SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 433 



where on the stalk, others only from those near the top. 

 The cane is usually cut into sections containing one or more 

 buds, but sometimes the whole cane is planted. As the food 

 stored in the stalk is used by the young plant till it becomes 

 established, it is desirable to have the stalk in as good con- 

 dition as possible. The canes of some varieties are very 

 brittle and crack readily when cut, allowing disease and 

 decay to enter, hence the entire stalk is planted to avoid this 

 loss. The tops are best for propagation, as they grow most 

 readily and crack less. 



In sections where frosts do not occur, the crop can be 

 grown from the old stools for several years by splitting them 

 intc sections with a sharp plow or a tool specially devised 

 for the purpose. In the southern United States, it is neces- 

 sary to protect the canes from frost by cutting them in the 

 fall and storing them over winter in a moist, cool place. 

 The location should not be wet enough to cause the stalks to 

 rot, nor cold enough so that they will freeze. The stalks 

 are usually laid in piles and covered with the leaves which 

 have been stripped from them. Sometimes they are laid 

 in windrows between the rows from which they were har- 

 vested and covered bj^ plowing furrows upon them. In this 

 case, the leaves are left on. This method of storing is satis- 

 factory only in favorable seasons. In wet or cold years, it 

 13 quite likely to result in severe loss of the seed canes. The 

 seed canes should be selected from places where the growth 

 is good and which are as free as possible from disease. 



593. Soils and Fertilizers. Ordinary good soil is suit- 

 able for the production of sugar cane. The land should be 

 well drained, but should be so situated that it can be irri- 

 gated readily. When the rainfall is very heav^^ irrigation 

 may be unnecessary, but it is well to provide for it in case 

 of need. Open ditches are ordinarily used for drainage. 

 The land should be plowed very deep, the deeper the better, 

 even up to 20 or 24 inches. Traction plows are quite gen- 



