UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 486 



Contribution from the Bureau or Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



March 19, 1917 



SUGAR-CANE CULTURE 



FOR SIRUP PRODUCTION IN THE 



UNITED STATES 



By 



P. A. YODER, Sugar-Cane Technologist, Office of 

 Sugar-Beet Investigations 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Geographic Limits of the Sugar-Cane In- 

 dustry in the United States 2 



The Nature of the Sugar-Cane Plant and 



Methods of Propagation 3 



Varieties of Sugar Cane 5 



Soil Requirements 10 



Manurial Requirements 11 



Time and Manner of Application of 



Fertilizers 14 



Crop Rotation , 15 



Page 



Preparation of the Land 15 



Planting 16 



Cultivating the Cane 21 



Harvesting 24 



Yield of Cane, Sugar, and Sirup .... 27 



Storing Cane for Planting 29 



Insect Pests <and Diseases of Cane . . 31 

 Some Business Considerations in Con- 

 nection with the Sngar-Cane and Sirup 



Industry 33 



Utilization of By-Products 43 



WASHINGTON 

 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1917 



