554 DEVELOPMENT OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE SUGAR CANE. 
been much cropped, the plant is oftener from 
12 to 16 months in becoming fully ripe. It 
contains three sorts of juice ; one aqueous, 
another saccharine, and the third raucous, the 
relative proportions of which and the quality 
of the two last depend upon particular cir- 
cumstances, the knowledge of which is of 
great importance as regards cultivation. The 
cane, as in reeds,and other gramineous plants, 
has a knotty stalk, and at each knot, or joint, 
there is a leaf and an inner joint. The stole 
is distinguished into two parts ; the first is 
formed of several peculiar joints, varying in 
number from five to seven, which are placed 
very near to each other, having rows of little 
points at their surface, which are elements 
of roots. These joints are called radicles, 
because their function appears wholly to con- 
sist in sending forth roots. They are divid- 
ed from each other by a leaf called the radi- 
cal leaf. The whole of these joints form the 
first part, or 'primitive stole. The joints 
are endowed with several rows of points, 
elements of roots, which develope themselves 
when requisite, and form, with the joints 
whence they issue, a secondary stole ; they 
thus form roots, till the joints are suffi- 
ciently strong to put forth and sustain 
those which are to follow them, and form 
the stalk. The second part of the stalk 
becomes very strong, and seems to serve, 
alone, for the filiation of all the remaining 
joints. The roots issue from the develop- 
ment of the sap vessels, which are disposed 
in concentric rays, round each point, on the 
surface of the joint. The sap vessels of the 
root, cut transversely, exhibit a circular sur- 
face of a cellular tissue, and are covered with 
a skin, which is first white, and then brown 
or black. The roots are very slender and al- 
most cylindrical ; they are never more than a 
foot in length ; a few short fibres appear at 
their extremities. The number of joints of 
the stalk or cane vary from 40 to 60 
in the Brazilian cane ; these are much 
fewer in that from Otaheite, its joints being 
further apart, some of which are eight or 
nine inches long. Mr. Porter says, that — 
“ The finer specimens of those of Brazil 
are from two to three inches in length. The 
joints vary very much in their dimensions ; 
they are short or long, large or little, straight 
or bulging ; and several of these differences are 
sometimes found in the same cane. The 
knots of the canes a re not simple enlargements, 
as in the greater part of reeds, and the gra- 
mineous family of plants. They are rings, 
from an eighth to a quarter of an inch wide. 
Four or five rows of semi-transparent points 
go round their circumference. A circular 
semi-transparent line very perceptibly divides 
the outer from the inner joint. At the upper 
part of this there is a slight circular hollow, 
called the neck, which is terminated by the 
leaf belonging to the joint. The inner joint 
is entirely subordinate to the outer one, both 
in its development and growth. It is destined 
to perform a most important function ; in it 
the juice, after having undergone various 
modifications, arrives at the state of its es- 
sential salt.* There is on every joint a bud, 
which encloses the germ of a new cane. 
If the intimate structure of the various parts 
of the cane be minutely examined, its sap and 
proper or returning vessels will be readily 
discovered. The sap vessels are abundantly 
large and very numerous, being more in 
number than 1500. They are both simple 
and compound, and when cut transversely, 
one opening appears in a simple vessel ; but 
if compound, two, three, or even four open- 
ings are distinctly seen by the aid of a magni- 
fying glass. The function of the proper 
vessels is to separate the peculiar juices, pro- 
per to the plant, in the leaves, the rind, and 
the interior of the cane. They are symme- 
trically arranged, especially in the interior of 
the inner joint, in hexagonal cavities, similar 
to those of a bee-hive, forming, at equal dis- 
tances, cells, placed horizontally, one upon 
the other. At a point somewhat raised on 
the stalk, each sap vessel divides itself into 
two parts, one continues the vertical direction, 
the other becomes horizontal ; the latter grows 
interlaced with the vertical portion, and after 
having formed a partition of about a sixth of 
an inch in breadth, they unite themselves into 
a bundle or fasciculus, which pierces the rind, 
and forms the bud, which incloses the germ 
of a future generation. The buds always 
grow alternately on the opposite sides of the 
joints. The partition formed by the horizontal 
vessels separates the joints internally, and 
prevents all communication between them, 
as far as regards the peculiar function of 
each. 
The vessels which continue in a vertical 
direction have, through the whole extent of 
the outer joint, one of their sides convex, and 
the other concave, till they again become 
round by the meeting of other vessels ; the 
points of this union are marked by a semi- 
transparent ring, which forms a line of demar- 
cation between the outer and inner joints. 
This is the part of the cane where it is weakest^ 
and most apt to break. The space left be- 
tween the sap vessels, running from one par- 
tition to another, is filled by cells, which 
form the symmetrical disposition of the pro- 
per vessels. 
♦ We denominate by this term, that portion 
of the Juice which will crystallize. 
