154 FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



from the river or bayous back toward the swamps. 

 These narrow strips of land are protected from over- 

 flow by levees on the banks of the streams, and often 

 by additional embankments at the edge of the swamps. 

 These levees at the back of the fields have from time 

 to time been built further back into the marsh and 

 swamp lands, and much reclamation has been effected 

 in this manner. The soil may be classified as varying 

 from sandy and silty loams to loamy and stiff clays. 

 The following chemical analysis may be considered as 

 fairly representative of the general run of soils of the 

 sugar belt: 



Insoluble matter 82 . 102% 



Potash 414% 



Soda 021% 



Lime 787% 



Magnesia 814% 



Iron oxide 1 1 . 280% 



Phosphoric acid 161 % 



Sulphur trioxide .019% 



Organic matter 3 . 160% 



Nitrogen 112% 



Drainage. The annual rainfall is about sixty inches 

 and irrigation is unnecessary, though it would prove 

 beneficial in certain periods of drought that occasion- 

 ally occur. A greater problem with which the planters 

 must contend is that of removing the excess of water. 

 The whole method of cultivation is based upon estab- 

 lishing proper drainage. The cane is planted on ridged 

 rows from nine to eighteen inches in height. Large 

 drainage ditches occur at intervals of fifteen to twenty 

 rows, and in addition there are quarter drains running 

 at right angles to the rows. The water is carried by 

 the ditches into large canals, and most plantations are 

 provided with extensive pumping plants to remove the 

 water from the canals. 



Cultivation. It is perhaps in the agricultural prac- 

 tices that the greatest advance has been effected. The 

 following is the method of cultivation employed. 

 The ground is thoroughly prepared by deep breaking 



