CHAPTER II. 



ON THE NECESSITY OF ADOPTING A SYSTEM OF CULTIVATION AND 

 MANUFACTURE BASED ON A KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURE OF THE 

 PLANT AND ITS PRODUCT, WITH A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE 

 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE CANE- 



The two fundamental principles upon which all attempts 

 at improvement must be based, are : — First, the necessity 

 of reducing the cost of production to its lowest possible 

 limit j and, second, the improvement of the quality of the 

 product by a more rational and scientific method of manu- 

 facture. These two propositions are intimately connected 

 with each other, inasmuch as, by using improved methods 

 of manufacture, not only is a finer and more valuable 

 quality of sugar produced, but a much greater quantity is 

 procured from the same amount of raw material. 



Before proceeding to notice the most economical method 

 of cultivating the sugar cane, I shall give a short descrip- 

 tion of the anatomy and physiology of the plant, and point 

 out the peculiarities to be observed in its culture. 



The sugar cane, arundo saccharifera, is a plant of the 

 most simple structure, being one of the graminiferous tribe 



