SUGAR-CANE 



509 



have loosened. Every additional week during which the 

 cane grows now adtls to its percentage of crystallizable 

 sugar (sucrose) and'to the purity of the juice and case of 

 manufacture into sugar. 



Stripping and topping are usually done while the plants 

 are standing. However, in the sirup-belt, the expectation 

 of frost sometimes makes it necessary to cut the cane before 

 stripping. In this case, the canes are piled and protected 

 by their leaves and tops until the stalks can be stripped 

 and ground. After l.ying thus in piles for a week or more, 

 the leaves somewhat loosen their hold on the stalk, but 

 this is more than overcome by the extra labor recjuired 

 in handling the cut stalks while stripping the leaves. 



For stripping the standing plants of cane, a patented stripper 

 enables the laborer in the pine-belt to work about twice as rapidly 

 as by using only his hands, but the stalk is not stripped quite so 



Fig. 21.3. — A Device fok Stripping the Leave.s fhom .Suo.vr-caite. 



clean of green leaf-sheaths as by handwork. A stripper (Fig. 

 213) consists of a wooden handle, to one end of whieh are fastened 

 two curved, fle.xible, dull blades, so arranged that they easily 

 spring apart to admit the stalk between them. By a thrust 

 against the stalk it slips into the space made by the curve in the 

 blades ; then a downward stroke removes the leaves from each 

 side of the plant. 



At the time of stripping, the tops also are removed, usually 

 by a cane knife, at a point just above the uppermost joint that 

 is mature or colored. The cut is made higher up for sirup 

 making than for sugar making, because the uncrystallizable sugar 



