The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28

1
will be of considerable interest to all
planters to know something of the sys-
tenn and plans of cultivation Of the sugar
cane, as used by Major Gamble. This we
give below in a letter written by him in
1851 to the United States Department of
Agriculture, as follows:
MANATEE RIVER, TAMPA BAY.
SoUTH FLORIDA, December Is, 1851 {
SIR: have received your "Agrcul-
tural Circular" and, as requested, will
answer some OF the questions asked, Civ
ing such information as | possess; and
being a sugar planter, shall confne my
self chiefly to a description of that staple
its history and culture in this State.
The cane cultivated in this State has
been brought originally from Georgia,
having extended gradually south from the
Carolinas, keeping pace with the advanc-
ing civilization, and becoming more de-
veloped as it approached the tropics.
With us it is more perfect than in any
other territory of the Union, annually ar
irving at maturity, tasseling, and bearing
seeds. These seeds are exceedingly mi
mute, and it is generally supposed that
they are inadequate to the reproduction
of the cane. | think, that in consequence
Of the annual maturity of our cane, it's
vitality is progressive, furnishing per-
feet and healthy plant such is not the
case in Louisiana. Their imperfect plants,
propagated year after year from the re-
fuse of their unri pc cane, may reasonably
no n hair nd
The culture of the sugar cane, on the
large scale, is comparatively Of recent
date in Florida; our experience and
knowledge of it's culture are consequent
ly imperfect. In South Florida, we find
that our canes will rattoon we'll for five
years but believe that the conviction
is general that we should not rattoon
longer than three years which, with the
first or plant crop, makes term of four
years between each planting. The estab-
lishment of sugar plantations IN South
Florida is so recent, that no planter has
succeeded in getting in full crop. Con-
sequently, no well digested system of ro-
tation has been adopted. The system
which | am adopting is, to divide my
plantation into five equal portions, four
tifths Of which will be planted in cane
the fifth to lie falIow. During the sea
sons of leisure, this portion will be pre-
pared in the best possible manner for
planting in the ensuing spring. My lands
are based on mari, having rich subsoil,
but light silicious surface soil. The
fallow land will be ploughed very deep,
with four-horse ploughs, throwing it up
into lands of seven feet, with deep water
burrows; into these burrows all the trash
of the land, and the rotted bagasse of
preceding crop, together with any other
manure which may have been prepared,
will be collected The land will be again
ploughed with fourhorse ploughs, bed
ding on the deposited manure; when this
fifth Is planted in cane, the oldest of the
remaining sections will be ploughed out,
and subjected TO the same operation. BY
this system our plantations will yield
from 1000 to 5000 pounds of sugar TO
the acre. Nothing is more injurious to
rattoon crop than the method often pur-
sued of burning off the refuse trash, &C.,
unless it be the introduction of cattle.
Very few planters return their bagasse
to the land on which it grew. In Louis
lana vast chimneys are constructed, at
great expense, for the purpose Of burning
it; when this is not done, it is generally
hauled to the river and dumped in. These
planters do not reflect that they are re-
moving from their lands those essential
salts, without which it is impossible to
produce good cane, and of which there
is only limited quantity in any soil.
The bagasse from every acre Of tolerably
rroo1 oano contains of
Pounds.
Silica Observation-Disclosures. 13S. OF
Phosuhoric acid Observation-Disclosures. Ii .2S
Sulphuric acid Observation-Disclosures. 49, 9S
Lime Observation-Disclosures. 81 .4S
Magncsia Observation-Disclosures. 10 SO
Potash Observation-Disclosures. 76 80
Chloride of potassium Observation-Disclosures. 9S1
Sodium Observation-Disclosures. 606
Total ...3 800 90
In every good cane this amount Is
doubled Those who pursue this insane