SUGAR-CANE CULTURE IN TIIK SOUTHEAST 



FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE SIRUP. 



I. FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS ON SUGAR CANE. 



(Conducted l>y W. I>. KOOOKNHKKY, Cairo, (Ja. ) 



In harmony with ;in act of Congress approved rhino tt, I ( .HI-_>. n series 

 of experiments was commenced in various sections of the South to 

 ascertain the methods in use for making table sirup from soro-hmn. 

 suo-ar cane, and other sugar-producing plants. The funds for this 

 purpose wore not available for use before July 1. Fortunately, 

 through the liberality of Mr. W. B. Roddenbery, of Cairo, Ga., a 

 series of experiments was hoo-un early in the spring which would not 

 have boon possible without his assistance. 



ORGANIZATION' OF THE EXPERIMENTS. 



On February 25, 1902, a letter was received from Mr. Roddenbery 

 inclosing a memorandum of proposed agricultural experiments with 

 sugar cane, and asking that such suggestions and modifications as were 

 deemed advisable be made. The plans submitted for approval, which 

 in the main were excellent, are outlined below, followed by the mod- 

 ifications made: 



It is proposed that the experiments be made on 24 plate of three rows each, 70 yards 

 long, of ordinary pine land which was planted in collards in the winter of 11)00-1001, 

 and in sweet potatoes in the summer of 1901. The land was rooted by hogs during 

 the fall and broken broadcast by a two-horse plow in January, I'.ML*. The cam- is to 

 be planted in 4o-foot rows about March 1. 



Two one-horse turn-plow furrows are to be thrown out, leaving a small ridge or 

 balk to be burst by the 8-inch round shovel on the guano distributer as the guano" 

 is being put in the furrow. The cane is to be planted in the same furrow on top of 

 the guano and covered with two 7-inch round-shovel furrows. The second applica- 

 tion of guano will be put out on both sides of each row by a guano distributer when 

 a good stand of cane isup. The third application is to be made in the same manner 

 when the cane is laid by. Subsequent cultivation is to be carried on in the usual 

 way, the cultivations being all alike and made at the same time. 



The experiments are to be repeated in every detail on another piece of pine land 

 that was planted in velvet beans in 1901, a very rank and heavy growth having been 

 turned under in December, 1901. 



In this section the term "guano" is applied to any fertili/er containing acid 

 phosphate, nitrogen, and potash. 



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