Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-09-11

article of food, enters SO largely into
human consumption that It occupies
a place in the vegetable kingdom
second only to the great life-giving
| cereals such as wheat, corn and rice.
! While II Is true that sugar is OBJ
tanned I'm more or less quantities
| from the juices of many varieties or
vegetables and from the sap OF an
almost equal number OF trees, the
quantity thus obtained is SO small
compared with the amount produced
from cane that 1t enters not at all
as commercial factor of interna-
tional trade. 1t is sugar produced
from cane alone which enters into
calculations of today.
History of nations can be traced
back from the present day to dim
past which grows more dim and IL
at last lost in an obscurity that, IL
beyond the penetrating powers OF
those interested, and the uninterest-
ed don't care a rap. The same can
be said of sugar-producing cane.
The original home of the sugar cane,
so far as seekers for knowledge in
that particular. line ascertained, is
in southeastern Asia, and the Chi
nese. who are credited with being
the originators Of many Of the
worlds arts, both lost and in prac-
tice today, were the first people to
increase the production of cane by
proper cultivation and irrigation
system, and to extract sugar from
the juice obtained from the cane in
a very like manner as Is employed
today in our most modern sugar
mills. India and Arabia were the
next countries to enter into the
sugar-producing business on cul-
tivation basis.
The Phoenicians imported sugar
made from cane for many years be-
fore 1t was introduced into Europe.
} This happy event, which has since
contributed its share toward sweet
ening up the old country, was
brought about at the time Alexan-
der the Great was sweeping all ma
lions before his mighty armies. To
of sugar into Europe, thereby leav-
ing some sweet with his bitter. The
introduction of sugar into Europe
at that early period must have been.
according to history at hand. an
event of such similar Importance as
the introduction of the electric
light, the Telegraph and the wireless
In this later age. A certain mys-
terry seemed to obscure the initial
beginning of sugar, and many class
ical authors treated the world about
them to theories on It's production.
That sugar was produced from cone
they all knew, but while they were
acquainted with sugar itself by its
recent introduction to their land,
of cane they knew little or nothing
The theory of one of the noted writ
ers of that day was that sugar was
a sort of honey that formed itself In
sups attached to the cane. Another
aired his knowledge of sugar by stat
ing that 1t was concretion of juic-
es formed by the cane plant In the
manner of a thick gum.
The commercial intercourse be-
tween the eastern and western world
of the Orient came to an abrupt
end at the fall of the Roman EN-
pire, and the feelings were so bitter
that laws were enacted that placed
a severe penalty on any attempt at
an exchange OF commodities be-
tween the Fact ad the West. Dur
ing the time that this condition OF
affairs continued, which ran some
what over century, knowledge OF
the Chinese sugar plant. as cane
was called at that time, became lost.
At the beginning of the Crusades
the tabu on the exchange of COM
modities was removed, principally
through the strong-voiced senti-
ments OF Venice and Genoa, who de-
fed the combination OF nations by
again opening up the ancient inter-
course between the Mediterranean
and the Far East. 1t was then, in
the latter part of the eleventh CEN
fury, that exports Of sugar were
sent out from China to the Western
world. In the meantime, through
some unknown source, cane had been
introduced into Egypt, and from
there 1t crossed the Mediterranean,
and in the beginning of the twelfth
century the plains of Etna. sur
rounding that mountain, were made
to bloom like the rose with sugar
cane, and Italy making strenuous
bids for the western trade in sugars.
From Italy cane was carried to Ma
dera In 1919.
The discovery of America opened
up new field for the growing of
sugar cane. Brazil was the first
country of tropical America so fav-
ored. About 1919 Portuguese car