CANE SUGAR. 



The Cheribon Canes. Wray 6 in 1848 describes four canes as 

 Batavian canes ; the yellow violet, the purple violet, the transparent or ribbon 

 cane, and the Tibboo Batavee of the Straits ; the first three only are considered 

 in this section. 



As will be pointed out later, the yellow violet and the purple violet canes 

 have originated, and repeatedly originate, as bud sports from the ribbon cane. 



These canes have been introduced into nearly all cane-growing districts ; 

 the purple variety has been especially grown in Java, where it is known as 

 the Cheribon or Black Cheribon, in distinction to the White and Striped 

 Cheribon canes. In the British West Indies the light- coloured variety has 

 been grown extensively under the name of White Transparent, and the purple 

 variety as the Purple Transparent ; in Cuba the light-coloured variety has 

 been and is extensively grown under the name of Crystallina ; also in Hawaii, 

 where it is known as Rose Bamboo. In Mauritius a generation ago the purple 

 variety there called Belouguet was under extensive cultivation. In Louisiana 

 both the purple and striped varieties form standard canes under the names of 

 Home Purple and Home Ribbon, and in Australia the light and dark-coloured 

 varieties are also grown under the names of Eappoh and Queensland Creole. 



In the Java literature the term Cheribon applies almost exclusively to 

 the dark-coloured variety ; this cane was established by Gonsalves as the 

 standard cane of Java in the middle of the nineteenth century in the face of 

 great opposition, and many references are to be found describing the great 

 benefits thus due to Gonsalves. Though this cane was the one which 

 eventually succumbed to ' sereh ' and is now largely replaced by seedlings, 

 it has been the female parent of many of the best of the later varieties. 



The light- coloured variety shown in Fig. 10* is of rather less diameter 

 than the Otaheite cane, and is peculiar in having no distinctive colour, but 

 being very susceptible to environment ; Wray's term of yellow violet well 

 expresses its colour, and at various stages of growth, yellow, violet, pink and 

 grey shades of colour appear ; the leaves are of a darker shade of green. 



The dark-coloured variety, Fig. 11* is of a purple colour and of slender 

 habit ; the internodes are long in proportion to girth, and the foliage of a 

 lighter shade of green. 



The striped variety, Fig. 1$* which it is possible to confuse with the 

 Striped Tanna, is of similar proportions to the light and dark varieties ; it is 

 striped yellow and blood red, the yellow portions having a polished appear- 

 ance, whence the term 'Transparent.' All three of these canes are 

 characterized by a longitudinal channel running upwards from the eye. 



The identity of the Cheribon aud Transparent canes of the West Indies is 

 made certain beyond reasonable doubt by the following statement due to 

 Kriiger. 8 " In Barbados, a little Bourbon is still grown, but the Purple 



* See Coloured Plates. 



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