The Sugar Cane 



The sugar cane has been described as a "perennial 

 grass, the cultivation of which is confined to the warmer 

 regions of the earth." Disregarding the details of botan- 

 ical description, it will serve our purpose to note that the 

 stalk of the cane plant is roughly cylindrical, with joints 

 at intervals of four to ten inches. The diameter of the 

 stalk varies from one-half to three inches. Under some 

 conditions, the sugar cane may attain a height of thirty 

 feet, but one authority gives the average length of the 

 stalk of a well grown crop as about twelve feet, and the 

 average weight per stalk as between six and seven pounds. 

 The percentage of sugar content varies from nine to fif- 

 teen per cent of the weight of the cane, depending upon 

 the variety and the conditions of its growth. Usually, 

 in the initial years of growth, the sugar content is some- 

 what less than in the later vears. 



Sugar cane is raised by planting cuttings from the top part 

 Cultivation ^ the cane stalk. Around each joint of the stalk are several 

 buds which, when the cutting is planted, throw out numerous 

 shoots or stalks of cane. Unlike the sugar beet, it is not always necessary 

 to replant the sugar cane each year as several crops are often cut from one 

 planting. The first crop is known as the "plant crop" and the succeeding 

 crop which rises from the stubble of the first planting is known as the 

 "ratoon crop." It may be followed by several ratoon crops. Some climatic 

 and soil conditions make necessary a highly scientific and intensive system 

 of cultivation, but there are other semi-tropical regions so bountifully 

 endowed with natural advantages that only slight attention is required for 

 successful cane culture. 



Beet vs. 

 Cane 



Due largely to a system of government bounties, there was 

 a time in the history of sugar production when approximately 

 65% of the world's output consisted of beet sugar. For many 

 years, however, beet sugar has been of declining importance as compared 

 with cane sugar. In the season 1899-1900 beet sugar represented 64.9% of 

 world production; but in 1913-14, only 47%. The output of cane sugar 

 has doubtless been partly stimulated by the decline of beet production during 

 the war, but even prior to the war the cane sugar industry was offering in- 

 creasing and effective competition in the sugar markets of the world. 



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