32 



plant food this variety has steadily fallen in test, and tbe period during 

 which it retains its highest sugar content has been shortened. 



It is not safe to depend on this variety of cane for the whole season, 

 even if nitrogen is used largely with other plant food, because of its 

 tendency to lodge and break with high winds. 



Season 0/1883. Yard composts and begasse were used in such small 

 quantities that the nitrogen did not stand out prominently. The Amber 

 had gone by its season before October 8, and had not the Late Orange- 

 been substituted this season for sugar making would have ended on 

 that day, instead of November 14, when the crop was all in. 



Season 0/1884. Stable manure in large quantities, also a dressing of 

 dissolved bone ash from South America, rich only in phosphoric acid, 

 was used. 



The phosphoric acid ripened the cane fully two weeks earlier than usual, 

 and although the leaves were dry the Amber cane held its sugar con- 

 tent without loss until worked up on October 11. The Late Orange was 

 affected in the same manner according to its season, and although ap- 

 parently dried up, too, still held its sugar. Mill juice tanks containing 

 G,000 gallons were quite common, testing 13 to 13J per cent, of cane 

 sugar from October 11 to October 29, after which time there was a grad- 

 ual falling off until November 11, when the tanks stood 12 per cent, and 

 77 purity. This ended this season, as the crop was worked up. 



The small experimental plots conducted by the State Experiment 

 Station have always showed that by doubling the dose of phosphoric 

 acid the cane sugar falls off seriously ; but as it is my intention to deal 

 only with cane in immense masses as found at the sugar house, 1 merely 

 call attention to this fact. 



This year produced nearly 400,000 pounds of merchantable sugar, and 

 there was found by adding the sugar in the molasses, and the loss in the 

 begasse as it came from the mill, that over 1,500,000 pounds of sugar 

 were in the crop. 



Molasses only was made from the begasse this season, diffusion being 

 for the first time applied. 



Season of 1885. No phosphates were used and there was not enough 

 compost to properly furnish nitrogen to the crop; still the nitrogen was 

 felt, and when the season commenced on September 2, the cane was so 

 green we at one time thought it would be better to stop work. When 

 work was begun, the Amber cane contained 5.04 per cent, of cane sugar 

 and increased to 8.8 per cent, on September 29, when the variety was all 

 brought in. The Late Orange cane contained 10 per cent, of sugar when 

 first cut, and gradually raised to 12.57 per cent., slowly declining to 10 

 per cent, by November 11, the end of the season. This crop was planted 

 practically at the same time as the crop of 1884, and harvested at the 

 same time. Had a large quantity of nitrogenous fertilizing been used 

 the sugar contents would have been much higher. Small quantities of 

 nitrogen on lands deficient in organic matter will make poor crops. 



