SAC 
We have but one Species of this genus at prefent, 
viz. 
Saccharum ( Officinarum ) floribus panicuiatis. Hort. 
Cliff. 26. Sugar Cane with flowers growing in panicles. 
Arundo faccharifera. C. B. P, 18. SChe Sugar Cane. 
This plant grows naturally in both Indies, and is 
there cultivated alfo for its juice, which, when boiled, 
affords that fweet fait which is called Sugar. 
The Canes were formerly cultivated in the fouth of 
France for the fame purpofe, but it was in fmall quan- 
tities only, for in fharp winters they were killed, un- 
lefs they were covered, fo that they had only the 
fummer for their growth, which was too fhort time 
for their getting fufficient ftrength to produce Sugar 
enough to anf'wer the expence, fo the planting of 
thefe Canes there has been long difcontinued ; they 
were alfo planted in feveral parts of Spain before 
they were introduced to France, and are at prefent 
cultivated in plenty in Andalufia, from whence 
great quantities of Sugar are annually fent to Madrid, 
but there are few now planted in the other parts of 
Spain. 
The root of this plant is jointed like thofe of the 
other forts of Cane or Reeds, from which arife four, 
five, or more fhoots in number, proportionable to the 
age or ftrength of the root. Thefe rife eight or ten 
feet high, according to the goodnefs of the ground in 
which they grow ; for in fome moift rich foils there 
have been Canes mealured, which were near twenty 
feet long ; but thefe were not near fo good as thofe 
of middling growth, as they abounded with juice, 
which had but a fmall quantity of the eflential fait in 
it, fo that the expence of fuel and trouble of boiling, 
was more than the Sugar would defray. The Canes 
are jointed, and thefe joints are more or lefs dillant 
from each other, in proportion to the foil. The leaves 
are placed at each joint, and the bale or lower part 
of the leaf embraces the ftalk or Cane to the next 
joint above its infertion, before it expands ; thefe 
are three or four feet long from the joint where 
they unfold to their point, according to the vigour of 
the plant ; they have a deep whitifh furrow, or hol- 
lowed midrib, which is' broad, and prominent on the 
under fide ; the edges of the leaves are thin, and arm- 
ed with fmall fharp teeth, which are fcarce to be 
difcerned by the naked eye, but will cut the fkin of 
a tender hand if it be drawn along it. The flowers 
are produced in panicles at the top of the ftalks ; thefe 
are from two to three feet long, and are compofed of 
many fpikes, which are nine or ten inches long, and 
are again fubdivided into fmaller fpikes ,; thefe have 
long down which inclofe the flowers, fo, as to hide them 
from fight •, afterward the germen becomes an ob- 
long-pointed feed, which ripens in the valves of the 
flower. 
This plant is preferved by way of curiofity in feveral 
gardens in England, but being too tender to thrive 
here, unlefs it is preferved in a warm ftove, fo it can- 
not be brought to any great perfection. I have feen 
fome of the plants growing which were feven or 
eight feet high, and at the bottom as large as a com- 
mon walking Cane, but they have not produced 
their panicles of flowers here. 
It is here propagated by flips taken from the fides of 
the older plants ; thofe which grow near the root and 
have fibres to them, will moft certainly grow ; fo that 
when the flioots are produced at fome diftance from 
the ground, the earth fhould be raifed about them, 
that they may put out fibres before they are feparated 
from the mother plant. Thefe flips fliould be planted 
in pots filled with rich kitchen-garden earth, and 
plunged into a moderate hot-bed of tanners bark, be- 
ing careful to fhade them from the fun until they have 
taken new root, after which they muft be treated in the 
fame way as other tender plants from the fame coun- 
tries. They muft be conftantly kept plunged in the 
tan-bed in the ftove ; and as their roots increafe in 
fize, fo the plants fliould from time to time be fliifted 
into larger pots ; but this muft be done with caution, 
for if they are over-potted they will not thrive : they 
will require to haye water frequently in warm weafhef* 
but it muft not be given them in too great plenty, eft 
pecially in cold weather. As the leaves of the plants 
decay, they fliould be cleared from about the ftalks 3 
for if thefe are left to dry upon them, it will greatly 
retard their growth. The ftove in which this plant 
is placed, fliould be kept in winter to the fame tem- 
perature of heat as for the Pine-apple, and in hot 
weather there fliould be plenty of free air admitted to 
the plants, otherwife they will not thrive. 
I fhall here fubjoin fome account of the method of 
propagating and cultivating the Sugar Cane in Ame- 
rica, with fome obfervations and experiments which 
have been made by a few curious perfons in the Bri- 
tifh iflands, and fliall propofe fome farther trials to be 
there made, in the culture apd management of this 
ufeful plant, which are founded upon the experience 
I have had in the culture of fome plants which are fi- 
milar in their growth with the Sugar Cane. 
The land which is moft proper for the growth of Su- 
gar Canes, is fuch as hath a fufficient depth of foil, 
and is not too moift and ftrong, but rather light and 
eafy to work •, for although ftrong moift ground will 
produce much taller and bigger Canes than the other, 
yet the quantity of Sugar will be much lefs, not near 
lo good, and will require a greater quantity of fuel, 
and a longer time to boil, before the Sugar can 
be made ; which is alfo the cafe with all frefti land, 
where there has not been any Canes growing before; 
therefore many of the moft expert planters burn their 
land when it is firft cleared for planting of Canes, to 
abate its fertility ; but if when land is firft cleared of 
the wood, and the roots of bad weeds, it is fown 
with Indigo, which fuch frefti ground will produce 
much better than the old, or fuch as has been long 
cultivated, there may be two or three crops of this 
taken, which will prepare the land for the Sugar 
Canes, without being at the trouble of burning it; 
but the growing of Indigo has been fo little praftifed 
in the Britifh Iflands oi America for many years paft, 
as to be efteemed unworthy the notice of a Sugar 
planter ; whereas if they would fometimes change 
their crops to other fpecies, they would foon find an 
advantage in the growth, not only of their Canes, 
but alfo of their other crops: however, the ufual 
praftice is to continue the Canes always upon the 
fame land as long as it will produce them, without 
changing the fpecies, or allowing the ground a fal- 
low to reft and recover itfelf. By this method there 
are fome plantations fo much exhaufted, as that the 
crop of Sugar will fcarce defray the expence of culture. 
Another thing fliould always be obferved in the plant- 
ing of frefti land with Canes, which is to allow them 
more room than is generally done ; for as the ground 
is ftrong, fo there will a greater number of flioots 
come out from each plant, and not having room to 
fpread at bottom, they will draw each other up to a 
great height, and be full of watery juice, the fun and 
external air being excluded from the Canes by the 
multiplicity of leaves, which are both abfolutely ne- 
ceflary to ripen and prepare the falts during the growth 
of the Canes. 
If the ground is proper for the Sugar Canes, and 
they are planted at a good diftance from each other, 
and the land is carefully managed, the fame planta- 
tion may be continued above twenty years without re- 
planting, and produce good crops the whole time ; 
whereas in the common method, they are generally 
replanted in fix or feven years, and in fome of the 
poor land they are continued but two or three. 
The Canes aie in thofe warm countries propagated 
by cuttings or joints, of proper lengths ; thefe are 
from fifteen to twenty inches long, in proportion to 
the nearnefs of their joints or eyes. Thefe cuttings 
are generally taken from the tops of the Canes, juft 
below the leaves ; but if they were chofen from the 
lower part of the Canes, where they are lefs fucculent 
and better ripened, they would not produce fo luxu- 
riant flioots, and their juice would be lefs crude, and 
contain a greater quantity of falts, which will be oh- 
1 1 S tained 
£44 
4 
1 
