SUGAR-CANE CULTURE FOR SIRUP PRODUCTION. 



21 



stocks of this quantity of cane if harvested for the mill would 

 weigh about 3 tons. Thus, at best, the seed-cane requirement in the 

 sugar-cane industry is a very heavy drain upon the net proceeds from 

 the crop, and herein lies an incentive to Government or State experi- 

 mental institutions for making strong efforts to find or originate cane 

 varieties that are more resistant to disease and that will consequently 

 not require such frequent replanting, or canes that stool better, so 

 that the planting may be thinner. With Japanese cane this drain 

 is far less, first, because this variety ratoons well, giving good yields 

 for three to six years from one planting, and, second, because the 

 stalks are so slender that a ton will go a long way in planting 



Fig. 9. — Planting sugar cane in Louisiana. 



However, as heretofore stated, this variety is not very good for sirup 

 or sugar making.- 



CULTIVATING THE CANE. 



If in the spring, before the newly planted cane is up or while it is 

 still small, the ground gets crusted over badly or weeds tend to get 

 a start, it is advisable to stir the soil lightly with a light spike- 

 tooth harrow, or, still better, with a spring-tooth weeder (fig. 

 7, c) , covering the field once or twice in a direction diagonal to the 

 rows. If this does not remove the weeds, it is advisable after the 

 cane is up to clean them out of the rows by hand hoeing. A second or 

 third hand hoeing may be necessary later to keep weeds out of the 



