26 



TEINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XIX. 1. 



PLOUGHING OR BREAKING LAND AND PREPARING 

 LAND FOR PLANTING CANES. 



Ploughing or Breaking Land. — The first ploughing after the crops 

 Avere reaped, of 23-27 acres planted partly in canes and partly in cotton 

 was done during March, April, May and June as was found convenient. 

 After ploughing, the land should have been planted with a cover crop of 

 cow peas to be either turned in as a green dressing or cut at the flowering 

 stage to be fed to the stock or stored in dlos. Unfortunately it was 

 only possible to obtain 200 lb. of cow peas locally. These were allowed 

 to grow to seed for obtaining a further supply. 



This ploughing was done partly with Nos. 9 and 12 ploughs in 55 J days 

 of nine hours by one man and three boj'S with four oxen working on an 

 average 0-42 acres per day. The cost per acre works out at $2.92 for 

 labour and a total of ft5.50, including depreciation of implements and 

 feed of animals. 



Preparing Land for Planting Canes. — Field 4, St. Augustine 

 consisting of 12-56 acres was ploughed in April-May after a cotton crop. 

 In August-September 10-76 acres were reploughed, of which 2-56 acres 

 were prepared by hand labour and the balance of the field 10 acres with 

 implements for planting canes. The first and second ploughing cost 

 $5.50 and $4.80 respectively per acre and as these operations were 

 performed on the whole field there is no necessity to take them into 

 consideration in ascertaining the difference in the cost of implemental 

 and hand preparation. 



Prepared with Implements— 10 acres Field 4 St. Augustine. 



* Banking with the double mould board plough was necessary only on account of 

 the desire to jilant potatoes on the banks. 



