212 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



yields three crops from one planting. The first season it is 

 called plant cane and subsequently, ratoons. In the tro- 

 pical climates, the West Indies and elsewhere, ratoons will 

 frequently continue to yield profusely for twelve or fifteen 

 years. On new and peculiarly favorable spots in this coun- 

 try, the ratoons will produce equal to the plant cane foi 

 several years, occasionally for six or eight; and sometimes, 

 as on the prairies of Attakapas and Opelousas, and the 

 higher northern range of its cultivation, it requires to be 

 replanted every year. The cultivation is alike in each, aftei 

 the young shoots make their appearance ; previous to which, 

 the ratoons should be barred off and scraped on the approach 

 of settled warm weather. The former consists in running 

 the plow near the rows and throwing the earth from them ; 

 and the latter, in removing the soil from the surface. The 

 sun's influence is thus sooner felt upon the roots, and an 

 earlier and more prolonged growth is secured to the cane. 

 But if these operations are performed too early or too closely, 

 subsequent frosts may seriously injure the plants. Scrap- 

 ing has in some instances been partially accomplished by a 

 large and cumbersome machine, but thus far it seems not to 

 have been generally adopted. One could probably be con- 

 structed for the accomplishment of both purposes, that would 

 save much labor and produce a uniformly beneficial result. 



Soon after the young plants have made their appearance, 

 the earth is gradually thrown to them by repeated plowings, 

 and the hoes are made auxiliary to this object, and to keep- 

 ing the cane clear of weeds. There is a great, advantage in 

 wide planting, as the two-horse plow can be used for culti- 

 vating. With these, a greater width and depth of furrow 

 is secured, by which one plowman with two mules, will 

 perform nearly double the amount of work, and do it much 

 more thoroughly, than with the single plow. There is 

 generally a larger growth from this deep and efficient plow- 

 ing ; and where weeds, and especially the coco grass abound, 

 great economy in subduing these is secured by the _ use of 

 the large plow, as it is thus so deeply buried, as to find its 

 way to the surface only after long intervals. 



When the cane has acquired such a height and expansion 

 of leaves as to shade the ground effectually, which if all 

 preliminary operations have been well performed, will be by 

 the first of June, the last furrows are thrown to the roots and 

 the earth slopes gradually to the centre ; forming an eleva- 

 ted support to the plants, and a depression between, which 



