The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-08-03
farm, aud alonsshold.
CULTIVATION OF SUGAR CANE.


CULTIVATION OF SUGAR CANE.
Mr.. u. w. Howell, of Thomas
county, Ca, says: 81 am acquAint
ed with four varieties, and speak
only Of these-the red, green, yell
low-ribbon aud ribbon. For
chewing, making pretty sugar or
syrup, the green succeeds best, but
it does not keep well nor come up
as well as the red or red-ribbon, and
is disagreeable to handle, on account
of the beard upon the blades. |
have cultivated all these varieties,
and settled down upon the red-rib>
bon as the best to plant, for the i'm
portant reasons that it keeps well in
bank, comes up better than any 9th
err, thrives better and yields more
Juice per acre. spprehend that
much Of the loss of sugar cane to
planters by failure to sprout after
planting originates 10 the fact that
many farmers plant it too deep, do
not break the land we'll and keep it
broken. 1t should be planted shall
low, so that the sun can easily pene
trate TO the seed. My method 10 as
follows break up the soil good
aud deep by running halt shovel
or twister and bull tongue or long
scooter Immediately after. in the
same iurrow, blowing close, then
cross with half shovel for planting,
running two burrows, leaving small
ridge between. | then open with q
round shovel, which leaves water
furrow TO receive the plants, but not
deep enough to receive all the rain
fall. then cover shallow, aud the
plants are left in a broad smooth
bed. If long, the seed cane should
DO cut into three pieces il this is
not done the first shoot that springs
up viii sap and injare, or prevent
others eniirely from coming up. If
there are any long sprouts upon any
Of the plants, these should be care
fully broken of, one or two inches
from the mother plant, foe the same
reason above. The main object Is
to induce all the eyes on the plants
TO sprout and spring up at cnce, SO
that some will not be injured or pre-
vented by the earlier growth Of 9TH
ers. In dropping the plants in the
furrow let roots and tops be Tapped
throughout. II 10 not we'll 10 double
them 10 the drill il your seed be
good, unless the land is very rich.
Now, If manure 10 to be used, put in
forty bushels of cotton seed to the
acre, and If more is necessary, put
them 10 side burrows, as too many
cotton seed in the drill may breed
wood>lice to destroy the cane. -
Heavy manuring may be done in the
siding burrows, and the more the
better, as rule, TO warm up the
plants and cause them to succor
nnmerously in the early spring,
when good stand is desirable +; but
compost from the stables will give
the cane juice a bad taste, and for
the same reason it should not be
planted in rich old horse lots. The
lighter the soil the lighter will be
the color Of the sugar or syrup. In
cultivation, run round il often, cape.
ciaIly after heavy rains. Plow out
deep with a scooter the frat time,
throwing but little soil to the cane.
Second blowing, side with gopher
and break out the middle with a halt
shovel, as deep as possible without
subsoiling. In all other plowings
use the sweep. The best time to
plant is between the 18th and Goth
of February, or the first warm spell
after the cold winter. In taking up
cane for seed it should be we'll mas
iured. Many planters commit Sc
rious error by taking up too soon
aud before cold weather stops i.s
growth. When thus taken up it
will continue to grow in the bank,
putting out new sprouts to be de-
stroyed in handling or broken off at
planting. l took up some Of my
seed cane in 1875, on the 10Th OF
October, and nearly Lost it in cOnse-
quence, while that taken upon on the
30th turned cut we'll The best
time to dig seed cane, therefore, is
about the last Of October or frat Of
November just after . rain, so that
the soil abou. the roots may be wet
enough to prevent dry>rOt, which
otherwise often occurs in the banks.
10 banking lay tho cane in wide,
shallow beds, and cover fiat immes
diately after.
Chief among the mistakes Of SUI
gar planters in this section is the
cutting and grinding before the cane
is well matured. II is evident that
not only great loss ofsugar and sy-
rnp is incurred by this haste, but
that the sugar and syrup made of
such immature material is Of inferior
quality. | always wait for the 10Th !
Of November 70 grind, unless com