The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
THE BLACKS LOVE SWEETS.
Sugar Cane Liked by the Southern
Negro BETTER Than Watermelon

| From the New York Commercial Advertiscr.)
IF anything can approach the water
melon in the Southern negro's estimation
sugar cane does" said n travelling man
| just in OFF the road. "A figure OF bliss for
| winter scene is a black youngster OF six
or seven clinging TO a stalk OF sugar cane
for dear life, and dancing up and down with
satisfaction as the juice triclSles down his
throat. His elders. though less demonstra-
tive. are equally in love with the sugary
delicacy.
I amt plant no cane myself. seem as
it take UP right smart of ground as would
do to make cotton, an old uncle told me,
but j does love to taste K. Seem like
when You git the newness of it in you it
docs you mighty sight Of good. Very
few of the negro small farmers can afford
10 raise the genuine cane, as the culture
requires rich ground, but they all have
little patches of miilet or sorghum, and
those employed about large tracts, where
cane is grown, are in clover. The picka-
rinnies do not wait fer knives when they
want TO get at the fluid of either sorghum
or cane. They bite pieces out OF the hard
rind with their teeth. then pull the re-
mainder off somehow, aud break the stalk
on close above a Joint by hitting 1t on a
hard surface. The pickaninnies demon
strate every day the uselessness Of many
articles that enlightened people think In
dispensable. On the sugar plantations the
young folks have great spoT: in the ripe
season. and those. accustomed TO chewing
cane are fastidious as TO the kind offered
them. The more freshly pulled a stalk is
the more delicate the favor. and connois-
seurs claim that they can distinguish the
difference in the taste OF cane grown on
certain sorts of soil. Sugar cane 10 be
first rate ought 10 be eaten the very min
ute is is picked, aud IL kept at all should
be kept with the roots and top on. so as
10 preserve the full complement OF Juice.
The sugar cane season is leveler
and enlivener in that il reminds the plan
tation girls OF their dependence upon the
men. A plantation girl can't cut and peel
her sugar cane stalk for herself any better
than she can sharpen her pencil II she
gets hold OF fine looking stalk she waits
until John or Jack or Charlie is on hand
to peel it for hers Here. Miss Nancy. you
chew partners with me- some boyish
sprite Of mischief Will say 10 the strange
girl unacquainted with plantation ways
Miss Nancy agrees. the longest joint OF |
cane TO be found is cut, peeled, and split |
to convenient size. pretended measure |
ment Of the girls mouth having been TAX |
en- meanwhile in order that the slice may |
not be cut too wide. Miss Nancy begins |
chewing at one end OF the strip and her |
partner at the other. When middle ground |
Is reached the two faces are, of course. |
close together. and Miss Nancy retires |
confused. amid peals Of laughter. declar-
ing that she will never. never speak TO |
that odious boy again.
Cane tipping of this description is n |
diversion in the midwinter time. |
Even the sportsman who drives in his |
buggy 10 the appointed meeting place |
takes along stalk or two of sugar cane
10 top off his midday meal. The school |
children all have the purplish sticks tuck
ed away in hiding. and every informal |
evening or afternoon gathering has its SUI
gar cane reaction. It's the fruity and new
taste that caDtiyates. and the chewing |
cane habit is something like that of eating
or candy, in that one never knows
when to stop"