635 
ON PREPARING THE SOIL FOR SUGAR CANE, 
lands by manure, rather than by a process so 
unhealthy; and we have reason to believe 
that this opinion is every day gaining ground. 
A moveable pen is made of light railings 
tied together, and to posts fixed firmly in the 
ground enclosing a piece of ground propor- 
tionate to the number of cattle to be turned 
into it ; at the end of a week it is shifted, by 
leaving one side standing, and moving the 
other three sides on the opposite face of the 
remaining side, thus enclosing a second piece : 
into this fresh enclosure the cattle are turned 
for another week. In this manner it is 
moved every week till the planter gradually 
goes through his whole estate, and follovysit 
up by turning up the soil for tillage, i his is 
considered a very advantageous practice ; 
indeed, some overseers entirely trust to it, 
and give the ground no other dressing.* 
But it is by no means sufficient on plantations 
that have been much worn and exhausted by 
cultivation. In Barbadoes the practice is to 
tether cattle to stakes driven into the ground. 
The spot is covered with good mould, and 
then well littered with dry and green vege- 
table matter, which, with the animal manure 
from the cattle, make a compost heap suffi- 
cient for a certain space of ground. When 
this is completed the stakes are withdrawn, 
and placed in another part of the field, in 
which the same process is renewed. By this 
system much animal and vegetable manure 
is accumulated on the fields to be manured, 
but as much labour is required to bring 
mould and dry and green vegetable matter to 
form successive layers, some planters adopt 
the Jamaica plan of moveable pens already 
described. 
I he common allowance of manure where 
this branch of husbandry is best understood, 
is a cubic foot to each cane hole, but it is 
obvious that no precise rule can be laid down 
as to the most beneficial quantity to be used. 
This must depend upon the nature of the soil, 
and upon the quality of the manure. Much 
less of this, properly prepared, and in a fit 
State for use, will, of course, be required, 
than of that which has the fertilising princi- 
ple in an inferior degree. 
In employing manure, we must endeavour 
to procure for the canes, not the greatest 
possible, but the most profitable vegetation, 
for a too luxuriant growth is prejudical to 
the elaboration of the saccharine juice. If 
too little be used, it is unavailing and lost. 
The canes are then soon scorched up, the 
sun causing the rapid exhalation of those 
few aqueous parts, which a too weak vegeta- 
tion has only had the power of forming, and 
the saccharine juice becomes closely united 
to an empyreumatic oil, which entirely viti« 
ates it. 
• In hilly and mountainous districts, it is 
considered impractical ie to manure in any 
other manner. Then the pens are made in a 
somewhat more durable manner, and the cat- 
tle remain in them, till they have furnished 
manure for a greater portion of land than that 
in which they are enclosed. 
It is requisite to allow the lands occasion- 
ally to lie fallow'. This is found to restore 
them as much as the usual quantity of ma- 
nure. But the w^eeds must by no means be 
sulfered to gain dominion over them while in 
this state, since these exhaust the land as 
much as those plants which are useful.* 
Much difference of opinion has prevailed 
as to the state in which manure ought to be 
ploughed into the ground ; whether recent, 
or when it has gone through the process of 
fermentation. Those who have considered 
the subject chemically, entertain no doubts ; 
and the great authority of SirH. Davy seems 
to be conclusive, that recent manure is most 
valuable. As soon as dung begins to de- 
compose, it throws off its volatile parts, 
which are the most valuable and efficient. 
Dung, w'hich has fermented to a mere soft 
cohesive mass, has geoeraily lost from one- 
third to one-half of its most useful consti- 
tuent elements. T Perhaps, however,it would 
be advisable to allow a slight degree of fer- 
mentation to take place before it is exposed, 
in divided quantities, to the scorching heat 
of the tropical sun. The Guadaloupe planter, 
whom we have just quoted, strongly depre- 
cates the pernicious practice (as he terms 
it,) of using recent manure in hot climates. 
The Barbadoes system of making manure 
permits a certain degree of fermentation to 
take place previous to its application to the 
soil, whilst it is covered with mould until it 
be so applied ; thus preventing the action of 
air upon it to a certain extent.” 
• I have made a num ber of experiments 
upon the advantage of allowing the ground to 
lie fallow. The successful results of all these 
have confirmed me in the adoption of this 
method. Among others, I made trial upon 
two pieces of ground of the same nature and 
quality, the one situated in the highest part 
of iny plantation, the other on ihe sea coast. 
These two pieces received two ploughings 
during the six months they were fallow ; and, 
planting them afterwards, without any manure, 
I oittained very superior crojjs; Imt the caues 
of the sea coast were better than others. This 
observation induced me to put into each hole 
of a neighbouring piece of ground some sea- 
water at the time of planting, and the experi- 
ment succeedeil admirably.- I>e i’ Exploita- 
tion des Sucrcries. 
t To prevent manures from decomposing, 
they should be preserved dry, defended from 
the contact of the air, and kept as cool as 
possible. 
All green, contain saccharine 
or mucilaginous matter, with woody fil)re, and 
readily ferment. They cannot therefore, if 
intended for manure, be used too soon after 
their death. 
If dung cannot be immediately applied to 
crops, the destructive fermentation ofitshould 
be prevented very carefully. 
The surface should be defended, as much as 
possible, from the oxygen of the atmosphere; 
a compact marie, or a tenacious clay, offers 
the best protection against the air; and before 
the dung is covered over, or, as it were sealed 
up, it should be dried as much as possible. — 
Ure’fi Dictionary Chemistry ^ Art. Manure. 
