27 



work woul'd be necessary to obtain conclusive results. The following general obser- 

 vations, however, on these jioints may be o!' interest: 



\iifmr >/ tfn- Intnl. The land is cut-over pim- laud, of which the surface >..j| is a 

 sandy loam and the subsoil a red clay. The water supply is <|iiite near the surface 

 and the laud rat her lex el, but rolling enough to give L r <>od d raiu:i'_ r e. The natural 

 fertility of the laud is lo\\ and fert ili/.ers are needed for all crops. e\eii on new land. 

 Fields which have been long in cult i vat ion and have received lilt le or no ortranic 

 manures do not respond readily t<> heavy applications of < numercial fert ili/.ers. \\\\\< 

 showing the need of humus in the soil. 



V<iri<l'n* <>J can,' iilmilnl. The common purple cane is the only variety planted 

 extensively here for commercial purposes. Some green ami ribbon cane is gr< >wn, 

 but it is not as well liked as the purple. Mr. Wight, of ( 'aim, in IDOL', planted two- 

 thirds of an acre of cane known as No. 71. sent to him by I'r. \Y.('. Stubbs, of the 

 Louisiana Sugar Kxperiment Station. This variety has a dark green color, growing 

 very erect, but showing in this experiment no increase in tonnage over |>nrple cane 

 and a decrease in sucrose. The sirup produced from this cam-, \\hiledearand light 

 in color, had such a salty flavor that it was not deemed advisable to can it. The cam- 

 was planted on high, dry land, but has a taste as though grown around horse lots, 

 which was not the case. 



l>r. Smiths in writing in regard to tin- experiment, with this cane said: 



No. 74 is one of our seedling canes, grown very successfully in the State. It is of 

 early maturity, tine tonnage, rich in sucrose, a good soft cane, giving an extraction 

 in our 9-roller mills of SO per cent. I would not, by any means, take the first deter- 

 minations you have made to be conclusive in regard to the value of this cane in your 

 section. I believe it will have by the end of the season a much better showing, and 

 on account of its excellent properties, besides its larger sucrose content, it is a cam- 

 greatly to he desired. 



Kxperimeuts with this variety of cane will be continued another year. In coin- 

 paring the Georgia and Louisiana cane, I>r. stubbssaid further: 



Your canes in (Jeorgia. are richer than ours here, and while the tonnage is mucn 

 less, the manufacturer has less ditiiculty in sugarhouscs in evaporating the juice. 

 When sugar returns to its former value of -I or ."> cents a pound, ( ieorgia will unques- 

 tionably figure in manufacturing sugar. 



A stalk of ribbon cane 11 feet 10 inches long was brought into Cairo OB I >ecember!, 

 H()L', by M. J. Harrison. 



rri'imrnlinn <>j fund, />/<tiit;,i</, mirki-ring, etc. The preparation of the land for 

 planting is begun in December, immediately after the harvesting season. Two 

 and three horse plows are generally used for loosening the soil, though sometimes 

 harrows or disk plows are preferred. After the land is thoroughly broken to a 

 depth of about 6 inches it is bedded into rows of good height, 4 or 5 feet apart, thereby 

 securing satisfactory drainage and easy cultivation. The middles are then broken 

 and beds opened deep with a long scooter, when the ground is ready to receive the 

 cane, which is planted about April 1, one running stalk to the row. The cane is not 

 covered deep, only 2 or 3 inches of soil being tin-own over it. The row is raked t<> 

 break the crust, if any be formed, which offers resistance to the young plants. When 

 the cane sprouts a scooter furrow is run over each side, to aid in the development of 

 suckers. No soil is thrown back until there is a sullicient number of suckers to 

 insure a full stand ? when it is sided with sweeps. The question of suckering is very 

 important, and presents opportunity for further investigation as to the best time to 

 plant cane in order to get the largest number of suckers, and how to cultivate them 

 that they may be vigorous and develop quickly. The remaining cultivation is 

 effected with a weeding hoe, and about July 1 the cane is laid by with live furrows 

 to the row with a broad sweep. 



FeriHiz'ition. Fertilixation is necessary to the growth of sugar cane in this section, 

 and it is the most complex and perplexing problem which confronts the planter oi 



