The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-18

| SIDES OF tne rluBe 10 pull the clOdS
down in the water furow to make a
loose bed for the roots to penetrate
and get moisture and nutriment dur
ing the Summer months. This COM
pletes the whole process from the
planting to the laying by of the
crop.
Some planters may object to this
plan on the ground thst there has not
been dirt enough thrown up and pulled
in around the cane and consequently
that the crop is more liable to be
blown down. But in answer to this
objection, the observation of any one
who has had cane blown over will
convince him that it is the stalk of
the cane that bends over some dis
tance from the ground, and that the
root is seldom if ever affected by the
storm. But another objection which
might be urged BY some, is that the
stubble is more liable to be affected
by freeze. But my observation ex-
tending back to The years 1854, '55
and SO, and every hard freeze since,
has convinced me that cane laid by
on a narrow ridge, with the dirt
thrown up as high as Can be done
with three mule plow and then
pulled up with Che hoes, is just as
liable to be frozen, erI even more so,
than that which har been laid by with
the fat cultivation If cane is plant
ed deep enough andga moderate ridge
thrown to it, if the anes are properly
cut in harvesting taat is to sever the
first joint above instead of below, the
surface Of the soil the s:ubble will
rsmain I!s i Il intsst bS .!es well Or bet.
It is in fact not gyenAally known, or,
if known, not generally appreciated,
that every time the zane is plowed
deep and the dirt th,own up above
the first node, or knot above the sur
face, that the growth of the cane is
arrested, and that the bottom roots
all die, and new roots syringe out
from the nodes that have been cover
ed up by the deep plowing and hill
ing. One of the greatest objections
to the system of deep plowing and
high hilling is its liability to be effect
ed by drouth. In fact the drouth is
often blamed for what is the effect of
bad cultivation.
THE CULTIVATION OF THE sTUBBLE
CANE
In taking of the cane crop, if it is
intended to cultivate the stubble, say
first years stubble, asabove intimated
the cane should be cut above the sur
face of the ridge, and not: below, az is
generally practiced, i this is attended
to, the juice of the out joint will all
ran ont or evaporats and leave a dry
stalk above the ground, down to the
first mode, and all below the surface
retains its sap and vitality, and with
the protection afforded by the blades
and tops of the cane, which by lit
tie attention to the hands in cutting
the cane, may be made to fall on the
ridge, will enable the stubble to
stand a freeze unipjured. On the
contrary when the cane is cut below
surface the node at the surface and
the next below are inevitably spoiled,
which leaves none but the bottom eyes
and they are more liable to rot than
when the cut surface is above the
ground. Some planters suppose that
the cane top and blades left on the
ridge injure the stubble by retaining
the moisture but it is less liable to
retain the moisture if left on the
ridge than when thrown in the water
furrow where it obstructs the drain