16 BULLETIN 4S6, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
deep plowing, bringing into effective tilth a considerable depth of 
soil and opening the land for the storage of moisture. A reasonable 
depth to plow is 8 or 10 inches, with a subsoiler run through the 
furrow to a depth of another 8 or 10 inches. This deep cultivation 
is especially advantageous during seasons with periods of drought. 
In the experimental field at Cairo, Ga., in the season of 1915. the 
yield was fully. twice that of adjacent fields, which could reasonably 
be attributed in large measure to deeper plowing and subsoiling. 
coupled with the fact that the season was characterized by very 
heavy rains in late winter and a drought of unusual severity in mid- 
summer. "With very sandy subsoil, lacking humus, deep plowing 
may be disadvantageous. With a clay subsoil which previously has 
always been plowed shallow, it is not advisable to turn up more 
than an inch of the subsoil at one plowing. It is better to attain 
the desired greater depth of plowing gradually, through a series 
of years, giving opportunity meanwhile for the inert subsoil that 
is turned up to become converted into a productive loam through 
mixture with surface soil and vegetable mold. 
PLANTING. 
In Louisiana and parts of Florida it is deemed desirable to plant 
in the fall, as late as is safe to avoid frosts. However, for eco- 
nomic reasons the fall planting is done somewhat earlier, because 
after the harvesting for the mill commences the available labor and 
teams are fully occupied at that work. The fall planting therefore 
usually stops in the latter part of October, and what is not planted 
by that time is left to be planted in the spring as soon as the soil 
is in suitable condition to work and the weather is such as to oc- 
casion no fear of freezing the cane. In Louisiana this is usually 
in February or early March. Occasionally there is suitable planting 
weather in January. In Georgia and northern Florida the planting 
is almost universally done in the spring. The impression prevails 
that fall planting leads to an imperfect stand through the spoilage of 
cane during the winter. In the spring the cane may be selected so 
as to avoid using the spoiled stalks or portions of stalks. Availa- 
bility of labor is also in favor of spring planting. 
The advantages of fall planting are threefold: 
(1) There is economy of labor. The cane is taken directly from the field 
where it is growing to the place where it is planted, thus avoiding the labor 
of storing it in windrows or banks and later digging it up to plant. (Fig. 5.) 
1 2 i There is thought to be less spoilage of cane in the furrows than if 
planted in the windrows or banks. 
(3) Fall-planted cane gets an earlier start in the spring, resulting in more 
mature and therefore richer cane at the time of harvesting and a slightly 
larger yield. 
