861 



Irrignfion. — Siu'cessfnl exporimcnts in surfaoo niul siib-irrij^ation have 

 been made with sii_<;ai" cane, soishmn, corn, cotton, and eowpeas. \Voik 

 in this line will be continued. 



Siiijar school. — A school for the training of experts in sngar cnltnre 

 and ni.uuifa(;ture has been esfcablislied at the Sngar Kxj)erinient Station 

 by the Louisiana Scieutific and Agricultural Association. 



Tobacco citlture. — An export has been employed to conduct exjxiri- 

 ments in tobacco growing and curing at the North Louisiana Station. 



Soil iiivcsfinafions. — The systematic collection and analysis of the 

 soils of the State have been undertaken with a view to preparing an 

 agricultural map. 



Louisiana Stations, Bulletin No. 14 (Second Series), (pp. 60). 



Sugar cane, field and laboratoiiy results, W. C. Stubbs 

 PiL 1). (pi). 340-4:04:). — The work here rei^orted was in many instances 

 in continuation of that reported in Bulletins Nos. 20 aiul (second 

 series) of the station (see Experiment Station Kecord, vol. i, p. G.'i, and 

 vol. II, p. 569). 



Weather si/)ioi).sis (pp. 340-352). — A summary of meteorological obser. 

 vations from March 1, 1880, to December 30, 18!)1. 



Taking tbo table and the seasons, we find that a dry, warm winter, followed by a 

 nioileiately dry spring, and this in tnru sncceeded by a hot, wet summer, are toiidi- 

 tious favorable to maximum growth of cane. It seems too that a dry, cool autumn, 

 beginning early in September, is necessary to produce a large sugar content. 



After the cane is laid l»y, frequent showers of considerable intensity appear highly 

 beneficial, and it" not supplied the crop will not reach the maxiuuim tonnage. 



Stripping cane (pp. 353, 354). — An experiment was tried on six rows, 

 of stripping the dead leaves from the cane several times during the 

 season, as is practiced in tropical countries. Alternate rows were 

 stripped of all dead leaves on September 7, the others being left 

 untouched. The tabulated analyses of the stripped and unstiipped 

 cane show that "the cane which remained almost naked for months 

 failed to give as much sucrose as that untouched." 



Irrigation (pp. 354-359). — A trial of irrigation, which was made inci- 

 dentally on 7 plats of sugar cane, gave good results. " It is impossible 

 to draw from these experiments the exact increment produced in our 

 crops by irrigation. Enough is known, however, to justify the asser- 

 tion that the profits of irrigation were very large in tonnage. This has 

 been done without the sacrifice of the sugar content of the cane." 



Distance between cane rows (pp. 360-306). — In 1890 striped cane was 

 cultivated in rows 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 feet apart, the rows being 105 

 feet long, and 3 rows in each case being the same width. In 1891 

 these experiments were repeated on a large number of plats groMing 

 both striped and purple cane. The results of the experiments of both 

 years are tabulated. Both years the 3-foot rows led in tonnage, being 

 followed by the 4 and 5-foot rows, indicating " that the narrower the 



