33 



This was our experience again and again, and to secure immense crops 

 high in sugar, potash should be combined with nitrogen. 



Season of 188G. Small quantities of nitrogenous fertilizer and light 

 dressings of muriate of potash were used. The crop suffered severely 

 for lack of food. During the season, where plenty of nourishment had 

 been supplied, the crop came to the standard. When this was not the 

 case, the Amber seed remained in a milky state for a long time and 

 soured as it stood in the field, after three days of abnormally hot weather, 

 making the cane unfit for sugar making. The Late Orange suffered 

 from lack of nitrogenous fertilizing and the sugar test rose and fell in 

 proportion as this food and potash were present; but being a longer 

 feeder it did not suffer throughout the season so much as the Amber. 



The Kansas Orange was introduced this year and, being a stranger, 

 the ground was properly selected, and composts and potash applied in 

 sufficient quantities, a 12 per cent, cane with purities over 70 being 

 its record. The record of the Late Orange cane, for the balance of the 

 season, is high and low test, according to the land; finally ending, with 

 the crop all harvested, with a test of 9.45 per cent. This crop discouraged 

 the sugar company notwithstanding the gains by diffusion, which process 

 had been introduced in 1884. Local agriculturists pronounced the ver- 

 dict that the lands being exhausted by continual cropping were ruined 

 and unfit for crop of any kind. The plantation was then sown in clover ; 

 no fertilizing was done. The farmers laughed at the notion that land 

 unable to grow large cane crops could be expected to grow grass, but 

 it did ; and the clover crops on these lands havebeen unprecedented and 

 are the envy and wonder of local farmers, and judging the land from 

 the farmers' own stand-point, it is to day in better condition than ever 

 before. The clover had found the missing nitrogen and furnished or- 

 ganic matter. 



A lot of land on these faims grew poor cane for years, and in 1887, 

 instead of planting it with clover, composts and potash were supplied 

 and cane planted ; by planting the ground with twice the number of 

 hills to the acre, portions of the land approximated 28 tons of cane to 

 the acre. 



Season of 1887. The cane was planted from May 9 to June 3, and the 

 late varieties failed to mature properly. A good dressing of begasse 

 yard compost, and potash was used. The crop was doubled by planting 

 3 feet by 24 inches ; purity ran about 64 and tests were good. The 

 Late Orange cane ripened sufficiently to retain its sugar in crystallizing 

 quantities through frost and ice, until December 5. Particulars of this 

 season can be found in Bulletins Nos. 17 and 18 of the Agricultural 

 Department, and in reports of the New Jersey Experiment Station. A 

 small plot was fertilized with large quantities of nitrogenous manure 

 and planted with Amber seed grown in 1886, from which no cane sugar 

 could be made. The cane was tested on September 7, 1887, and was 

 found to test 13.35 per cent, cane sugar; brix, 17/21; purity, 78; and 

 14056 Bull. 20 3 



