. pinch when being driven forward into canes several feet high, and that ¥ 
Pe 
296 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JouURNAL. [1 April, 1900. 
season, in addition to 25 per cent. of the labour employed iu cutting cane fot 
the mill, and about 40 per cent. of the expense of labour employed in Wit 
rowing, and in addition also to the cost of stubblé shaving. ‘Then there is t0° 
considered the absolute safety against having the cane ruined by a freeze W 
being harvested. ie 
If Mr. Gaussiran has solved the cane-cutting problem he will have ™ 
gratitude of the cane-planters of the whole world, and they will rejoice t0 see 
him reap the financial reward which such a device would certainly secure 
him. As soon as Mr. Gaussiran completes arrangements for the rapid conse | 
tion of his machines he will advertise them extensively in this journal. So? — 
five or six planters are using them this year. ny 
Mr. Jules Gaussiran is now operating in this section on a cane-cutims 
machine which cuts the cane at any depth in the ground. JI have seen t 
machine cut medium heavy cane successfully, but cannot say how well it Wo for 
work on canes partly lying on the ground; but for cutting canes inten ed +4 
seed cane, this machine enables one to cut the canes so low that nearly all t | 
roots may be left on the canes, besides saving several additional eyes. ‘one 
it is desired to leave the stubble in the ground for raising a stub 
crop the next year, then the machine cuts the cane near the surface ° 
the ground and leaves some loose dirt protecting the stubble om wy 
It would seem that leaving the roots on canes would assist them in withstandias 
our Louisiana winters when laid down in mats for seed cane, the roots furts 5 
ing the canes with sufficient moisture to prevent dry rot. While this ma¢ a 
does not strip and top the canes for the will, yet I am confident that ee 
cutting machines will come into use in Louisiana. Mr. Gaussiran’s machin’ 
resembles the usual two-wheel vehicle drawn by three mules, except thee 
middle mule is used in the shafts, but the machine is guided by the two aaa 
outside of the shafts. This leaves the space usually occupied by the mid 6 
mule for the standing cane just before being cut. In other words, one ™ d 
and one cartwheel goes on one side of the cane row, and the other mule ne 
cartwheel goes on the opposite side of the cane row. There are also two 0M 
mules that push the cart from behind. The axletree is curved up in the h 
to allow the canes to pass under just as they are cut and fall forward. _ the 
cutting of the canes is accomplished by two steel discs, placed underneath 
axletree of the machine. These discs revolve horizontally, and are attache 
the journals, which are adjusted to the desired height. The discs below 
axletree above and the two sides of the frame form a rectangular open28, fs 
throat, through which the canes pass, root ends backwards, as the mach” 
advances forward. It is proposed to make future machines with 
disc 3 feet in diameter. _ The edges of the discs lap 2 
This would leave some 80 inches space between the journals of ¢ de 
discs. It is considered that this 30-inch space or throat will be is 
enough to allow a heavy growth of cane to pass through just as } it 
cut and is falling forward to the ground. ‘The discs are partly in the grou? A 
at the roots of the cane, and I did not observe that any canes were cut 1 ed 
near the middle by falling forward on to the ground before the discs had pa* 
on out of the way. The lower ends of the cane just cut are steadied byeeie 
soil clinging to the roots, and the tops of such canes fall forward ag®#? Fe 
standing canes just to be cut. This seems advantageous, as the cut cap . 
cannot fall clear down until the machine has passed. ‘The weight of thes? i 
canes resting against the canes next to be cut permits the discs to do the cut) 
without pinching. Some years ago I believed that, whereas a stubble sh®¥ 
would cut off the stubble cane without pinching, the same discs mig” 
2 ybeb 
the 
or 
attempting to cut long canes some device would be necessary to bend the cat 
forward just as they were being cut, so as to make the clearance and pre 
the excessive pressure against the canes which might push the lower end of alty 
cane out of the ground without cutting. Iwas gratified to see that no difficu? 
of this kind was encountered in Mr. Gaussiran’s machine. iy 
