Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1847-01-02
CULTIVATION or SUGAR
CAME.
from n =. BfgjamH's articles IN 10
BoW's Commercial ReptsW.

5tigaf cane Ii composed Of WHter, woody
fibre. aud soluble matter. oF sugar. In
round numbers it mAy be stated that the
proportions are ~ per cent Of water, 10 per
cent. Of woody tibfe, and IL per cent, Of
sugar, Hut sugar itself Is slewn by ofeas
mic analysis IL consist entirely of carbon
and water, and woody fibre. consists Ffin.
pipally Of the aatns elements combined
with organic bapesj so that the oxygen and
hydrogen fotnd IN The sugar cane, in The
stats II water, OF as constituent elements
Of tho sugar and woody tbFs form about
nine.tenths Of its weight. aud nc entirely
derived from the atmosphere md from wa
ter, thus abstraetihg nothing from tbs soil.
Bot this IL not all. Vegetable physioIo.
fists agree thai Il very largo proportion oil
the carbon Of plants IL derived from the air
through the action Of the leaves. which
deeonposBs the earboHie acid Of the at
mosphets, and appropriate to the formation
Of tbs tissues If the plant, tbs carbon con.
tained IN this aeib. For tie purposes Of
the present Illustration, It may therefore,
be hsstiIned tbht not more than abontssit
pet FaHt. Of the growth Of the cane II deriy-
ed fp0fn The soil, md hence the fact that
this crop eah he cultivated on the satns
soil without %ethhasting IL for b long series
Of yeafs==but II Is certain That d system
which Is constantly abstfatiiha something
from the earth and never milling f0 1t my
fesiffl must b6 degrees IMPAIR and even.
ttally destroy tbp fertility Of even the aila=
vial Of lower Loiisiaha. Now by plough.
iag into the landsga6h yeaf. The tops md
leaYes stripped from the stalks, not only Is
tbe soil Improved BY the tneGhanieal sub
division Hf i3 p%aftitles above referred 10,
but Il Il Kept In good fIlfb by having rest6r.
ed 10 il not Only Ut least ~ m1fh carbon
as aHAabslraeted from 1t, " ltt ii large pbr.
ton Of the inorganic bases. And ift6this
the ba6assb we're added rs d fftatinee. SIC.
should never hear If Il soil teibg worn out
Oh d sugar plantation III Louisiana. an
aware tbtt IT Whs formerly datibted wheth.
ct any Of the carbon Of plunth was derived
from The soil, but later researches have PIT
up this point M rest, aud have shown liHi
u large portion Of this element Ii derived
by plants from the GBtbohie aeid evolved
from vegetable substance during their do
cay IN tho soil, either by tfs Inhalation H.
u tbB roots, IN IN tBfit0fm state, o. by It's
entering into solution into tho winter found
In The soil, aHd being afterwards absorbed
In this form Ivy tho roots. The experiment
Of Sir Humphrey Dayy Oh this point APP
pears conclusive. that eminent chemist htv.
inn sltW1 that different plants and grasses
grow much moro luSnfiantIy when Watered
with solutions Of sugar, than with common
waters the Two liquids differing in nothing
but the presence Of cafljon In the former
aud As absence IN the latter.
Before closing these remarks on the eul.
| tivoti0h Of the cane, ALLOW me 10 say some.
thing on d point, ia comparison with which
alt others sink iato iDsignifcanee. In the
! closing lecture If d series delivered in New
Orleans by Professor Il, silliman IT,, on
Agricultural Chemistry, be observed that
II hi wore asked by what meanst heplan.
tor Of Louisiana could, with certainty, add
Irgety "a the product Of The soil, he would
gay nd nsnoaf1tepea s4id of action III its
effects on eioduepee, drainage, drainage.
drainage. Tie present SEASON has given
TO nine.tepths Of our planters melancholy
proof Of the truth Of ibis remark, and al~
though The quantity Of water which has
ftllen 10 this state the present years y oil.
together unprecedented, yet It " wen
known that every few years Yge may e&
poet what II called n wet SEASON, the eis
fsctg of which on each plantation N tho
sfntc arc In exact increase proportion TO
t5e extent Of lis Drainage. Il u 10 such
seasons that the m9at striking contrasts
are shown between the results Of slalful
aud imperfect cultivation; but II is o great
error 10 suppose that drainagay thorough
and perfect drainage, Is with ITS tnfa
| enee In the driest season. In tlfe aiittFlaI
soil Of Que Mississippi river, aud the bay
ous Isa9ing out Of II, exposed to the acliob
Of The wafer which filters through the
banks, and which IN the spring ofthc year
is rendered ley cold by the melting Ut The
SHOWS IN the northern regions, from which
il flows, IT il imDossibIe to 0yer-rafe fhe
Importance Of draining. The effect Gins
low temperature Of the water which pene-
trates into our fields Is so great, as pcfceP-
tible 10 retard the spring vegetation, nniess
means are taken to obgiafe is effects. In
the recent experiments Of planting cane ~
lhe parish Of Kapidess II has been observed
that the cane is earlier and more vigorous
in its first vegetation, although in a more
northern latitude than it il even in orr low.
er river parishes, the soil on the Red river
being higher and naturally drier than that
on the banks Of the Mississippi and not
being exposed to the same deIeteriots inlu.
ence of the water percolating fhe banks Of
that stream. Now, this very serious inju-
ry to the crop ID at once obviated by the
digging Of d deep ditch along the entire
front of fhc field which interccpis the see.
page water, and being connected with the
drainage canals, carries off this water be.
hind without allowing it to penetrate into
the soil, and chill The roots If the plant.
But independently Of this point, which is
peculiar TO the plantations 10 lower Louis
lana, the general results from a perfect sys-
tenn of drainage, are so e~minently useful
and profitable that you must allow me to
make 4 brief abstract Of some Of them,
taken from the admirable work quoted be-
low. /
1st. It carries off all the stagnant wa
ter, and the excess Of what falls in rain. q.
It arrests the ascent Of water from beneath
by capillary action, freeing the subsoil fgom
noxious substances, which, in undrained
land. frequently impair the growth Of deep
rooted plants. 3D.. By keeping the soil
porous, II allows the rain, instend ofmerely
washing the surface, to penetrate through
tbss arficlas af earth. thus carrving IN tho