134 



SUGAR. 



stripes, is also indigenous to the island, and to the neighbouring 

 continent. This cane is remarkably hardy, but is less productive 

 than the Otaheite cane now generally cultivated, and which was taken 

 to the West Indies in 1769. The purple cane, a native of the Ameri- 

 can continent, has been grown in the islands, but is found inferior to 

 the Otaheite cane. 



The sugar-cane (Saccharum qfficinarum, Lin.) has a jointed stem 

 from 6 to 12 feet high or more, solid, hard, dense, internally juicy, 

 and hollow only in the flowering tops. 



It succeeds in almost all tropical and sub-tropical countries, reaching 

 in South America and Mexico an elevation above the level of the sea 

 of about 5000 to 6000 feet. It is cultivated in most parts of India 

 and China, up to 30° to 31° N. lat., the mountainous regions excepted. 



In an account of the Society Islands and their principal vegetable 

 products, by M. Cuzent, published at Eochefort in 1860, some in- 

 teresting details are given of the varieties of sugar-cane cultivated 

 there, which it appears to me desirable to diffuse. 



Eight species are enumerated. 



1. Saccharum atroruhens, called locally To Uti. The stalk is of a 

 fine violet colour, large, and contains much juice, the pith is also of 

 a violet hue. This variety is cut at about fourteen months. It is not 

 indigenous, but was imported from Batavia in 1782 by Bougainville 

 and Blight, who also introduced into the various colonies the varieties 

 of canes with green and yellow stems known in the Antilles under 

 the name of Tahiti canes. 



2. S. ruhicundum. Native name Hutu or Kurutu. The stem is of 

 a clear violet, with white pith ; the young leaves are violet coloured. 

 This cane comes from Cook's Archipelago, and takes its native name 

 from the island of Eurutu. 



3. S. fragile. Native name Irimotu. This has a green stem, which 

 is fragile and breaks with a straight fracture without splintering; 

 the pith is white. It is rich in juice, but is little cultivated, because 

 its stem is so pubescent, and the hairs enter the skin in cutting the 

 cane, and also attack the respiratory organs. 



4. S. ruhicundum variety. Native name Oura. This is the ribbon- 

 cane, having a violet stem with longitudinal bands of a bright yellow ; 

 the pith is white. This grows to a great size, especially in humid 

 soils. 



5. S. ohscurum, Trin. Native name Piavere. This is the Creole 

 cane ; it has a light-red stem, and does not grow so large as the pre- 

 ceding varieties, the internodes are also less distant. The pith is 

 white, and the juice not being so rich it is regarded as an inferior 

 species. 



6. S. glaher. Native name Vaihi-uouo, or simply Uouo, white, 

 from the colour of its stalk. It does not contain so much juice as 

 the other species, but its sap is more rich in crystallizable sugar. It 

 was introduced from the Sandwich Islands, whence the name Vaihi, 

 which is given to those islands by the Tahitians. 



7. S. fragile variety. Native name Avae. This has a yellow 

 stalk banded with clear green, having some resemblance to No. 6 

 Vaihi. The pith is white, tender, and very juicy, hence the natives 



