258 THE SOILS AND CEOPS OF THE FARM. 



Oaltare. — Sugar cane is reproduced by cuttings. 

 The upper part of the cane contains much less sugar 

 than the lower part and is considered, if anything, 

 superior for planting. 



Methods vary. The seed-bed is prepared about as 

 for Indian corn. The land is laid out with a plow 

 into furrows from five to seven feet apart and six to 

 ten inches deep. Sometimes holes are dug by hand. 

 Into these furrows canes are laid end to end, slightly 

 over-lapping. Two or more may be laid side by side. 

 When two canes are laid side by side it takes four 

 tons of cane to plant an acre. The canes are cut in- 

 to convenient lengths for handling before planting. 

 It is not essential to the growth of the cane. 



In Louisiana it is con3idered good practice to plant 

 thin enough to allow the plants to stool or tiller freely. 

 An acre may produce from 15,000 to 45,000 canes. 



After the cuttings are planted, they are covered 

 with a couple of inches of loose earth. As the plants 

 grow the earth is gradually filled in about them un- 

 til the ditch is full and the soil is hilled or banked up 

 about the plants. This is supposed to help the canes 

 to maintain an erect position. 



The planting may be done in the fall, winter or 

 spring. 



A field once set in cane may remain many years, 

 each succeeding crop giving a decreasing yield of su- 

 gar. The rapidity of the decrease depends largely 

 upon the locality. The length of time it is desirable 

 to maintain a field without replanting will depend 

 upon the rapidity of the decrease and the cost of 

 planting. In Louisiana it is considered good practice 

 to replant about one-third of the land annually. 



