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CHAPTER LXVI. 



SUGAR-CANE ( SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM ). 



'"PHIS plant is indigenous to India, and it yields a higher 

 proportion of sugar than any other, beet coming next to 

 it, and the date-palm after beet. The maple-tree of America 

 may be regarded as fourth in importance. 



60 1. Foreign canes. Though indigenous to India, the 

 best varieties of sugar-cane are now found in those countries 

 where European and American planters have been employed 

 in its cultivation. Even the Chinese cane, called by Dr. 

 Roxburgh Saccharum Chinensis, is said to be a better yielder 

 and hardier than the Indian canes. The best varieties of 

 Mauritius canes are the Big Tanna, Port Mackay, Lousier, 

 Iscambine, Bamboo, and Bois Rouge. The best Queensland 

 cane is the Rappoe or Rose Bamboo, which is a very hardy 

 variety, though yielding the largest proportion of cane-sugar. 

 In the Strait Settlements the Striped Bourbon and Yellow 

 Mauritius are considered the best canes, though for chew- 

 ing purpose the Otaheite is preferred to all others. For weight 

 and length the Tanna variety excels the others. Of good 

 seedling canes may be mentioned white Bamboo, Singapore, 

 Bourbon and Demerara. The standard cane of the Barbadoes 

 is the White Transparent ; but a seedling cane lately estab- 

 lished excels this and all other good varieties of canes grown 

 in Barbadoes, such as, the Bourbon, the Jamaica, and the 

 Queensland Creole. The White Transparent yields about 

 5,400 Ibs. of gur and 4,500 Ibs. of cane-sugar per acre in 

 lowlying black soils. The Bourbon cane, which yields very 

 good result on high red soils, gives only, 1,000 Ibs. of gur 

 and 840 Ibs. of cane-sugar per acre grown on lowlying black 

 soils. The seedling cane which has been lately established in 



