STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 149 



tatious. His profits this year upon Ids plantation lie estimates 

 will be about $50,000. 



Capt. Blakeley. How much do they value their cane per 

 ton? 



Prof. Porter. I did not ask. 



Capt. Blakeley. I saw a report somewhere that they were 

 getting about one hundred and eighty odd pounds of sugar from 

 a ton of the cane; that is a good deal more than we could do 

 with the amber cane. 



Prof. Porter. The quality of the sugar may be seen by ex- 

 amining these samples. On Mr. Diamond's plantation I found 

 that he was not making this quality of sugar; he was getting a 

 lower grade. 



Gen. Le Due. He uses open kettles and open pans ? 



Prof. Porter. Yes, as well as a vacuum pan. 



Gen. Le Due. Did they use the corn stalks anywhere where 

 you were? 



Prof. Porter. No, sir; it was not used, and I did not find a 

 single hill of corn on one of these five plantations that I visited. 

 Every pound of meat, find every loaf of bread, and every parti- 

 cle of grain that they feed their stock was imported, and all they 

 have to support this system of agriculture is their sugar and mo- 

 lasses. Of course, in the nature of things, an industry of that 

 kind cannot stand very long. 



Capt. Blakeley. Could you give us an estimate of the (pian 

 tity of seed that may be produced from an acre of land, from any 

 of your experiments "? 



Prof. Porter. The average product is about twenty-five bush- 

 els to the acre. 



Gen. Le Due. How do you feed it ? 



Prof. Porter. I have used it with advantage as feed for hogs, 

 mixed with the hot skimmings, — or ground and fed as cornmeal. 

 In the East I have grown it in large quantities, both for feed and 

 for seed. The plan I have found the most economical and expe- 

 ditious for saving seed is the following: Take into the field three 

 "/iOrses" about the size and shape of a common saw-horse, upon 

 which the cut cane is to be placed. Let one man, provided with 

 a straight-bladed corn knife, or a cane machete, pass between 

 the rows, and with a quick downward stroke with the back of 

 the knife strip the blades from the stalks; then let another hand 

 follow and cut the canes from the hills and throw them on the 

 horses, the heads all one way; then let a third man, with one 



