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

age and causes the water to stand
and saturatc the ground, The cane
trash affords protection to the stub
BILE, not merely by warding off the
cold, but also by preventing the heat
from penetrating too suddenly 1t
is a we'll. known fact, that it is the
sudden thawing of either the vege-
table or animal tissues that causes
their destruction. / have known in
stances of a sudden freeze coming on
in February while planting, and seed
cane being left in the field all night
and frozen hard and if planted while
frozen. it will retain its vitality and
growth. have also planted Irish
potatoes while frozen and they have
come and grown as well as if they
had not been frozen. In December,
1876, on the LIST, I'd and 3rd, there
was freeze that destroyed at least
twO-thirds of my stubble, there was
one cut which had u row of timber
and underground on the east side of
it and Us far as the shade of that ex-
tended the stubbIe was entirely un-
injured, while the balance of the cut
was all killed. In cutting the cane
no attention had been paid to cover
ing the ridge with trash, and it was
all thrown down into the water fur
row. If the ridge was kept covered
with the thick coat of trash which
the blades and tops make, it would
afford great protection, both in ward
ing off the severity of the freeze, and
in preventing too sudden thawing
of the ground after the freeze is over
A wet freeze is less injurious to stub.
bic than adry one, from the fact that
/ So - .---~fSsT-e~~S---~. .s.fsA ..--a~-.--
| gives out it's latent heat, which passes
into the earth, and when ice is melt
ing it absorbs heat which again be-
comes latent in the water and keeps
the surface of the soil cool until the
ice is all melted and the water is
eyaporated and thus an equilibrium
is maintained and normal tempera-
ture restored
After this digression ON the sub
iect of the preservation of the stub
bic through the Winter, we will now
take up the subject of its cultivation,
which should commence about the
Goth of February and the first thing
Ito be attended to is the disposition
to be made of the cane trash to get
| it out of the way. Some planters have
it burned as it lies On the ridge,
| which 1 think is bad economy, as it
may bedisposed ofwith little labor so
that it will not interfere with the cul-
tivation of the cane and be restored to
the soil with evident advantage to
the next crop. And with this
object in view let it be pulled down
into the water furrow, into as COM
pact mass as possible, and cover it
up in the middle and let it stay there
until the final plowing is given and
it will be so we'll decomposed that it
will furnish some nutrirnent to the
growing crop and keep the ground
loose and mellow. For this purpose,
and at the same time to throw the
dirt from the stubble, begin at the
bottom of the ridge and bar off with
two horse plow and coulter, and
throw off six furrows, that is, three
on each side of the ridge, and deep
enough to go an inch OF two below
the bottom of the stubble, and then
if it is a stiff clay subaoil, run sub
soil plow down close to the stubble,
It may then be let stand until it has
had a good rain to soften the ridge !;
and then "dug OUT" that is, the i'm
pscted soil around and between the