, 1876-03-18


II, a dark purple cane, perhaps a less
luxurious otfshoot of same parent as No.
10, is also soft in tissue. Allie No. 10 is
described as stouter, more promising, canes
than the common Otaheite, planted in the
same soil at the Garden, and under the
same conditions, and which were rarely
II inches in diameter. Only No. 4 was so
small, Nos. ,, g., 9, II, and 10 being IL
inches, Nos. 1, 3, 5, aud 7 being 2 inches,
while the Joints of the very handsome,
clean cane, No. 10, averaged p inches
in diameter by 81 inches long. No.
5 has 6 inch Joints, No. 9, 81 inches, and
Nos. 4, 8, II, and IL have 5 inch Joints.
Those Of No. I are Il inches, of No. 3, /
inches, and OF Nos. 2 aud I, 81 inches.
The Joints of Nos. $, 10, and II are un-
described No. 6 grows very straight
canes. No. Z retained a green foliage
and although short in Joint, is stated
to have a very fine habit. The botanist
is careful to say that, having grown on
poor soil, the dimensions given indicate,
not the ultimate standard these varieties
will attain TO under more favourable con-
ditjous, but ouly their relative value COM
pared with the common Otaheite, in fields
planted alongside OF them. He antiCi-
pates that q richer and moister soil will
improve ALL. Purple and purple-striped
canes are generally admitted to be prefer
cntia'Iy adapted, by the hardness of their
habit, to the poorer, drier soils but, 1t
must BE- remembered, they have a hard
ness of tissue chat gives more trouble i'll
crushing. Nos. 10 and II, however, are
remarkable exceptions, and he thinks that
others Of the list, when tried in really
good soil, will improve, and assume a treer
habit, aud gain a larger size than ever
shown by our Old friend, the yellow Ota,
heite. There are green canes in the Be-
tanic Garden possessing characters thought
peculiar to purple canes. The paper men
tons incidentally a grand purple cane
obtained from the islands OF the South
Western Pacific, the Queen" cane, whose
Joints are 4 or S inches in diameter. 1t
will takea few years to establish a good
supply of any favourite variety. Expert
ments in shortness Of time to rlpen, gal
Ions Of liquor per acre, saccharlne strength
per polariscope, and other particulars
are also required, before the planter can
know the relative value of the different
kinds. There is not the least reason
to doubt that with selection and
good nursing, very superior and fixed
qualities eau be obtained in sugar-cane, as
freely as they have been in wheat, tur-
nips, beet, fruit, garden flowers, and
domestic stock. Tropical staples are
ages behind Europe in this respect, and
have hence grand possibilities IN oUo, but
they will not be realised without effect,
judgment, and pc rseverance. Accord
ing to the We& Indian, a Barbados paper,
a foot in length of sugar cane grown in
that island weighs Z of a pound, and a
bunch of canes grown in one hole weighs
50 pounds on an average, which yield
4gallons of liquor or juice, from which
4 pounds of Muscovado sugar are got. OF
the 81 pounds, the juice weighs 90
pounds. An acre OF ripe canes, planted
six by five feet, gives 1,452 lunches,
or 5,8O8 gallons Of juice, or 5,8O8 pounds
of sugar. At so pounds of cane to the
hole Tor bilD an acre of canes, planted
as above, would weigh, when cut, $4,000
pounds, or SO tons, 80 per cent. being
Juice. 1t takes these So tons of cane to
give 81 tons of raw sugar, or 1863 tons
from a 1O-acre field to yield 30 tons Of
sugar. For the first six months the plant
requires but little rain to keep it in yigour +;