Louisiana (30 N.), 

 Egypt (22-30 N.), Central America (8-20N.), the Philippines (5-18 ff.)> 

 Queensland and New South Wales (10-35S.), Mauritius and Bourbon 

 (20-22S.), Natal (30 S.), Fiji (22 S.), Formosa (22 K), Southern China 

 (10-30N.), the Straits Settlements (0-10N.), Peru (5-22S.), Argentina 

 (22-25S.). 



Humidity. Starting with Wray (1848) a warm and moist climate 

 has been stated to be specific to the successful growth of the cane, and prox- 

 imity to the sea often has been given as a favourable factor. Thus Wray 1 

 writes: "The climate most congenial to the cane is of a warm and moist 

 character, with moderate intervals of hot, dry weather, attempered by the 

 refreshing sea breezes. It has always been found to grow most luxuriantly 

 on islands, and along the sea coasts of the mainland; which leads us to conclude 

 that the saline particles borne on the sea breeze exercise a powerful effect on 

 the growth of the plant." 



Delteil 2 expresses himself in terms similar to Wray. " The sugar cane, 

 originating from India and Eastern Asia, demands a warm, moderately moist 

 climate, with intervals of dry heat; it loves sea breezes because of the 

 particles of salt which are carried to the fields and increase their fertility." 



According to Boname, 3 " a warm and moist climate is the most favourable 

 to the growth of the cane, and it is in islands and on the sea coast that the 

 most luxuriant plantations are seen, for it is there that are found together 

 the conditions of heat and moisture demanded for its greatest development." 



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