, 1898-09-28

Ia Guiana, being only from three to four
feet apart and, instead Of banks between the
rows Is Il channel f"r the passage of the lrrl.
gation water. When replanted, which how
ever ls.seIdom, the row itself fol- ms the chan.
mel for u couple Of years. Supplying was
formerly never done, and yet up to the elghth
and mlnth IatOon>, some Of he cAles look
exceedingly we'll. The plough is he Old
fANhlOned NO den one drawn by couple of
cows Or oxen. and although it is much tho
same as Oxiste IN Bible times. no other
seems to suit the soil So we'll. All the modern
Kinds h ave been tried but none found 80 suit.
aOle Tor SurInonntIng the various difficulties.
lllo soll Is very loose and frinble, being most.
~ OF volcanic origin. aud is nowheIe very
deep. As it lIaA he ~ in crntinuou, ~oLltivA.
ton for hundreds of years 1t will Yield TAO.
thing without heavy drersingA Of suitable
manure. For c.IV, baunnas aud IN we, n
mixture of l'hospIIates. sulphates and nitlo.
gen producers. gives he beat result. lhole
ls one very curious Gust, N here. imported
from Grand CANARY. Occasionally IA patch
of young canes will will puIm q pale yellow
AZ # blighf4d. A bucket Nth some suIphate
OF iron and water Il then taken, and with
a brush the mixture is spr, we'd lightly over
the cane. The soil is said TO be deficient in
iron where this happens, and hence the re.
medy. Whatever the caus", the effect IL
magical, in two or three DAYS the cnne re-.
sumes it's natural colour and looks a. healthy
80 the best.
The cultivation of the cane is ex remedy
simple. Tie Trash is b burned uh clean, part.
ly to prevent 1t interfering with tile how OF
the irrigation water, and partly to destroy
the Dorer, which is very prevalent. Buiying
trash has been tried but was abandoned on
that QoQOnnH Tho @Inno1 T. -.I
over the land once or twice. After the second
ploughing q dressing OF manure is laid evenly
along in the bottom of the drill made BY
the plough and then covered lightly with
soil with tho only implement in use besides
the plough, a kind Of hoavy hos with short
handle called the "~sacIIo." Two or three
weddings, partly by han ala partly with
the "saohO, are made, giving a light mould.
ing at the same time and introduced lately)
q trashlng about a month previous to cutting.
But grass is the principal weed nmd there are
q few small patches of b .nana. but of moth.
ing like the strength it acquires on the
coast lands of Guiana. A kind Of bitter herb
also grows freely but it is not 90 troublesome
as the nut grass. Tho grass ia only trouble.
som for q couple Of mouths or 80 liter the
frat manure Is applied. A second dressing
OF manure 10 usually applied when the oAueS
- .A"nCnN ora. Ill q country Wt8I9
there IS only about Is inches OF rain yelrly,
and this, usually confined to the m ,ntlIs
from October aud March, irrigation is a
necessary item and very expensive. This
water is brought from reservoirs aud springs
in the mountains by open stone aquelucts
which are very s~kilfully engineered along
the faces of precipices, and over innumerable
ravines to distributing tanks on the upper
levels of the farms. The terraces are 80
constructed as to retain the water, which
soon drains through The sol and the porous
volcanic rock forming the snbsoiI; q III aFtlti.
cial drainage is unnecessary and unknow..
The water is given to the cane in periods
varying from ten days to q mouth AGO riding
to the lam and the a 'pearHnce of the cane,
which soon shows whether it wants it or not.
With the "Hacho' the Iabourers manage tle
stops'oh' ETC., with u good deal Of skill, and
skill is required. foI the slightest mistake on
their part might allow the water to get
beyond control which would result in great
damage to tho Io'se land
The worst enemy is HE bOrer. A gang
of twenty to thirty women and girls is kept
going over the fells constantly, when the
cane is young, cutting out. with a sharp
knife. the canes attacked. and a price is paid
for every deposit of eggs found on the leaves.
II Ia even u WOF4o auelnV tn maize Az many