The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-01
THE PIONEERING OF CANE.
A Correspondent From Hampton
County Contributes Some Highly
Interesting Information Concerning
a Curious and Unusual Happening
in Nature.

To the Editor Of the News and
Courier: Having noticed recently in
the News and Courier some extracts
/ from various South Carolina papers
in reference to the Towering Of cane,
I write to give you such information
on the subject as is furnished by
botanists:
There are two species. Of care COM
mon in the south, arundineria ma
crospern1a, from ten to thirty feet in
height, and a tecta, growing from
two to twelve feet high. AS to the
Towering habits Of these two species
| the fullest information at my command
is found in 'The Plant Life Of Alcesa-
ma" by the late DR.. Charles Mohr, a
very valuable work issued by the geo.
losiccl survey of Oklahoma. The
author saws: '.Arundinara tecta
rarely exceeds the height Of twelve or
fifteen feet. and the slender culm
branches from the base is seldom half
an inch in thickness. Early in spring,
apparently every three or four years,
the paniculate flowers are produced
on naked radical shoots scarcely ex-
ceeding eighteen inches in height,
while the tall flowerless canes are
sent up every season from the long
creeping rhizemes. Arundinaria ma
cros~erma from fifteen to thirty feet
high and frequently an inch and over
| in diameter, produces the panicles Of
its flowers in the axis Of the branch
es at long and indefinite intervals of
time. 1t is evident, therefore, that
generations may pass by before the
spectacle of such a canebrake in
blossom is ever witnessed
For example. II the beginning OF
| the summer of 1895 the inhabitants
of Russell county were astonished
suddenly to find the large canebrakes
bending under the burden of their
heavy, nutritious grains, which at
tracted large numbers Of birds and
beasts. The farmers regarded this
as an entirely new plant and, finding
their stock grow fat upon the seed
stored away quantities Of it, not only
for future feeding, but under the de-
fusion that if sown it would consti-
tute a crop of small grain equal in
value to any previously grown.
But in the light Of experience it is
to be presumed that period Of not
less than forty or fifty years has to
pass before the propagation of this
plant by sexual reproduction takes
place. With the maturity of the seed
the vitality of the plant is exhausted
and the cane decays. In the succeed
ing season from the spontaneous
stocking of the ground with an abun-
dance Of seed, a new crop springs up
The seedlings produce no branches
during the first year. These simple
sprouts, which are known as mutton
cane. are tender and sweet and af-
ford the best Of pasturage. They are
particularly sought after by deer,
which find in the impenetrable densi-
ty Of the canbrakes their securest re-
treats
Gray says that the large cane
fruits at indefinite periods and soon
after Decays" Chipman uses almost
the same words, and Wood remarks
that it flowers scarcely ever" 1
haven't a copy of Elliott's Sketch
OF the Botany of South Carolina and
Georgia" at hand, but if my memory
is correct ne says that the cane flow
cred in the neighborhood of Charles
ton in 1907 and again in 1911, and
speaks OF this interval Of four years
as phenomenany short.
DR.. Mohr's statement that the flow
ers of the small cane are produced on
| rSUicai roots Is 1tlISledClIlS.. 1lSy eil :
more frequently seen projecting from
the summit of the branches Of the
culnl The raceme or spikelet Of
flowers is somewhat like head Of
wheat or beardless barley, purplish
green in color and, when ''in bloom" :"
the large yellow anthers. hanging
from their slender flaments, are
quite conspicuous. Some of the spike
lets bear perfect flowers, consisting
Of both stanaens ara pistils, Will ?
some bear only starlina:e or pistillate
flowers.
The writer has seen flowers of the
small cane every spring for the past
I've wears in different localities in
Newberry county, and they are
abundant this year in Hampton coun-
t.. 1 have seen those Of the large
cane only twice-in Newberry in
1o02 and in HAMPTON county in