THE HUSBANDRY OF THE CANE. 



When used as a furrower for planting or irrigation the implement is 

 equipped with both right and left hand discs, with the double mould plough 

 and with the subsoiler ; when used to slice up ratoon cane the plough is 

 replaced by a revolving knife; when used for hilling up rows of cane the 

 revolving knives and discs alone are used, the subsoiler being detached. 



In Fig. 37 is shown the Homer combined weeder, cultivator and harrow, 

 intended to be used where the growth of grass is very rank ; it was originally 

 designed to be used with the Hona hona grass of the Hawaiian Islands ; the 

 semi-circular teeth tear up the weeds and at the same time cultivate the soil. 

 The load of weeds gathered in the cradle can be discharged by lifting up the 

 handles of the implement. 



FIG. 33. 



Other special cane implements are the Stubble shaver and Stubble digger 

 in use in Louisiana. The former is a horizontal rotatory knife revolving 

 when the carriage, of which it forms a part, is drawn along ; it is used to cut 

 down stumps flush with the ground. The essential part of the Stubble digger 

 is a shaft on which are fitted blades arranged along a helix. When the 

 carriage is drawn along the rows of ratoon cane the knives revolve and break 

 up and pulverize the soil. 



Preparation of the Land. Although the greater part of the 

 cane sugar yearly produced is manufactured from cane grown on land that has 

 now been in cultivation for a number of years, and in many sugar producing 

 countries all available land is under cultivation, in some other countries virgin 



107 



