RANGE AND CLIMATE. 



Stubbs 4 in commenting on these statements is most certainly right in 

 . attributing the maritime position of many sugar districts to economic reasons ; 

 an inland sugar estate in a tropical country would be deprived of means of 

 access to the world's markets. Where a local market exists the cane is grown 

 successfully in districts remote from the sea, as in Queensland, Brazil, 

 Argentina, and India; and some insular districts, such as certain of the 

 Hawaiian Islands, have a climate the reverse of moist. 



Temperature. The effect of temperature on the cane is very com- 

 plex ; the rate of growth, the time to maturity and the composition of the 

 cane are all affected. The rate of growth is probably directly connected with 

 the temperature, increasing as the temperature rises ; exact measurements 

 are difficult to make ; in the more equatorial cane growing districts the tem- 

 perature variation is so small that differences in the growth at different 

 periods of the year cannot be noticed. Definite measurements have been 

 made in Hawaii by C. F, Eckart 5 in connection with varieties; the length 

 and diameter of internodes formed during the hot and cool seasons were 

 measured; generally the length of the internodes formed during the cold 

 season was more than 30 per cent, and less than 50 per cent, less than those 

 formed during the hot season ; the diameter of the internodes formed during 

 the cold season was also less than that of those formed during the hot season. 

 The time to maturity as indicated by the appearance of the arrow is directly 

 influenced by the temperature ; in equatorial districts, such as Demerara r 

 Bourbon canes planted in December arrow in September, the time from 

 planting to arrowing being approximately 270 days. In districts just within 

 the tropics, such as the Hawaiian Islands or Mauritius, the arrow in the 

 Lahaina plant cane will not appear for approximately 500 days ; the colder 

 climate takes a longer period to bring the plant to maturity, but the total 

 amount of heat received in the two instances is very similar. 



In the extra tropical cane growing districts, such as Louisiana, the low 

 temperature of the winter months prevents the cane being turned over from 

 one season to the next, and the crop has to be grown in a short period of 

 growth ; an immature cane, combined with low sugar content and high 

 content of reducing sugars, results ; the reducing sugars in this case represent- 

 ing material which would be converted into cane sugar if a longer period of 

 growth were possible. 



On the other hand, in districts where a high temperature continually 

 prevails, such as in Demerara, a cane low in sugar and high in impurities and 

 reducing sugars frequently occurs; in such districts there is a continuous 

 growth of the cane, and the crop as it reaches the mill will in general consist 

 of cane of all periods of growth, over-matured, ripe, and in full vegetative 

 vigour. 



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