The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-09-22
of thessSugar-Cane.
NUMBER MI

Babeo Joykishen Mookerjee, zem-
inder of Hooghly: 1.-TWO species OF
sugar-cane, known in this country as
the kdjlee and pcOree canes, have
from time immemorial been cultivated
in this district (Burdwan). These
canes always gave the cnltlvators
very good returns, and their cultlva-
ton therefore, in former times, grad
ually increased with the increased
demand of sugar for expectation.
"Whether these crops were native
to the soil or merely acclimatIzed is
not known; but no account OF the
total failure Of these canes,such as was
the case with what was called the Bonn
bay canes, can be gathered from the &C
counts of the oldest inhabitants. More
than forty years ago Mr. Medieval
introduced the red canes from the
districts of Rungpore, and they were
thence called the Shahiban Khooshir.
The cultivation of this species Of
cane spread very rapidly, as the cul.
tivators found that they yielded more
Juice and contained more saccharine
matter than the country ones; and
in about eight years it spread gradu-
ally over Hooghly in common with
the other southern districts. About
the same time, that is, nearly thirty
five years ago, the red or Bombay
cane was introduced in the districts
from Nimgee Bungalow, place a
few miles from Calcutta. 1t was at
first cultivated at Bally, Ooterparah,
Rughoonathpore, and their neighbor.
hood, but in a few years the cultiva-
tion gradually extended to the banks
of the Damoodah, close to Pergun.
nah Chunderkona. A very great i'm
petus was given to the cultivation of
sugar cane in this and the other dis
tricts by the large diminutlon in the
supply OF sugar from Mauntius and
the West Indies, in consequence of
the restrictions imposed about this
time on the slave trade and slave
labor. For more than fifty years the
cultivators reaped luxuriant harvests
OF the Shahiban and Bombay sugar
canes, and improved their condition
to no small extent. Brick built
houses sprang up in every direction,
and the condition OF large portion
-of tire SseAasatsvy was altogether very
cheering. In 1854 and 1855, how
ever, the first symptoms ofthe blight,
which totally exterminated these val
liable crops from the district, first
made their appearance. A few cane
bushes here and there appeared with
cred during the first year. This did
not attract much attention, but the
next year the cultivators were alarm
at the destruction OF about two thirds
of the crop, and although every
means that lay in their power were
had recourse to to save the crops from
the Dhooshd (sugarcane blight, the
attempt was entirely truitless. After
an inefficient struggle for more than
three years, the cultivation OF both
these descriptions OF sugar-cane was
given up in dispair and the ryots had
to tall back on the cultivation of their
own country canes, the hqjlee and
210oyee. After the extinction of the
highly paying descriptions of canes,
the ryots had not much heart to cul-
tivate the interior descriptions of
cane; but they had not long to
mourn for the extinction of their wall
liable crops, for in about the year
1S60-61, the Shan,shdYa cane, which
is nearly equal to the extinct DIES.
criptions, was introduced in this dis
trlct. The cane is believed to have
been imported from Otaheite. Its
cultivation has steadily increased,
and the quality OF the cane has evl.
IDENTIFY improved by reason OF the
great care taken in its cultivation and
OF the large expense that is incurred
in manuring the soil and irrigating
the crops. A short account OF the
cultivation OF sugar-cane in this dis.
trict was published in the 'Agricultu-
raj and Horticultural Society's Jour
nal,' vol. tx. part 3, of 1857, pages
353-358. 1t would be worth while
to ascertain whether the importation
OF new seed or plants of the Bombay
cane might not have the effect OF re-
storing its cultivation"
OF all agricultural products sugar.
cane requires the most care. Before
filing plantation the ground must
be piowed at least ten times ma.
nured and left tallow for a whole
year. in the second year, when the
time OF planting approaches,
beds two yards square are pre-
pared by kneading the soil till it