The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-09-22
THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIST.

covered with the moist earth, which
is allowed to dry for ten or twelve
days or until cracks appear. Each
head planted has four or five
Joints, and from each of these Il shoot
springs twenty days after planting.
From this time till the cane is ready
for cutting, fresh water is admitted
every tour days. In three months
the shoots attain the height of a yard,
and at this stage it is usual for the
outside leaves to be carefully wrap
ped and bound around the stalk as a
support and protection, Later on,
further support in the shape OF a
bamboo fifteen feet long to two canes,
is added, and thenceforth the canes
require to be tied atresh to the baln-
boo every six weeks as their height
increases. The cutting commences
a year from the time OF planting. In
some districts a large expenditure is
incurred in fencing to keep out the
lackals, which are exceedingly partial
to the sweet cane. For this purpose
as many as 10000 bamboos are re-
CURED for a plantation OF eight
acres. The canes to be used for
sugar and jsggery are taken direct
from The field to a large open shed,
where they are passed through press
composed OF two circular pieces OF
hard wood made to revolye by rude
machinery worked by bullocks.
When about twenty chatties OF juice
have been obtained the boiling be-
gins and lasts for an hour. To each
boiler OF juice UisS OF lime is added,
When boiled the mixture is poured
into an iron vessel, and after being
stirred for while is poured out
again on mat, on which the sugar
dries and becomes hard. 1t is then
broken up and packed tor market in
baskets of five maunds each.
The goor of the Sahitru districts
in Sinde varies in appearance and
substance from that OF other parts.
1t is remarkably hard, and requires
some exertion tc break it, and is at
the same time OF a very deep color.
This is doubtless owing to the nature
OF the sugar cane, which is quite. diff
terent from that OF Southern India.
1t is thin, cane-like plant, seldom
much thicker than small finger, very
hard, and yielding little juice, SO that.
to see the business of expressing the
juice theretrom, one would imagine
it scarcely worth the trouble. The
favor OF the goor, however, is good.
A superior kind OF native spirit is
made from this goor, which is very
generally drank by all classes with
out exception, although strictly for
hidden in Mahomedan and Hindoo
law. There are several kinds OF it,
which vary in price according to
quality. The liquor is, however, in.
trinsically the same, the good or bad
quality Of it depending upon the
quantity and variety OF spices added
TO it.
Several varieties of sugar-cane are
cultivated as the country cane, the
original form OF the species; the rib
bon cane, with purple Or yellow
stripes along the stems; the Bourbon
or Tahiti cane, more elongated,
stronger, more hairy, and very pro-
ducti,e variety. Sacchd17tna Violdc-
eaun, Juss., the Batavian cane, is also
considered to be variety; but the
larger s. chi'ee1se, Roxb., introduced
from Canton in 1896 INTO the Botanic
Gardens of Calcutta, may be a dis
tinct species it has long, slender,
erect panicle, while that OF s. o6ici
naratDa is hairy and spreading, with
the ramifications alternate and more
compound, not to mention other diff
ferences in the leaves and flowers.
ITO be coaatiaauedl