318 AGRICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS 



now being tried throughout the cane belt. Reference has 

 already been made to the large number of infertile seeds in 

 every cane tassel. By extreme care a few of the fertile 

 seeds can be made to germinate. After germination every 

 plant varies greatly from its parents and from the plants 

 grown with it. Therefore each plant is carried to maturity 

 and then tested, and if found of merit is propagated in the 

 usual way by planting the stalk. In this way a number 

 of promising " seedlings " have been given to the world. 



FIG. 275. A FIELD OF CANE PROSTRATED BY WIND 



Soils for Cane. The soils best adapted to canes are, 

 broadly speaking, those which contain the largest amount 

 of fertilizing material and which have a large water-holding 

 capacity. In south Louisiana alluvial loams and loamy 

 clays are cultivated, while in Georgia, Alabama, and 

 Florida light, sandy soils, when properly fertilized and cul- 

 tivated, produce fine crops. Soils capable of holding water 

 and fertilizers can frequently be profitably cultivated by 



