148 WALL'S MANUAL 



cane of great richness and value, Several varieties 

 of the Otaheita, the purple, the yellow, and the 

 purple banded, are more or less cultivated, but tho 

 juice is decidedly inferior to the Creole, 



SOIL, 



The cane will nourish in a great variety of soils, 

 Varying between the extremes of stiff clay and a 

 light, sandy loam, provided the clay soil be well 

 drained and fertile, The soil best suited is a rich 

 loam, well supplied with lime, and such as will yield 

 the best crops of Indian corn, The best and most 

 enduring soils in the West Indies and elsewhere, 

 contain large quantities of lime and phosphates, 

 One of the most profitable sugar plantations in 

 Louisiana has a profusion of shells scattered over it 

 in every stage of decomposition. 



SEED CANE, 



This plant is always propagated by cuttings, 

 These ought to be provided from the best and most 

 mature cane of the preceding season, The only 

 available means of improving or preventing deteriora- 

 tion is to be found in planting the very best quali- 

 ties of seed cane. 



PRESERVATION OF SEED CANE., 



This is kept from the period of cutting until 

 planting, by simply placing it on the dry surface of 

 the ground, in beds or mattresses, as they are 

 technically called, of about ten feet in depth, and 

 having the tops shingling, or overlying the ripe 

 portions of the stalk to protect the seed cane from 



