CULTIVATION OF SUGAR CANE. 9 



cane lands every alternate year. Such rests, it may be remarked, are 

 quite as "tiring" to the land as its continuous production of cane. The 

 rest does not last long enough to restore the growth that would in time 

 renew it, nor is it even fallow plowed, which would at least greatly 

 improve its mechanical condition. The "rest" is simply idleness, produc- 

 tive of ill rather than benefit. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



If the land is what we now understand to be virgin soil the brush and 

 timber will be cut closely to the ground, 1 any wood required for fuel 

 removed, and the remaining tops and branches, when dry enough, gath- 

 ered in small heaps and burned. Large fires are to be avoided, as the 

 smoldering embers are apt to ignite and burn out much of the precious 

 humus in the soil. It is on this account maintained that all trash should 

 be removed and burned outside the plantation limits. Nevertheless, if 

 the fires are kept small in size, the loss from this source will be inconsid- 

 erable, and hardly great enough to compensate for the extra cost of 

 handling, or for the potassic salts lost by the removal of the brush from 

 the ground; but, most important of all, the scattering and burning of 

 the brush not only kills and facilitates the subsequent removal of the 

 stumps, but helps to dstroy the larvae of pernicious insects that abound 

 in most forest lands. 



The grubbing of the stumps can not be profitably undertaken till the 

 rains have thoroughly wet down the soil, and then small roots are easily 

 taken out with a grub hoe, while larger ones, that are well charred, may 

 be easily removed by carabao. 



It is only the largest stumps that should be left to decay. This process 

 is so rapid in this climate that their early extirpation is an easy matter. 

 Unless of extraordinary density of foliage, a few standing forest trees are 

 seldom detrimental to field crops. To this the sugar cane is a notable 

 exception. It rejoices in full, free, and unbroken sunlight at every stage 

 of growth, and the greater its intensity and long continuance the greater 

 the assurance of a good yield of sugar. 



BREAKING THE SOIL. 



The proper initial preparation of the soil presents probably the gravest 

 difficulty with which the cane planter on these islands must contend. The 

 lack of animals and implements adequate to open up and aerate the soil 

 for all the depth to which it may be traversed by the cane roots, is indis- 

 pensable to success, and further on, the only solution of this problem that 

 now seems feasible will be presented. Where the initial preparation of 



'The writer has lately observed some interesting experiments in clearing, where 

 the brush was topped at three to four feet from the ground. The supposition is 

 that, in the process of grubbing, the standing butts can be used as levers for the 

 expeditious and easy eradication of the stumps. 



