SUGAR-CANE CULTURE FOR SIRUP PRODUCTION. 
19 
planting, practice varies. On the basis of ordinary field sanitation 
it is advisable to trim off the diseased parts and to plant only sound 
stalks. However, until it is determined whether the diseases in ques- 
tion are transmitted to any great extent through the plant material, 
there is some doubt as to the advantage in trimming. 
The rate of planting in the row varies with the time of planting, 
the width of row, and the size and soundness of the cane. Ordinarily, 
with rows 4 J feet apart in Georgia and Florida, in spring planting 
the aim is to set as much as one continuous line of sound cane. If 
Fig. 7. — Some types of implements in common use for cultivating sugar cane on small 
farms : a, Fertilizer distributor ; b, middle breaker ; c, weeder ; d, common 1-mule 
stock, with sweep point attached ; e, f, g, scooter points ; h, round shovel point ; 
i, j, sweep points for stock (d) ; Jc, spike-tooth cultivator, useful for early culti- 
vations. 
the cane is partly diseased it is lapped or doubled to make the line 
of sound cane complete. With good sound cane less than a complete 
line, as low as two-thirds or three-fourths of a complete line, will 
ordinarily give a satisfactory stand in 4J-foot rows. Cane has a 
strong power of adapting itself to the space given it, stooling out 
when planted thin, so as largely to compensate for thin planting. 
Therefore, if the plant material is scarce and the available area 
plentiful, e. g., in the multiplication of a valuable rare variety, it is 
advantageous to plant quite thin. In Louisiana, with 5J to 6 foot 
rows and with the cane usually damaged both by diseases and by 
