Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-02-13
HARVESTING SUGAR CANE.
Methods Employed on the Crcnt PIanta,
lions In Southern Louisiana.

SaN"s 80 VVubDNFn isOnlklnuas
The sugar cane harvest begins in the
upper parishes cary in October. Tho
tr5t cane Is usually harvested green and
yields y smi9l amount Of sugar. with n
large proportion OF molasses. Below the
city Of New Orleans the harvest does not
usually begin until Nov. /, or in some
Instances later. There arc sometimes
severe ffosts IN The latter part of Novem.
bor, aad in December ic, occasionally
forms.
The ripe sugar cano is not damaged;
but, on tho contrary, is rather benefited
by light frost. Cold. however. severe
enough FOR ice 10 form is liable 10 entail
serious losses unless tho camel promptly
worked or protected. There are two
methods OF protecting cane when frost
is anticipated. One consists in wind.
rowing. and the other in cutting and
covering the cane with trash. In wind.
rowing, the cane is cut and heaped in
the rows without any nttelnpt being
made to remove lEH t.;lsh--that is, The
tops and leaves. The cane from two
rows is thrown into one middle, the tors
being turned one way and covering the
stalks. This entails considerable extra
labor before the cane can be- sent TO the
sugar house to be worked since the
trash must be removed. Many planters
windrow their cane. especially above
New Orleans, where tho frosts are often
severe.
The first crop after planting is termed
"plant cane" A second crop snrings
up from this stubble and istermed "iiys,
ratoons," or perhaps more generally,
"hrst stubble," and the third season
there is another crop called second
stubble." Additional stubble crops
could be taken in subsequent seasons.
but each crop would become smaller
moro woody and less profitable. Hence
in Louisiana usually only plant cane Gad
first and second stubble are harvested.
Those planters who can spare the land
usually follow second stubble with cow
peas and corn or COW peas only. Tx
COW peas have many of the qualities
Of clover and are usually grown bott
for feeding and fertilizing purposes
Cow peas form one of tho most valuable
green fallow crops grown in the south
Many Of the planters are compelled
through lack Of tillable land to plant
cane after cane for many years without
letting the land lie in fallow.
The average yield ef clean cane per
acre, year in and year out, will not vary
much from 20 short tons. The leaves
aud tops, aIeDunting to several tons ad.
ditional, are burned after the harvest.
This is u large amount Of organic and
mtaeral matter TO take from u single
acs Of land and is indicative of tho mar.
velous fertility and productiveness OF
the lands bordering on the Mississippi
and its tributaries. Authentic yields
far surprising these figures have been re.
ported. Entire plantations have yielded
AN average OF 85 tons Of clean cane per
acre. This enormous drain upon he
soil must be compensated for; hence the
sugar planters are among the best GUS
toners the commercial fertilizer may
have. Cottonseed meal Is very largely
employed rs u nitrogenous fertilizer and
Is applied mixed with superphosphate of
lime. The dose por mere Is often as
large as 900 pounds Of cottonseed meal
aud 300 pounds superphosphate. Fer.
tiliEers Rre distributed In April and
May, small amount, usually cotton.
seed meal. being sometimes applied with
tho seed cane IN spring planting.
The value 0f an average crop of cane
10 from $50 20 600 per acre, ~, when re-
dneed 10 a sugar basis, from sl2b 70 $500.
according 10 tho excellence 0f the manu-
faeture, Notwithstanding this large re
turn per acre, ths margin ~ prohl is
small, according % DF q. J.. Spencer,
authority for the foregoing, which was
originally prepared f0r The American
Farmer