460 FIELD CROPS 



good condition, 2 feet apart in the row is thick enough to 

 plant the pieces of stalks to obtain a good stand; if its 

 condition is poor, thicker planting is necessary. The ordi- 

 nary method is to lay the cane horizontally in the furrow 

 and cover it with a small plow or cultivator. Sometimes 

 the crop is planted in hills by sticking the sections of stalks 

 diagonally into the ground with the upper end slightly above 

 the surface, while, if particularly quick germination is wanted, 

 the canes are planted upright with the buds above the sur- 

 face. 



605. Cultivation. Sugar cane is cultivated frequently 

 to keep it clean of weeds and to insure rapid growth. As it is 

 not planted in check rows, it is usually necessary to do some 

 hand hoeing to remove the weeds within the rows. The 

 cultivator used is usually of the toothed or shovel type, 

 though in recent years disk cultivators have come into 

 favor in some sections. Cultivation is continued till the 

 ground between the rows is entirely shaded by the crop. 



606. Harvesting. The total sugar content of the stalk 

 increases up to a certain stage of ripeness, which can only 

 be determined accurately by chemical analyses of sample 

 stalks. Naturally, it is important to harvest when the 

 stalks contain the maximum quantity of sugar; though 

 chemical analysis is more certain, the grower learns to 

 determine the best date for cutting quite accurately by the 

 appearance of the stalk and the stage of the inflorescence. 

 For economy of production, it is desirable to continue the 

 grinding of the cane over as long a period as possible. As 

 the sugar content decreases quite rapidly after the maximum 

 is reached and after the cane is cut, planters extend the 

 season by planting varieties which ripen at different times, 

 by planting on different types of soil, or by extending the 

 planting season over a considerable period. 



