48 
BULLETIN 746, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
DEEP PLANTING OF SEED CANE. 
To determine whether moths would emerge from planted seed 
cane, infested stalks were buried under various depths of soil in boxes 
which had been raised from the ground and isolated from ants. The 
soil used the first year was ordinary black soil found at the Sugar 
Experiment Station. Audubon Park, Xew Orleans, technically called 
" Yazoo clay." The cane was buried at the following depths : One-half 
inch. 1 inch. 2 inches. 3 inches, 4 inches. 5 inches, 6 inches. The soil 
was packed on the cane and the depths of earth were accurately de- 
termined. By covering the boxes with wire screen the capture of any 
emerging insects was assured. One female moth emerged from the 
cane buried under one-half inch of soil, while no moths emerged from 
cane buried at other depths. 
This experiment was repeated the following year, using river sand 
as well as black soil (Yazoo clay) as before. The cane was buried at 
depths of one-half inch, 1 inch, 2 inches, and 3 inches. Three moths 
emerged from cane buried under one-half inch of river sand, while 
no moths emerged from cane buried at other depths. No moths 
emerged from any of the cane buried in the black soil. 
The experiment indicates that the moths can emerge from cane 
under one-half inch of either clay soil or sand, more moths emerging 
from sand. Planters would, therefore, do well to keep the planted 
cane well covered with soil, especially in sandy land. 
PLANTING BOEEB-EEEE SEED CANE. 
The old recommendation to plant borer-free seed cane is a very 
good one. providing borer- free seed cane can be obtaind. Ordinarily, 
however, it is not possible or practicable to obtain uninfested seed 
cane. The tendency among planters, too, is to grind the best cane 
and to plant the cane that is not too greatly injured, more cane being 
planted to a given area if it is somewhat inferior. 
Planting borer-free cane has been found to give a better stand as 
compared to planting infested cane, but at least on a small area the 
subsequent infestation can not be expected to be reduced. 
To determine the effect of planting selected cane, four rows were 
planted with borer-free cane and the adjoining four rows were 
planted with infested cane. The details of the experiment are shown 
in Table VII. 
Table VII. — Results from planting borer-free seed cane. 
Kind of seed cane. 
Number of 
eyes at 
planting. 
Plants on 
June 19. 
"Dead 
hearts " on 
Sept. 1. 
Borer-free 
About 3S.5 per cent infested. 
2. 125 
2,004 
1.720 
1,343 
