, 1891-05-02

out, is more valuable, than the one, where
deep cultivation is not or cannot be adj
opted.
Deep with subsoil cultivation has for gene
ratlons been advocated in Santa Cruz and IS
successfully carried out up to the present
time, Tori has proved itself to be the safest
and most effective way to make use of and re-
tain the moisture furnished US by the yearly
average rainfall which is about 40 inches a.
500 lines.
The theory that the mother soil is the
proper place where to prepare the seed-bed,
does not hold good with Us, for a. trials,
which from time to time have been attempted
to prove its merits in practice, have resulted
IN the fact that although good plant canes
have been obtained, the ensuing ration crops
did not answer to expectations and the method
had therefore to be given up for economical
reasons"
e By our present mode Of cultivation, the
mother soil is left in banks. between the cane
rows, and from here it is successively drawn
around the plant as it progresses in growth.
In cases OF very deep cultivation and where
the mould is used sparingly, we or more
crops Of Ratoon canes can be obtained.
Width of Banks and distance between
Plants.
We know the nature Of the sugar cane and
the purpose for which we cultivate this par
ticular plant,
We desire to grow as many sound and
healthy canes as it is possible to produce per
acre and, at the same time we desire
those canes to be rich in sugar. In order TO
obtain the first result, "many and healthy
canes we have many years experience TO
guide US. In order to obtain the second result
viz: sweet canes, experience alone cannot
CI,;Io 80 I-A h. 49, IN Io.> - Ill - O,,r
assistance, actual experiments"
If you ask an experienced planter, from a
certain locality in this island, how wide do
you make your cane banks, and what distance
do you plant in the rows, he will answer, Il
do not bank wider than / feet nor plant wider
than Is inches, because in my land the canes
do not bunch very strong, the land IS very
grassy and cannot very we'll be cultivated by
implements. must therefore operate in
such a way that my plants cover the land
quickly, and this | reach by planting
close
And the same question will, by another
equally experienced planter, but from another
locality, be answered thus: My land is fer
tile and lunches we'll, | can therefore afford to
operate with banks and plants ) feet apart
this gives me sufficient room to use implements
on the banks without disturbing the plants in
their growth"
In and between these two extremes therefore
lies the answer to the first part of the above
question. Anybody is SAT in Santa Cruz, to
operate with 48 feet banks and plants p
feet apart, if his field is not of the
poorest nor of the most fertile kind of soil
but, if he is in doubt whether to plant wider or
perhaps closer, he must choose the latter,
because, in close planting the risk is not so
great, in the economical result, as if, by a mis-
take, a too wide cultivation should have been
chosen.
The theory which has sometimes been put
forward with regard to this part Of field
operation, viz: in poor land plant wider apart,
for such Soils not able to feed many plants in
rich land plant close, for here is food for many
plants, does not hold good here, for, in poor
land the root of the plant cannot develope it.
self much so as to send out any great number of
lateral. shoots, therefore close planting becomes
necessary here, in order to enable the plants to
support each other in shading over the ground
more quickly. Whereas in rich land, the
single plant will soon be supported with a
powerful root, which will, in short time send
out a rich cane bunch wide planting is here
the best plan to adopt. In case too close
planting should, bya mistake have been adopt
ed, thinning out will here have to be resorted
to, in order to get a good economical result out
of the field.
What influence closer or wider planting will