V SUGAR CANE 139 



There are many different varieties cultivated in the West Varieties, 

 Indies, but the Otaheite and Bourbon are the kinds most 

 often planted. In the rich and most alluvial lands in British 

 Guiana, the canes sometimes attain the length of 20 or Average 

 even 25 feet,- but from 10 to 12 feet are the lengths most ^"^^ ' 

 often met with, and in a good deal of the cultivation in 

 the West Indian Islands they are not even as long as 10 

 feet. 



The canes are cut right down to the ground as near to How the 

 the stole as possible, for the root end is always richer in ^^^^ ^^^ 

 sugar than any other part, and the close cutting increases 

 the vigour of the rattoons. For the convenience of handling, 

 the canes are sometimes chopped into lengths of four or five 

 feet and tied up in bundles. These are then carted to the Grinding the 

 works to he grou7id in the mill, by which process the juice is 

 pressed out of them. 



Plant canes yield a larger return of juice, and therefore of T^^ ^^"^ 

 sugar, than rattoons ; but the juice from the latter is richer 

 in saccharine matter and it gives a finer quality of sugar. 

 Besides, there is much less trouble and expenditure in 

 cultivating the rattoons, and the sugar is manufactured 

 from them with less difficulty. It follows, therefore, that the Rattoons 

 cultivation of rattoons is more profitable than that of plant abirthan 

 canes, but as the former deteriorate year by year, it is p'^"* '^^"^^• 

 necessary to have recourse to fresh planting at stated inter- 

 vals. 



In British Guiana it has been found that good cane culti- Returns 



' 1 , . 'fi'orn an acre 



vation gives about 30 tons of canes to the acre, and this of canes, 

 will yield about 25 tons of juice containing from 15 to 18 

 per cent, of crystallisable sugar. But only six or seven per 

 cent, of this sugar is extracted by the best manufacturing 

 processes, and thus the return is only two hhds. or 36 cwt. 

 to the acre. These figures maybe taken as fair average ones 

 for cane culture, but in certain instances the returns are 

 larger or smaller according to the peculiarities of soil, climate 

 or cultivation. 



