The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1876-01-29

TSSUED EVERY SATURDAY
DUNCAN s. CAGE. Jr., EDITOR
?. SAMOAN, PrO'r 4 Business Manager
OFFICE :-COR. MARKET AND PATRIOT ST
Notes on Sugar Culture.
TAKING TINE BY THE FORELOCl

TAKING TINE BY THE FORELOCK.
Editors Of our Home Journal:
/ will this week make some re-
marks Oh cane culture-and can.
not give q better heading to the
subject than :-''raking time by
the fOrelOck."
From an experience of 20 years.
| have always been All advocate
of offbarring the cane stubble
early, and digging away the earth
at every opportunity that offered,
and as soon as the season permit.
ted. Immediately after the grind.
ing time, aud even ir the height
of planting, make it a rule to
detail a few plows, throwing 2
furrOws in the middle covering
the remains Of trash and tops not
burnt. Sh0uld the soil he stiff, l
cover the trash with the above 2
burrows; 1t candy, burn of, thirty
days after cutting the cane. I
have known many planters who
were in the habit, when cutting
cane, to throw the tops on the
bed, and after grinding, clean out
the quarter drains. The trash
thus deposited tor the purpose of
protecting the stubbie, keeps aud
engenders too much moisture
around the plant, and particular
" after heavy rains, succeeded BY
y freeze, will inevitably do more
harm than good ; for the sun has
no power to dispel tho moisture,
aud even in dry weather gencr,.-
tes dampnesa. With the stubbie
exposed to the action of the sun's
rays, the quarter drains aud
bitches open and in good coudi-
ton. a through and suflicien, bill
Of dirt thrown ur close, and we'll
worked IN the "laying by," all
the chances will be in favor of
the stand Of cane for the coming
season, unless the winter shonld
prove a very late one and exceed
ingly severe. Many planters and
Overscers are much in favor of
"shaving stnbble," and as a Ia
bOr-saving machine, the rattoon
or stubble shaver il an acquisi-
ton but it cannot be used gener
all = and advantageOusly. If the
land In not perfectly level it will
do much harm and in many places
very little good. unless watched
very closely and constantly by
the Overseer. The negro running
the machine, will invariably
either cut the stubble to the moth
er cane, where the land und ulates
or run over many acres, leaving a
great deal of work for the hoe.
The majority Of planters are ac-
custOmed tO follow after the sha
yer with their hoe force, to chop
and polish off the work, which il
in many cases great loss of time.
In case of a mild winter. the top
eyes are always the first to sprout,
these are bound to he all cut of
by the shaver, and should q long
dry spell of weather succeed-the
stubble thus cut are very often
most apt to suffer.
The planter, by watching the
opportunity after 4 rain, BY pre-
viously having always a certain
quantity of stubble land of bar
tel, can avail himself of these
chances to dig out his stubble
with the whole force of hands
employed on the place, and it will
even pay him to employ extra la.
Dor so to do. AS l may be tres
passing on your space, l shall at
y future time give a few more de-
tails in regard to further cultiva
ton, aud my experience based on
the foregoing, in making one Of
the largest, best and most eco
nOmical crops of the past season.
CULTIVATOR.
Jefferson, the 18th JAN, '76.