470 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Prof. Scovell, of Sterling, Kansas, reported a disease among cane when nearly 

 ripe. The leaf turned yellow, then red ; the roots died, the stalks withered, and, 

 in some instances, fell over. This disease is found only on alkaline soils. Sugar in 

 the diseased cane is inverted. The cause is supposed to be lack of cultivation. 

 Much complaint was also made hy Kansas delegates of the deterioration of cane 

 by hybridizing with broom-corn. In some localities the seed would not answer for 

 planting. The utilization of the by-products of this industry received more at- 

 tention than at any pi-evious meeting. The reported yields of seed ranged from 

 eighteen to forty-eight bushels per acre. The hog product of the Eio Grande 

 Works, in New Jersey, last year brought them $12,000, without the loss of a sin- 

 gle hog. 



DISCUSSION. 



A. Chapman. Does the Professor give any cause for this? 



E. W. Deming. In that one case, the analysis showed lack of cultivation. 



Mr. Bennyworth, in Kansas, had 500 acres of cane, and never cultivated it at 

 all, and 150 acres that he never planted, which was a volunteer crop. The sugar 

 cane is in demand in that country for fodder. He sold it in the fall at $5 an acre, 

 and 5,000 sheep were turned on when we were there. 



Cane needs to be planted away from broom corn, as it will hybridize for a dis- 

 tance of two miles. 



In regard to planting cane on Governor Warmolh'a plantation, Prof. Wiley 

 did not fully explain. They estimate the cost of planting an acre of cane to be $30. 

 It requires fifty meu and twenty-five mules to plant ten acres. When I was there 

 three years ago, 1 thought one ordinary man in the North would do as much as three 

 down there. When I saw forty persons putting cane on the carrier, I thought they had 

 made a mistake. I told them in the North it would be considered little work. I 

 grabbed up some cane myself, but before I got to the carrier I was down to the 

 ground. They are very heavy. I had about a dozen canes when I started. In 

 taking up the cane they strip it after cutting, taking the leaves ofTone stalk at a 

 time. It is of rank growth, the canes are crooked and uneven in length, and slippery 

 to handle. 



Dr. Furnas. It becomes tangled very much. To facilitate business, they have 

 a hook on the back of the knife, with which they reach down and catch one of 

 the down canf s, raise it up, and cut it off at the ground. 



.4 Member. I would like to know how they handle those tramways. 



E. W. Deming. They are tracks laid down on which the cane is conveyed to 

 the mill, having ties a short distance apart, to support the rails from sinking in 

 the ground, and fish joints to keep the rails together. These tracks are movable 

 and are moved for every through of cane. 



Dr. Furnas. I noticed that it was universally twelve rows of cane and then a 

 ditch. They have to cultivate that way there, on account of the marshy nature of 

 the ground. Nobody lives behind the man who lives on the river. Governor 

 Warmouth has so many arpents of river front, and then extends back quite a dis- 

 tance inland. The water that collects in these ditches is pumped out. 



