SUGAR-CANE. 119 



Water 72.1 



Woody matter 9.9 



Soluble matter (sugar) 18.0 



mo" 



Ti is conclusion was verified by M. Dupuy at Guadaloupe in 1841, 

 who, operating on the spot, found the composition to be as follows • 



Water 72.0 



Woody matter 9.8 



Soluble matter (sugar) 17.8 



Salts 0.4 



100.0 



The analyses of the Creole cane made by M. Casaseca at Havana 

 appear to indicate a larger quantity of woody fibre : 



Water. 65.9 



Wood 16.14 



Sugar 17.7 



100.0 



The quantity of sugar yielded by the cane, differs considerably. 

 M. Codazzi assigns 6 and 15 per cent, as the extremes, and 7^ per 

 cent, as the mean. M. Dupuy gives 7.1 per cent, as the average. 

 The quantity is, of course, first and most intimately connected with 

 the quantity of juice obtained. But the produce of juice is extremely 

 variable. In Guadaloupe, the juice varies between 56 and 62 per 

 cent, of the cane subjected to pressure. The generality of mills do 

 not, in fact, enable us to obtain more than about 56 per cent. At 

 New Orleans the usual quantity obtained is said to be 50, and in 

 Cayenne only 36 per cent. At Havana, according to M. Casa- 

 seca, the riband cane yields 45, the crystalline 35, and the Otaheitan 

 56 per cent, of juice. 



The Otaheite cane was examined by M. Peligot, under a variety 

 of circumstances of age, growth, part of plant, &c. &c. The fol- 

 lowing table contains the condensed results of his experiments : 



First shoots  



Second do. from original sprouts • 

 Third do. from second do. 

 Fourth do. from third do. 



Inferiorpart of cane 



Middle part of do 



Superior part of do. 



Knots 



Cane of eight months 



Cane of ten months 



It would therefore appear, making exception always of the knots 

 which occur in the course of a cane, that the composition of the 

 plant in its various states and conditions, is almost identical. M. 

 Peligot's important paper, while it informs us of the average com- 

 position of the Otaheite cane, satisfies us that the gummy and mu 



