IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUGAR CANE. 129 
phosphatic manures to dressings of nitrogen and potash 
were almost entirely confined to the crop of plant canes, 
the impraéticability of supplying sufficient tillage to 
render the soil pervious enough to allow the phos- 
phatic manures to penetrate into the immediate vicinity 
_ of the roots of the ratoon canes probably accounting for 
this. Probably, the most profitable method of using phos- 
phatic manures to the sugar cane in heavy clay land 
would be to apply to young cane plants about 3 cwt. of 
superphosphate of lime or, perhaps, preferably 6 to 8 
cwts. of slag phosphates to the acre, and, in places, 
potash salts, in addition to after dressings of sulphate 
of ammonia and to dress ratoons with nitrogenous ma- 
nures only. 
The applications of mineral phosphates, both on plants 
and ratoons, were attended by unsatisfa€tory results. 
In another series of experiments the following resulted : 
Land not limed. 
Tons of canes Increase due to 
per acre, phosphates (tons). 
Nitrogen and potash... aae Seay ag 
Nitrogen potashand 250 lbs. superphosphate 
each year... gon Se nil. 
7 7 », 1,000 lbs. mineral phos- 
phates to plant canes.. 14°85 nil. 
3 id » 1,000 lbs. slag phosphates 
~ to plant canes ie OE ‘75 
In this series of experiments (with Transparent and 
Ribbon canes) the use of slag phosphates gave the best 
results, 
Two series of comparisons of results with and without 
potash were arranged, in the first of which sulphate of 
potash was added to manurings of sulphate of ammonia 
and superphosphate, while in the second, nitrate of 
R 
