The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-13
Anaersss ynteIltaeasess
Sugarcane for Swamp Land.

Sugarcane FOR Swamp Lana.
To the Editor of the Neus and Courier:
During the last two weeks there
have been several articles from various
correspondents relating to the proba-
Bile success Of our planters in the ex-
pertinent Of planting sugarcane for
profit. These correspondents and you
in your illusions to their articles term
the plant "ribbon cane. This term
is used, I presume, simply to distin'
guish it from sorghum or millet,
thinking that millet as we'll as ribbon
cane iy embraced under the head of
sugarcane. Sorghum or millet (sor-
ghum saccharatum) is very valuable
plant, extensively grown throughout
the temperate zone. But wherever
sugarcaue~ proper (saccharum oficin-
sarum) can be planted 80 it far excels
sorghum as sugar or syrup plant THAT
no one would hesitate moment as to
choice.
, sSugarcane can,be successfully grown
anywhere in this State [ believe. It
grows from the time it comes out of
tho ground until FROST kills it. And
|, in the upper counties, where frost
comes q little earlier than with us,
this crop would simply make shorter
stalks, not quite SO much growth, only
a small percentage less sugar and
syrup than can be made in the lower
counties. And as this cane makes,so
much more juice per acre than sor-
ghum it can stand foot or so short
.enning by the Piedmont frosts and still
beat the record of its harder kinsman.
Sugarcane properly cultivated will
easily make three hundred gallons Of
syrup per acre. Z have known tito
make over six hundred gallons. -
There are three varieties of sugar
cane that / know of, but there is no
difference, except in color Of stalk.
One is whitish stalk and is little
softer to chew than the other two var
ieties. There is blueish green stalk
and one that, is striped, and this is
known as "ribbon cane "2bycane grow;
ers. rwould just as soon have one
variety as the other for planting. Of
course all the planters of the lower
belt of counties know all about this
crop, how to save the seed, to make
the crop and to manufacture the
syrup; and most of them know more
about it than I do, but | will give
what information I have for the bene-
ft of those who are not intimately ac-
quainted with sugarcane. The whole
stalk, with root attached, is taken up
and saved for seed. tits kept through
the winter covered with earth and
straw to keep out cold. If the slight
est frost touches the tender eyes at
the root and joints it is no good tor
seed.
The land should be well prepared by
deep ploughing and abundant manur-
ing. The rows should be run off with
large plough five feet apart. Then
/ lay the stalks of cane in bottom of this
row and cover with stable manure or
good leaf mold, and put on the furrows
with turning plough. As soon as the
shoots appear begin the cultivation
with the hoe, keeping the. middles
clean with the plough. 1t does not
all come up at once, but is shooting
up all along the row for several weeks.
It needs thorough cultivation from
this time until the grovth;of cane
shades the ground and keeps down the
grass. It is well to fertilize while
ploughing. You cant put too much
manure under this plant. After the
first light frost it should be stripped
Of it's leaves, cut and taken to the
mill.
There is one popularity Of this plant
that came under my observation last
seasons, and that peculiarity makes it
a more; valuable plant to many land
owners in this State than the far-famed
tree Of Liberia, that grows fritters
already cooked, wou1dbe. The sugar
cane will grow right along when the
ground is covered in water, 50 that the
top Of the plant can reach the sun
shine and air, even though the water
remains on the land during the season.
This was tested last year near me.
Some Of the cane grew in water for
three months, was gathered out of the
water and taken to the mill, and made
as good syrup as any. One patch
grew in water five feet deep from June
until frost. The water was 80 deep it
could not be gathered and the frost
killed it.
There are thousands Of acres of the
finest river bottoms in this State that
are now almost valueless owing to the
prevalence of freshets. This land
would make enormous crops Of corn,
cotton, oats, or anything else, but the
planters are heart-sick and pocket-sick
watching these beautiful crops annu-
ally disappear under the rising waters.
But in this crop they are safe, and
more than safe, because there is more
money in cane than in corn or cotton.
believe that ten years from to-day
we will see thousands of acres Of our
river bottoms covered in cane, and the
only thing that mars the prospect is