SUGAR CANE. 
57 
ready mentioned. It must be understood that we 
are speaking of the sugar cane in a state of cultiva- 
tion, as it is in this state only that its history is 
completely known. The plants, when seen col- 
lectively, have a very pretty effect, and so strongly 
arrested the attention of Mr. Beckford, that, in his 
descriptive account of the island of Jamaica, he says 
a field of canes when standing in the month of 
November, and in arrow , or full blossom, is one of 
the most beautiful productions that the pen or 
pencil can possibly describe. This gentleman in- 
forms us that the plant, when ripe, is of a bright 
and golden yellow, and, where exposed to the sun, 
is in many parts very beautifully streaked with red; 
the top is of a darkish green at first, but at length 
becomes of a russet yellow. From the centre of 
the leaves shoots up an arrow, like a silver wand, 
from two to six feet in height, producing from its 
summit a plume of delicate white feathers which 
are fringed with lilac colour. In this state the plant 
makes a very elegant appearance, and well deserves 
the attention of the botanist. 
It does not appear that the juice of the sugar 
cane was known at a very early period among the 
Greeks and Romans, and therefore we must suppose 
that the plant was not much cultivated for its produce 
in the East till after a certain period, which cannot 
be readily ascertained. If the plant had been cul- 
tivated in India and Arabia, as Mr. Edwards sup- 
poses, from time immemorial ; surely the Greeks 
and Romans, who traded with most of the countries 
