SUGAR-CANE CLIMATE, TILLAGE 419 



bed with a double mold-board plow. This furrow should 

 not be as deep as the water-furrow. The whole cane 

 stalks are laid in the bottom of these furrows in single 

 or double rows. This cane is covered with soil to a 

 depth of from three to four inches, usually with a disk 

 cultivator. As soon as the crop has been planted the 

 middles should be run out with a double mold-board plow 

 and the "quarter drains" and ditches put in good shape 

 to handle the heavy rainfall of winter. 



In the coastal pine-belt planting is done chiefly in the 

 spring, from March 1st to 20th, although fall planting is 

 becoming popular in some sections. At the McNeill Sta- 

 tion in southern Mississippi best results were secured from 

 fall planting. For fall planting in southern Mississippi, 

 Ferris 1 recommends that the rows be opened 4*/ or 5 

 feet apart with a middle buster or with two furrows from 

 a turn-plow. The seed-cane should be placed in these 

 furrows and covered with three or four inches of soil. If 

 the soil is dry at planting time a heavy roller should follow 

 the covering of the cane to cause the moisture to rise and 

 prevent the seed from being destroyed by "dry rot." 



The cane that is planted in the spring receives a shal- 

 lower covering of soil than that which is planted in the fall. 

 Where it is necessary to cover the canes deeply to protect 

 them from cold weather, part of the soil should be removed 

 before the young plants come up. This can be done by 

 running a spike-tooth harrow over the rows and parallel 

 with them. 



520. Keeping seed-cane over winter. Seed-cane that 



is to be planted in the spring must be harvested in 



the fall before frost and must be protected from cold 



during the winter. In Louisiana this is done by cutting 



1 Miss. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 129, p. 4. 



