48 



BULLETIN 746, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DEEP PLANTING OF SEED CANE. 



To determine whether moths would emerge from planted seed 

 cane, infested stalks were buried under various depths of soil in boxes 

 which had been raised from the ground and isolated from ants. The 

 soil used the first year was ordinary black soil found at the Sugar 

 Experiment Station, Audubon Park, New Orleans, technically called 

 " Yazoo clay." The cane was buried at the following depths : One-half 

 inch, 1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, 6 inches. The soil 

 was packed on the cane and the depths of earth were accurately de- 

 termined. By covering the boxes with wire screen the capture of any 

 emerging insects was assured. One female moth emerged from the 

 cane buried under one-half inch of soil, while no moths emerged from 

 cane buried at other depths. 



This experiment was repeated the following year, using river sand 

 as well as black soil (Yazoo clay) as before. The cane was buried at 

 depths of one-half inch, 1 inch, 2 inches, and 3 inches. Three moths 

 emerged from cane buried under one-half inch of river sand, while 

 no moths emerged from cane buried at other depths. No moths 

 emerged from any of the cane buried in the black soil. 



The experiment indicates that the moths can emerge from cane 

 under one-half inch of either clay soil or sand, more moths emerging 

 from sand. Planters would, therefore, do well to keep the planted 

 cane well covered with soil, especially in sandy land. 



PLANTING BORER-FREE SEED CANE. 



The old recommendation to plant borer-free seed cane is a very 

 good one, providing borer-free seed cane can be obtaind. Ordinarily, 

 however, it is not possible or practicable to obtain uninfested seed 

 cane. The tendency among planters, too, is to grind the best cane 

 and to plant the cane that is not too greatly injured, more cane being 

 planted to a given area if it is somewhat inferior. 



Planting borer- free cane has been found to give a better stand as 

 compared to planting infested cane, but at least on a small area the 

 subsequent infestation can not be expected to be reduced. 



To determine the effect of planting selected cane, four rows were 

 planted with borer-free cane and the adjoining four rows were 

 planted with infested cane. The details of the experiment are shown 

 in Table VII. 



Table VII. — Results from planting borer-free seed eane. 



Kind of seed cane. 



Borer-free 



About 38.5 per cent infested. 



Number of 



eyes at 



planting. 



2, 125 

 2,004 



Plants on 

 June 19. 



1,720 

 1,343 



"Dead 



hearts "on 



Sept. 1. 



