44 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



feet in length and from J4 to 3 inches in diameter. The length 

 of the stem varies greatly according to variety, locality, and 

 length of time during which it is allowed to grow. The length 

 of the intemodes between the joints commonly varies from 

 4 to 10 inches, depending in turn primarily on the rate and 

 vigor of growth. The roots of sugar cane, like those of most 

 other grasses, are delicate and fibrous, varying in length from 

 18 inches to 10 feet and distributed therefore widely through- 

 out the soil, and under favorable conditions to a great depth. 

 Sugar cane has no tap root. The leaf sheath of cane is about 

 one foot long on an average and the leaves vary from two 

 to four feet in length and two to three inches in width. At 

 maturity, sugar cane forms long, beautiful silky tassels of 

 panicled flowers. Seed is formed rather sparingly but per- 

 sistent search has been kept up for seed in order to use it in 

 producing seedlings. Millions of seedlings have been raised, 

 especially in Java, Barbados, and Hawaii. As with other 

 cultivated plants, so with sugar cane, a great variation of 

 characters has been thus obtained. Some of the seedling 

 varieties which have been produced are of striking promise, 

 producing not only a heavy growth of cane but an enormous 

 yield of sugar. In a few instances, yields as high as 16 tons of 

 sugar per acre have been obtained from seedling canes. 



In the sugar-producing countries, 100 or more varieties of 

 sugar cane have received serious commercial attention. In 

 most varieties the stalk is recumbent at the base, thus requir- 

 ing more labor in harvesting. The stalks are erect, however, 

 in the Demerara canes, particularly D. 1135, and in Yel- 

 low Caledonia, Japanese cane, and a few other varieties. The 

 sucrose content of sugar cane varies from 7 to 20 per cent, 

 and the water content from 70 to 75 per cent. The sugar con- 

 tent is much affected by weather and soil and is probably less 

 a function of variety, although it should be said that in Hawaii 

 the Lahaina cane is always sweeter than Yellow Caledonia. It 

 will at once be seen that the percentage of sugar developed 



