THE HUSBANDRY OF THE CANE. 



middles. In the second and third cultivations two middle discs replace the 

 three used in the first, and are set to such an angle os to throw the desired 

 amount of dirt to the cane, and are followed each time by the middle cultivator, 

 thus completing the work with the two implements. At 'lay-by,' the large or 

 * lay-by ' discs are used, followed by the middle cultivator with its two front 

 shovels removed. By proper adjustment of the two instruments, ridges of any 

 desired height can be made and the cane properly laid by." 



Hawaii. On the irrigated plantations mechanical cultivation is not 

 possible and weeds have to be kept down by hand ; on a rainfall plantation the 

 grass is mainly kept down by the use of disc cultivators run astraddle the row 

 and turning the soil away from the cane ; this leaves only a small area to be 

 hand hoed. After the first hoeing, fertilizer is scattered between the rows and 

 incorporated with a tine cultivator or other implement, the soil being stirred as 

 much as possible. On ratoon fields, the first operation after taking off the crop 

 is usually slicing the row ; manuring follows at once after which the soil is 

 thrown back to the row by a disc cultivator run astraddle the row. A stubble 

 digger (an appliance consisting essentially of a series of small tynes revolving 

 on an axle as the carriage is drawn along), is then passed over the row so as to 

 mix the manure and soil and loosen up the latter ; weeds between the row are 

 kept down as described above. 



Cuba. F. S. Earle 5 gives the following account of a method of cultiva- 

 tion advocated by the Cuban Experiment Station as the most practical under 

 the conditions there : 



"The system recently advocated by the Cuban experiment station, while it 

 has not yet stood the test of long continued use, promises to solve satisfactorily 

 the question of continued production of profitable stubble crops. It is as 

 follows : Plough the land intended for fall cane in the winter or spring. Plant to 

 velvet beans in April or May. Plough these under with a disk plough in August and 

 September. Harrow two or three times with the disk harrow. In October open 

 deep planting furrows with the sulky double mould board plough, spacing them about 

 seven feet apart. Scatter tankage and potash or some similar complete fertilizer 

 carrying about equal parts of nitrogen , phosphoric acid, and potash in the bottom 

 of the furrow, at the rate of 500 Ibs. per acre. This is best done with a two-horse 

 fertilizer drill. A small cultivator shovel attached at the rear of the drill will serve 

 to mix the fertilizer at the bottom of the furrow. Now drop a continuous row of 

 seed cane in the bottom of the furrow. It is best to select plant cane or vigorously 

 growing stubble for see'd. Using that from old worn-out stubble fields is inadvis- 

 able, as it will make a weaker, less satisfactory growth. Cover with the disk 

 cultivator, setting the gang to throw more or less dirt, according to the condition 

 of moisture. If the ground is moist, germination will be prompter if the cane is 

 not covered more than two or three inches. If it is dry, it is necessary to cover 

 six or eight inches deep to prevent tho drying of the seed canes. In from one or 

 two weeks, or just as the canes are peeping through the ground, harrow the field 

 thoroughly with the smoothing harrow running lengthwise of the rows. This will 

 kill any small weeds that may be starting, and will freshen the surface of the soil 

 and greatly aid germination. When the young plants are well up so that they 

 show from one end of the row to the other, begin cultivating with the ordinary 

 riding two-horse corn cultivator, of course straddling the row so as to cultivate 

 two rows at once. The seven foot rows are so wide that there will be a strip in the 

 middle not reached by the cultivator. This can be finished by the ordinary walking 



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