THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
January 20, 
78 
JAPANESE SUGAR CANE IN FLORIDA. 
As sorghum and Kaffir corn and 
various others of the sorghum family- 
are recognized as valuable feeds for 
various kinds of stock in the North and 
West, so the members of the true cane 
family are becoming in the South. The 
Japanese sugar cane is preferable for 
this purpose, for various reasons, the 
more important one being that its roots 
are long lived, producing increasing 
yields from year to year, for from eight 
to 15 years or more. Other sugar canes 
only produce two paying crops at most, 
and such a large percentage of each 
season’s crop has to be saved for the 
next season’s seed, and as at least twice 
as much seed is required to get a good 
stand, as is the case with the Japanese 
variety, so the Japanese is far prefer¬ 
able for feeding purposes. Its greatest 
disadvantage is its small size and the 
hardness of its stalks. But the size is 
an advantage when fed in the stalk, 
and its greatly increased numbers over 
other varieties, more than compensates 
for its lack of size. 
The Japanese cane is the hardiest of 
all the sugar canes, and will succeed in 
all the Gulf States, and while it yields 
more sirup to the acre than other cane, 
it is my opinion that its chief value will 
be as a forage crop. It is for that pur* 
pose alone that I am growing it, to be 
fed in conjunction with kudzu hay, the 
two making a balanced ration. I now 
have three acres- in the cane and 25 
acres of kudzu, and am feeding all my 
grades, piny woods and Jersey. I find 
stock eat the smaller stalks the best, and 
until I get the silo I shall use little of 
any fertilizer, which will give me smaller 
canes but require a larger acreage. Then 
I expect to fertilize heavily and the 
silage cutter can reduce the largest to 
edible size. For stock feeding or seed 
purposes, either stable manure or com¬ 
mercial fertilizers may be used, but for 
sirup making only chemicals should be 
used, as manure blackens the sirup and 
injures the flavor and quality. 
Japanese cane may be pastured late 
in the Fall and during Winter, or it 
may be cut and piled and fed out as 
needed. Or it may be cut and fed green 
throughout the season. However, its 
greatest feed value is when allowed to 
mature fully or when frost comes. It is 
then, during the cool days and nights, 
that the saccharine or carbohydrates are 
mostly developed. On the other hand 
this kudzu hay mentioned, and which 
furnishes the protein to make the bal¬ 
anced ration, comes to its fullest ma¬ 
turity at the first cutting, about May first 
here in West Florida, this first cutting 
analyzing about 17 per cent, protein. It 
is my plan to make silage of the cane 
and feed the kudzu as dry hay, but it 
may prove best to make silage of both, 
putting them in different vats and mix 
as fed. With the cane yielding from 
15 to 25 tons of green feed per acre 
on practically any kind of soil, and 
kudzu from six to 10 tons of dry hay 
at four cuttings, I see no reason why 
JAPANESE CANE IN FLORIDA. Fig. 25. 
stock of the combination, two horses and 
eight cattle, with splendid results. It is 
quite gratifying to have the milch cow 
giving as much milk in the dead of 
Winter as in midsummer. That is what 
ours is doing now, and she has no pas¬ 
ture of any kind; in fact, she is giving 
nearly double the flow of milk that it 
was possible to get from her on shorts 
and the very best of native hay before 
we began on the kudzu and cane com¬ 
bination. There is a marked increase 
in the butter yield also, and the churn¬ 
ing is much easier than before. 
The accompanying photograph, repro¬ 
duced in Fig. 25, shows one of our cane 
patches in its third season. The stalks 
stood 13 feet high and measured 15 feet 
to the tips. This is on rich land capa¬ 
ble of yielding 50 bushels corn per acre 
or more. By actual count there were 
over 20 stalks per foot of row, or near 
15,000 to the 600 foot of row. Some 
hills have as high as 75 stalks in them, 
while the average run from 30 to 50. 
With proper fertilizing and cultivation it 
will keep on improving from year to 
year. In the Spring we take a breaking 
plow and throw a furrow from each side 
of the rows. This serves as the first 
cultivation, and later the fertilizer is 
strewn in these furrows and re-plowed, 
throwing the earth to the rows. Two 
or three workings completing the job, as 
the cane soon has growth enough to 
keep out all weeds and grass. I have 
never grown sugar cane for sirup but 
for feed purposes and seed only. My 
ultimate aim is to put in a silo as soon 
as able, and raise purebred Aberdeen 
Angus cattle. At present I have only 
the farmers of the South cannot raise 
cattle, sheep and hogs cheaper than their 
neighbors to the North and West, and 
I know that if a man can make a for¬ 
tune here on scrub cattle on the wild 
range, which has been demonstrated, 
with purbred stock and a balanced ra¬ 
tion and scientific methods he ought to 
succeed even better. c. E. pleas. 
Washington Co., Fla. 
Drying a Cement Floor. 
J. D. Prickett complains on page 1210 of 
dampness penetrating from the eartli 
through his cement floor and damaged his 
oats to about three inches next to the 
cement. I think that the following will 
keep dampness out of his barn, as it kept 
tide salt water oyjt of cellar fixed in a like 
manner: Lay over the floor two layers of 
tarred paper in the following manner: 
Spread on the cement floor and along side 
of the wall to about four inches above the 
earth on the outside of the wall hot coal 
gas tar, then lay edge to edge gas tar paper 
and run it up side of the wall as far as 
the tar goes, then give it all a coating of 
hot tar; lay another layer of tar paper, 
laying so that the joint in the first layer 
comes into the middle of the top layer and 
cover that with hot gas tar. After it is 
dry lay on a cement coating from 1% to 
two inches thick, and lay a row of bricks 
against the side of the walls as high as 
the tar paper goes, laying them in cement. 
I think that he will find that better and 
cheaper in the end than wood flooring. 
Why will not painting the sides of the wall 
and ceiling with hot tar be just as vermin- 
proof as the expensive lined galvanized 
iron? r. f. r. 
Virginia. 
KITSELMAN FENCE 
Sold direct to you at factory 
prices on 30 days trial. Save 
the dealers profit. Earm, Hog 
and Poultry Fence at from 
1 134 CENTS A ROD UP. 
All wires are heavily galvanized 
80 rod spool of Ideal galvanized 
Barbed Wire $1.40. Write 
to-day for large free Catalog showing 
100 different styles and heights of fencing 
Box 230 KITSELMAN BROS. MUNCIE. IND. 
The Dickelman Extra “Dex 15-Year Guaranteed” 
Brand is A Permanent ROOF 
That’s the Only Kind Worth Having 
Many farmers have taken the shingles off an old wooden roof 
which was put on fifty years before. The shingles rotted and split, but the 
nails were still dry and clean. They did not rust through, yet when new 
shingles were put on with new nails inside of five years those nails rusted 
off and down came the shingles. 
Now the Dickelman roof is made like those old nails—the secret is in 
the Pure Iron Base combined with Thorough Galvanizing, which never 
cracks, breaks or chips, thus insuring you of absolute roof protection for a 
Lifetime. The 
Dickelman Extra Galvanized Metal Roofing 
is made of open hearth metal. It Has been 
carefully compared with both Bessemer steel and 
charcoal iron, and stood up fair and square ahead 
of both of them—pure metal to start with, and gal¬ 
vanized in such a way that the galvanizing cannot 
come off. 
Dickelman Roofing is absolutely guaranteed 
for 15 years. There is no joker or string to it. 
You put on our roofing, do it right, then go 
about your business and forget all about 
your roof for 15 years. If the Dex 
Brand roof isn’t all right at the end of 
15 years you get a new roof free. 
The roof will last several times 15 
years and no responsible manu¬ 
facturer could afford to make such 
an unqualified guarantee without 
being sure of the quality of the roofing. 
6<ead 
fnr free 
sample of 
our “ouar- 
anteed IS 
years’ Dex" 
roofing, also 
cataloo showing 
other styles of roof¬ 
ing we manufacture: 
Galvanized Corrugated 
Roofing, Galvanized 3-V. 
Crimped Roofing, Galvan¬ 
ized Roll Roofing, Galvan¬ 
ized Shingles and Tiles, etc. 
Dickelman Mfg. 
VIRGINIA FARMS AND HOMES 
FREE CATALOG OF SPLENDID BARGAINS. 
R. JJ. CHAFFIN & CO.,Inc.,Richmond,Va. 
Poultry Fence 
60 !3§S“ 30c. A ROD 
Other heights in proportion. The 
spacing between the line wires is 
graduated from 1J£ to Cinches, and 
, this style makes an ideal combined 
Poultry and Stock Fence. Writefor 
Free Catalog showing many styles. 
COILED SPRING FENCE CO. 
Box 263 - Winchester, Indiana. 
Heaviest Fence Made 
Heaviest Galvanizing 
We make 160 styles. Horse 
cattle, sheep, hog, and bull 
proof fences made of No. 9 
double galvanized vires 
and absolutely rust proof 
Bargain Prices: .. . 
13 eents per Rod Up \ •* 
Poultry and Rabbit Proof 
Fences, Lawn Fences and ! -■ 
Gates. Send for Catalog 
and Free sample for test, 
The Brown Pence &Wire Co. 
Dept. 59 Cleveland, Ohio 
jiASUvrara 
IDEAL FENCE 
Republic Ornamental Fence 
combines beauty and utility 
Never eaga or beiges, many 
beautiful patterns. Easily put 
up. Also fullline High Car¬ 
bon, tubular steel Farm Gates, 
Secure Free Catalog. 
Republic Fence 4 Gate Co. 
211 K. St. North Chicago, Ill. 
GATETH FT 
NOT ONLY LIGHTENS THE! DAY'S 
LABOR BUT LIFTS A LOAD OF 
WORRY-YOU KNOW YOUR ANIMALS 
ARE SAFE BEHIND THE 
PEERLESS SELF-RAISING GATE 
The extra heavy frames of high carbon 
steel tubing, nearly two inches in diameter; 
the all No. 9 wire filling of Peerless Fencing 
makes it the most efficient gate. 
Add the Self-Raisingfeature and the Gal¬ 
vanized finish and you have extra value, 
A double latch no animal can work; a 
barb wire top 110 animal will ride. 
Sold by big implement men. or shipped 
direct where we have no dealer. 
Peerless Wire Fence Co. 
816 Bllch. St., ADRIAN 
SUCH. 
Galvanized WireZH 1 ™ s 1 
Lbs. W 
GNEATEST SALE ON RECORD 
Best Quality Barbed Wire at Wrecking Prices Smooth Galvanized Wire, Per 100 tbs., $1.25 
Wo bought from Manufacturers an enormous stock 
at an exceedingly low price. You get the benefit. All this 
Wire is put up on reels regularly, same as you would buy it 
i l t from any concern. Prices quoted below 
t| - - vf i.’yCare for prompt acceptance only; 
Lot No. 2 A. D. 25 — Painted Barbed Wire, full weight. 
2 and 4 point, about 100 lbs. to the reel, per 100 lbs,, $1.50 
Lot No. 2 A. D. 26 — Galvanized, same as above, per 
100 11m-----$1.85 
Lot No. 2 A. D. 27— Special Barbed Wire, put upon reels, 
containing 80 rods exactly to the reel, light weight. Price 
per reel fortho painted--—-- $1.30 
Lot No.2 A. D. 28—Price per reel for Galvanized, 80 rod 
reels.__—---- $1.40 
Now is the time to place yonrorder whilethese remarkably 
low prices exist. Never before have such quotatiohs been 
made. No One can equal our low prices. We urge you to 
buy now, even if you are not ready to have your Wire go 
forward. Wo will accept a reasonable deposit and enter 
your order, shipping at such time as suits you. We can Ship 
immediately from our Chicago stock. 
26-inch Hog Fencing Extra Heavy Galvanized 
: Per Rod 15c Lot No. 2 A.D.31- 
1 Here is a fine heavy 
weight smooth spring wire galvanized Hog 
Fencing, 26 inches high, strongly con¬ 
structed. The best all around fencing manufactured. Don’t 
compare this Fencing with the cheap lightweight kind so 
extensively being advertised. This is a Fence built for 'on- 
ti nuous and lasti ng service. It’s the kind of a fence every up- 
to-date owner ought to buy. Absolute satisfaction guaranteed. 
Price, put up in 20 and 40 rod coils, per rod- 15c 
This same fencing: ia furnished in all heights from 20 to 60 inch 
at correspondingly low prices. . . 
A complete lino of Poultry Fencing in all heights. Premier” 
Driveway and Farm Gates at 1-3 less 
than usual prices. Also a complete line 
of Walk Gates and Poultry Gates. Write 
for our prices on Ornamental Lawn 
Fencing. We can furnish anything 
needed at a material saving in price. 
All quotations in this advertisement 
are made subject to prior sale on ac¬ 
count of limited stock. 
n 
Price per keg: of 100 lbs..$2.50 
Lot No, 2 A. D. 29 — Suitable for Fencing, 
Stays, Grape Vines or any purpose where or¬ 
dinary Wire Is used. This Galvanized Wire 
which we offer at this remarkably low price 
is new regular stock, except that it comes in 
. irregular lengths, ranging anywhere from 50 
to 250 ft. We bundle these lengths together in coils 
of 100 lbs. The wire itself is exactly the same as 
what you would buy in the regular way. The only 
difference being that these lengths are not continuous, lhis 
Wire is known as Galvanized Wire Shorts. Handy to nave 
about the farm for many purposes. It is extensively used by 
fruit growers, fence builders and for all kinds of repairs, etc. 
Absolutely new, smooth, clean wire. Price per 100 lbs. as follows: 
No. 6 gauge.. 
No. 7 gauge.- 
No. 8 gauge- J.40 
No. 9 gauge.. l.oO 
No. 11 gauge--- 
No. 12 gauge - 
No. 14 gauge--- 1.7o 
Above prices are based on orders for at least 100 lbs. Place 
your order promptly, as these low prices will soon exhaust 
0Ur *"*' WIRE NAILS, Per Keg $1.50 
Lot No.2 A.D.33—10.000 kegsof new reg¬ 
ular Wire Nails, put up 100 lbs. to a keg. These 
Nails are mixed, all kinds in a keg. Wo do not 
guarantee any regular assortment. They are 
same as made by Nail Factories. Make a fine 
handy assortment. There is nothing the mat¬ 
ter with these nails outside of the fact that 
they are mixed together. This certainly is an 
opportunity for you to make a purchase. Our 
price, per keg-$1.50 
Wire for Reinforced Concrete 
Lot No. 2 
A. D. 30. 
Our reinforced concrete stays aro 
made of heavy galvanized wire, supe¬ 
rior to smooth or twisted wire. They 
cannot slip and are acknowledged the 
best. We can furnish any length. 
Price per 100 lbs. — — $ 2.25 
GALVANIZED STAPLES 
Lot No. 2 A.D. 35. New regular Fence 
Write Today for Free Wire & Fence Catalog No.RA 57 
Our catalog on Wire and Fencing 
quotes lower prices than that offered 
by any other concern in the world. 
We can furnish you anything re¬ 
quired In Fencing, Wire, Staples, 
Nails, etc., etc. 
Fence Posts 
Write for our low quo¬ 
tations, advising us now 
you .need and 
many you n 
what length. 
Telephone Wire 
High Grade BB Tele¬ 
phone Wire at 40 .per 
cent saving. Write 
for quotations._ 
Our Stock includes practically every¬ 
thing under the sun: Furniture, 
Household Goods, Groceries, Cloth¬ 
ing, Roofing, Machinery, Lumber 
and Building Material, Hardware, 
etc., etc. Write today for catalog. 
Chicago House Wrecking Co., 35th & Iron Sts., Chicago — 1 
