Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-11-05
CANE CULTIVATION.
The ACCESSIBILITY of Introducing 1t Into the
Northern states.

The ACCESSIBILITY of Introducing 1t Into the
Northern states.
it is moro than likely that in the
years to come the Northern farmers
will find it to the interest to cultivate
enough cane at least to supply their
own household necessities with sirup
and do with it as they now and always
have done with wheat. take their grist
to the mill. The same arguments
which are employed to show the impro-
priety. if not the impossibility, of every
woman being her d irymaid and sue
cessfully competing with the factory sys-
tenn may be employed here, and with
even more force; for there are fewer
skilled strip makers than butter
makers, and the machinery is much
more costly. 1t is an easy matter for
one TO figure on the quantity of cane
necessary for his purpose and thus lay
in his years supply at little cost; en-
will the central factory or mill lie able
to grind up for fifty with one set of ma
chinery inst ad of the fifty doing t tor
themselves, and with very much bet
ter chance of securing we'll made ar
ticle.
Nor is this the OI6y outlook for the
successful prosecution of the Northern
cane industry, for if the farmer can
grow few acres for his own Use lie
can grow more for sale to the factory.
Str pped and topped cane usually sells
for about $50 per ton 1T the mill. An
acre of cane Will produce ten to fifteen
tons. and as well half g toa Or more
of good dry fodder and from fifteen to
thirty bushels of seed OF an equal value
for feeding purposes with corn. The
crop is cultivated precisely as is corn
and it is very generally conceded that
the seed and fodder are e ,uai in value
to the cost Of putt nc in and harves ing
the crop. thus leaving the cane at the
mill net profit. If tnen ten tons are
produced at $3.50 pc ton. we have a
net prOht OF TWEEN y-ilve dollars to the
acre. Those who have experimental
with cane cult walton will report. that
with proper attent on, or that usually
given to corn, ten tons may be made as
easily as twenty bushels of corn to the
acre.
The New Orleans Sugar Bowl and
Farmer refers to this matter as regards
the farmers of the South with the RIB
bon cane, and wlites rs follows:
We are pleased to learn that the low
pr!ce of sugar has not altogether ,iispir-
tied small planters. who sell their cane
by the ton. nor the buyers thereof. A
large quantity of cane is this season
being cultivated in that manner, and
we learn that as much AS four dollars
per ton is now being o, cred for it, There
IS fair margin of proi.t IN cane at that
price. with present low prices OF sup
plies of all kinds. and we believe an
other year VIII see more ane cultivated
Tor central factories than ever hitherto.
One of our valued correspondents
thus writes US on this subject:
l see no hope for sm:. II planters. ex-
cept they become willing t, sell their
cane TO the larger and better facto es.
So many radical changes are Necessary
to make such a programme general,
and remunerative to both parties. that
fear that it will end in the former
class either being driven from their
lands or turn ng to other and less fas-
cinating lines of agr.cu :ure.
We are glad to know that our friends
fears are gr0undless. Those who are
unable to make the neces<ar, improves
ments still realize that there is more
money in cane than in any other crop,
in the long run. where they can find
purchasers for their cane. and they will
only too gladly sell where o. .cred fair
price rather than lose BY detective
millA-C0tM0n's kurat Hor!d