420 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



and windrowing the plants in every other water-furrow, 

 the tops being left on the plants. The plants are placed 

 shingle fashion in the furrows so that the tops and leaves 

 protect the stems underneath. The cane is then well 

 covered with soil by means of a turn-plow. If necessary 

 hoes are used to complete the covering. In the spring 

 the soil is partially removed and the cane withdrawn, 

 usually with horses or mules attached to suitable imple- 

 ments. 



In the pine-belt the seed-canes are kept in beds that are 

 about six feet wide and eight inches below the surface 

 of the ground. The canes are placed in these beds in even 

 layers, each layer extending ten inches forward of the 

 previous one and the tops thus covering the joints of the 

 lower layers. After being filled the bed is covered with 

 about two inches of soil. Special precautions must be 

 taken to see that water does not stand in the bed at any 

 time; otherwise the eyes will be destroyed by fermenta- 

 tion. It is highly essential, however, that the seed-canes 

 be kept fairly moist to prevent injury from "dry- 

 rot." 



The amount of seed-cane required to plant an acre 

 varies from 3 to 4^ tons, depending on the method of 

 planting. 



621. Cultivation. — As soon as the cold weather of 

 winter has passed, the surplus soil must be removed from 

 the cane so as to admit the warmth of spring. In Louisiana 

 and southern Mississippi this is accomplished by a process 

 termed "off-barring," which consists in throwing the soU 

 from the sides of the cane rows toward the middle, usually 

 with a two-mule turn-plow. The soil immediately over 

 the cane row is then removed with the exception of a layer 

 an inch, or a little more, in thickness. This is often done 



