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 
