SUGAR AND RUM. 
109 
the best canes that he had, knowing that he had 
no right to expect his new canes to be fine if he 
raised them from poor ones. 
5. As soon as they had rooted they grew well, 
and sent up a large number of shoots. Mr. Hood 
believes in manuring sufficiently to save his soil 
from exhaustion. Although the plant can get the 
carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen of which its sugar 
consists from the air and water, it also requires a 
share of food that it can obtain only from the soil. 
So Mr. Hood used what farm-manure he had, and 
bought some specially made manure, that the land 
should not run short of the proper plant-food for 
his sugar crop. 
6. His men kept the ground free from weeds that 
might rob the young canes of food and air, and at 
the proper time they cleared the canes of dead 
leaves, to allow the air to move freely amongst them. 
The trash was thrown on the ground to rot for 
manure. 
And now, as I see the men cutting down the long 
canes close to their stools for the mill, I feel glad 
that Mr. Hood is reaping a good crop in return for 
all his thoughtfulness and labour. 
SUGAE AND EUM. 
l. About nine parts out of ten in the weight of 
the sugar-cane is due to the juice that is in it, and 
