CHAPTER V, 



IMPORTANCE OF RETURNING THE MEG-ASS TO THE SOIL— THE 

 INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF SEVERE DROUGHT OBVIATED BY COVERING 

 THE SOIL — RATOONTNG — PROPER SEASON FOR PLANTING. 



The other important point which I would urge on the 

 attention of the Planter, and to which I slightly adverted 

 before, is, to return to the soil every portion of the struc- 

 ture of the cane, both in megass, and in the refuse from 

 the boiling-house and distillery. This will, of course, 

 meet with much opposition from those who are accustomed 

 to consider megass the only fuel adapted for the evapora- 

 tion of cane-juice. To all, however, who are aware of the 

 superiority of coal as fuel, of the great improvements which 

 can be effected in evaporating vessels, the cheap rate at 

 which coals can be supplied from Great Britain in quan- 

 tities, and when, moreover, the cost of the coals is saved by 

 the reduction in the expenses of weeding, and of drying 

 the megass for fuel, to say nothing of the expensive pro- 

 cess of making and applying manure, now rendered 

 unnecessary, the plan of returning the megass to the soil, 

 must appear calculated to effect an important benefit. It 



