SUGAR. 



159 



bushes here and there appeared withered during the first year. This 

 did not attract much attention, but the next year the cultivators were 

 alarmed at the destruction of about two-thirds of the crop, and 

 although every means that lay in their power were had recourse 

 to to save the crops from the DJwosha (sugar-cane blight), the 

 attempt was entirely fruitless. After an inefficient struggle for more 

 than three years, the cultivation of both these descriptions of 

 sugar-cane was given up in despair and the ryots had to fall back 

 on the cultivation of their own country canes, the hajlee and the 

 pooree. After the extinction of the highly paying descriptions of 

 canes, the ryots had not much heart to cultivate the inferior de- 

 scriptions of cane ; but they had not long to mourn for the 

 extinction of their valuable crops, for in about the year 1860-61, 

 the shamshara cane, which is nearly equal to the extinct descriptions, 

 was introduced in this district. The cane is believed to have been 

 imported from Otaheite. Its cultivation has steadily increased, and 

 the quality of the cane has evidently improved by reason of the great 

 care taken in its cultivation and of the large expense that is incurred 

 in manuring the soil and irrigating the crops. A short account of 

 the cultivation of sugar-cane in this district was published in the 

 ' Agricultural and Horticultural Society's Journal,' vol. ix, part 3, 

 of 1857, pages 353-358. It would be worth while to ascertain 

 whether the importation of new seed or plants of the Bombay cane 

 might not have the effect of restoring its cultivation." 



Of all agricultural products sugar-cane requires the most care. 

 Before filling a plantation the ground must be ploughed at least 

 ten times ; manured and left fallow for a whole year. In the second 

 year, when the time of planting approaches, beds two yards square 

 are prepared by kneading the soil till it acquires the consistency 

 of mud. Ten heads of sugar-cane are then buried horizontally in 

 each plot and well covered with the moist earth, which is allowed to 

 dry for ten or twelve days or until cracks appear. Each cane-head 

 planted has four or five joints, and from each of these a shoot springs 

 twenty days after planting. From this time till the cane is ready for 

 cutting, fresh water is admitted every four days. In three months the 

 shoots attain the height of a yard, and at this stage it is usual for the 

 outside leaves to be carefully wrapped and bound round the stalk as 

 a support and protection. Later on, further support in the shape of 

 a bamboo fifteen feet long to two canes, is added, and thenceforth the 

 canes require to be tied afresh to the bamboo every six weeks as 

 their height increases. The cutting commences a year from the time 

 of planting. In some districts a large expenditure is incurred in 

 fencing the gardens to keep out jackals, which are exceedingly partial 

 to the sweet cane. For this purpose as many as 60,000 bamboos are 

 required for a plantation of eight acres. The canes to be used for 

 sugar and jaggery are taken direct from the field to a large open 

 shed, where they are passed through a press composed of two circular 

 pieces of hard wood made to revolve by rude machinery worked 

 by bullocks. When about twenty chatties of juice have been ob- 

 tained the boiling begins and lasts for an hour. To each boiler 

 of juice a viss of lime is added. When boiled the mixture is 

 poured into an iron vessel, and after being stirred for a while is 



