26 



careful growers. By purchasing according to a standard, the 

 grower who plants upon sandy land, for instance, and produces a 

 very high grade cane, may find the small number of tons from an 

 acre returning a goot^ profit, while a stated j)rice per ton, without 

 regard to quality, would drive him from the business. 



It may be interesting to note in this connection that in France 

 the price is $i for a ton (2,200 pounds) of beets, the juice of 

 which has a density of 5.5 degrees (1.055), and that for variation 

 above or below this standard, special contracts are usuall}' made, 

 though in general where the system has been adopted, 80 cents is 

 added to this price for each additional degree above the standard, 

 and subtracted for each degree below, 



CANE SEED FOR FEED. 



For several reasons the value of cane seed for feed has received 

 little attention. Its importance has not yet impressed itself upon 

 cane growers. As will be seen from Mr. Swenson's report, from 

 one-fifth of an acre of ground, 6f bushels of seed, weighing 53 

 pounds per bushel, were obtained, or at the rate of 32 bushels 

 per acre. 



The average yield of oats in the vicinity of Madison this sea- 

 son was about 35 bushels. 



J. M. Edwards, Oiiv Hi]l,.Jei3:erson county, reports 230 bushels 

 of seed, weighing 58 pounds per bushel, from 9 acres. 



I do not think the feeding value of this seed can fall below 

 that of oats, and possibly it is nearly equal to corn. Experi- 

 ments will be tried upon the farm this winter to learn its value by 

 practical tests. 



There is no difiiculty in saving the seed, as the heads can lie 

 upon the ground a long time unless there is an excessive amount 

 of rain. The heads cm be drawn and spread on the barn floor, 

 or what would be better, arranged on racks in a shed like broom 

 corn. Some bind the heads in bundles and stand them on end in 

 the field like bundles of wheat, to dry. 



According to one test the weight of the green leaves as stripped 

 from the cane is nearly one-fourth as much as the weight of the 

 stripped cane. From this I estimate that an acre producing, for 

 instance, twelve tons of stripped cane will yield three tons of 



