those roots would remain too much exposed to the
heat of the sun, and would not continue to vegetate.

Some lands will continue to give ratoons for five, or even seven
years; but an average may be made at one crop of good ratoons fit for
grinding, another of inferior ratoons fit for planting, or for making
molasses to be used in the still-house, and a third which affords but
a trifling profit, in return for the trouble which the cleanings give.

I have above spoken more particularly of high lands. The low and
marshy grounds, called in Brazil, _varzeas_, are, however, those which
are the best adapted to the cane; and, indeed, upon the plantations
that do not possess some portions of this description of soil the
crops are very unequal, and sometimes almost entirely fail, according
to the greater or less quantity of rain, which may chance to fall in
the course of the year. The _varzeas_ are usually covered with short
and close brushwood, and as these admit, from their rank nature, of
frequent cultivation, they soon become easy to work. The soil of
these, when it is new, receives the name of _paul_; it trembles under
the pressure of the feet, and easily admits of a pointed stick being
thrust into it; and though dry to appearance requires draining. The
_macape_ marl is often to be met with in all situations; it is of a
greenish white color, and if at all wet, it sticks very much to the
hoe; it becomes soon dry at the surface, but the canes which have been
planted upon it seldom fail to revive after rain, even though a want
of it should have been much felt. The white marl, _barro branco_, is
less frequently found; it is accounted extremely productive. This clay
is used in making bricks and coarse earthenware, and also for claying
the sugar. Red earth is occasionally met with upon sides of hills near
to the coast; but this description of soil belongs properly to the
cotton districts. Black mould is common, and likewise a loose brownish
soil, in which a less or greater proportion of sand is intermixed. It
is, I believe, generally acknowledged that no land can be too rich for
the growth of the sugar cane. One disadvantage, however, attends soil
that is low and quite new, which is, that the canes run up to a great
height without sufficient thickness, and are thus often lodged (or
blown down) before the season for cutting them arrives. I have seen
rice planted upon lands of this kind on the first year to decrease
their rankness,