Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1875-06-26

|
The Field Pea as a Fertilizer
| for the Sugar Cane.
Editors Of Our Home journal:
| ! was reading your journal of this
date, and noticed an invitation to me
to publish my experience in reference
to the cow pea rs fertilizer for sugar
cane. The quantity of this article
purchased by planters every year ia 4
proof that there are all aware of the
benefit derived from il. One bushel
to an acre II enough this 1 drill in
the corn when three feet high, one
row on each side, close to the corn,
20 that It may be on tho hill and free
from water. / make . light furrow
with "a one-horse plow, and cover with
another light furrow. The ordinary
corn planter does the OQrk very
well, by drilling the six Id > a. deep
as possible, covering oyer the four
and three holes, leaving the six open.
In light soils do not think that it Ia
necessary to bury the vines. have
always made them into hay (than
which there is none better), and
turned the stock in the part not
needed for forage. One year in plant
cane, one year In rattoons, and one
year In corn and peas. Lands treated
thus never wear out, aud will give
more sugar and Of . better quality
than new lands.
In 1874 purchased tract Of land
which was pretty well exhausted, and
just adjoining purchased q tract of
very rich pasture. The first was
covered with coco grass. By drain
age, peas every third year, some ashes
from the sngar honse ani some manure
from the stables, this poor tract made
nc once rs good cane ~ the rich past
ure, and the coco nearly disappeared
before ten years. l must admit, that
on poor lands renovated by the pea,
the rattoon crop is not as good as on
new lands, and should net be kept
more than one year. Aproper fertilizer
should be applied tn the crop Of rat
toons; the plant cane requires more.
Previous tn the war, the sugar
planters Of Louisiana used no other
fertilizer than the pea. The largest
sugar crop ever made was In 1861, ut
which period some lands had been
producing sugar for more than thirty
years. This Is strong enough srgu-
ment In favor Of "Carulina claw
Our lands do lot wear out, nor canes
deteriOrate. This latitude il not
suited u sugar; we have about six
or eight months Of growing time for
. plant which requires from twelve
to fifteen months, our crops cOnse-
quently dnctuate wonderfully, a. q
reference to statistics will show.
The severe winter Of 1855 reduced
the crop of'56 to $1,000 hogsheads.
At once there was = cry Of worn-out
lands aud cane detesi0rated. PAM
phlcts were writteb.y eminent sena-
tors, and government seut somewhere
fbr shiplosd of miserable canes. |
1875 was favorable in the spring,
then very cold |; ice on the 23d April,
which cut down the cane frost on
the 18th May; subsequently . very
favorable season, and crOp Of over
$40, 600 hogsheads.
Since tAo WaS We have had several
bad aeaa0Da, want Il efficient labor In
many districts, want Of means among
most planters, and consequent tly bad
drainage, neglect Of planting peas,
etc; but Our lands an - enod as |
ever and With the aa5Ae appliances
will make the samc cs0ps a. horeto-
fore.
] have writtep more than 1 isten-
ded, but cannot close without : wera |
about putting mp seed came. Your
eoneepondeut, "Agvasiaa," says tAst
some u his peighbors had very bad
seed cane, md that they allowed Il to
remain several days uncovered. Ger
tainly; and It will always be had i'll
they do not c0ver Il - 1Don ~ cut -
just behind The knives, IN fact. One
day y 0lten fatal, ~ | have expe-
Sisaeed. The fact that "Agrarisur
bad god oesd was bscAuse he cover
Cd u 1t osce, and not becsase the
moon W. IN it, 6rse quarter. Seed
cane should b. put down - late n
possible, on weIl drained land, and
covered innedistely with two fur
rsws u . hesyy plow.
Yours truly,
n. COLOMB.
p. 6.-We have had, after thirty
days sf dry weathse, rain esonsh for
The moNeRt Tie fattoeus arc very
good, also corn ! plant backward
asads 10 dns ceedttioo 10 Sfass.
@.
st. Janss, La, Nay 18th, ls7A