FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 363 



fog it, until it might even, perhaps, be matured in the short 

 Summers ot Canada. A* it would lessen in growth, it 

 would, like Indian corn, admit ot being planted more close- 

 ly, and thus about the same quantity ot cane would be ob- 

 tained horn ihe acre. 



The lands in this Country, which are best adapted to the 

 culture ot thu plant, are chiefly those which are alluvia), 

 and tut. ncn loams, which are generally dark-colored, being 

 mixed wuh greater or less proportions ot vegetable earth. 

 Ricri sandy or gravelly loams vtill probably answer very 

 well. The soils on which Indian corn flourishes most are, 

 we believe, well adapted tor the cane. Whether it could 

 be successfully cultivated on lighter lands, wuh the aid ot 

 gypsum, has probably never been ascertained; though we 

 have lime reason to doubt that this manure would act as 

 puwcriuiiy on this as on many other plants. 



Aa mere is but a small portion of this Country adapted, 

 at present, tor the cuhure ot the cane, so that perhaps not 

 one in ten thousand ot our Agriculturists is likely to be en- 

 gaged in the pursuit ; and as the whole process ot raising 

 the plant, and its subsequent management, would, it detail- 

 ed at lull length) considerably enlarge this volume ; we 

 must rcier those who may stand in need ot information, on 

 this subject, to Mr. Edwards 9 History of the Westindies: 

 Bui, lor more accurate information, we would advise such 

 to ierfn, from those engaged in this employment, the parti- 

 cular details of the culture, 'and process, as adapted to this 

 Coumry, and improved since the time when Mr. Edwards 

 wrote the Work in question. 



The method most proper for raising the cane in this 

 Country, as well as the time in which it is to be cultivated, 

 are each different from what prevails in the Westindies. 

 Htre the plough should be the principal implement used in 

 the culture; there, it is, partly from old habits, and partly 

 from the steepness and roughness ot much of the land, 

 mostly performed with the hoe. Great improvements have 

 also been made in this Country, in the process of distiling, 

 since the publication of the Work in question. 



The culture of the cane on the lands in this Country, 

 which are adapted for it, is at present very profiiable ; and 

 this will probably induce many 10 drive the business to the 

 utmost exient, to the ultimate exhaustion of the lands. It 

 was formerly a common saying, among southern Cultivat- 

 ors, ot tobacco in particular, that by wearing out one farm 

 enough could be made to purchase tour new ones. Accord- 

 ingly, much valuable land was laid waste, for the sake of 

 immediate gain ; and practising on this plan is still but too 

 prevalent in the Southern States. Lands arc there common- 

 ly used in a most barbarous manner. 



