, 1911-08-30
THE DEMERARA SEEDLINGS "A
AND 50.
(Loulsiaaaa Planter, TukY go

1880 100
ferent varieties of Seeding canes invests
gated at the Experiment Station located
with the extensive Guanlca Central Factory
in the island of Porto Rico, appears to be
c~onirmatory Of certain results from our two
Louisianu-favored seedlings, D74 and DOS,
previously published in this paper concern
ing last years experience at the same Sta
tiOn.
The D95 is one OF the four OF five most
valuable varieties of cane handled at the
Guanica Central Factory, and the D74, which
is called a 'sweeter" cane, is avoided and
discarded because the cycle from its ger
miuation to full maturity is too short for
the intervals between manufacture.
1t is suggested by an observant Porto Rico
correspondent, who appears to be perfectly
familiar with the adaptation of these two
seeding canes to Louisiana and the rapid
extension over the fields Of our local sugar
plantations, that the D74 is the best cane
for this state because of its short growing
cycle and comparatively earlier maturity.
Some of our most prominent Louisiana
sugar planters appear to entertain the erro-
neous opinion that the D95 natures eavlier
and has a greater sugar content than the
D74. This has not been found to be the re-
suit of general experience among our sugar
pla1ters, with whom the D74 ranks as q fay-
orite.
But apparently there ae certain excep-
tiOnal conditions and environments ia which
the Dos makes a more advantageous show
ing than the D74. This seems to be specially
the case with the comparatively lower lands
of the Lower Coast, or the sugar parishes
on the Mississippi river below New Orleans,
aud on newly reclaimed marsh and swamp
lands planted in cane. There, while the
Dos yields a remarkable tonnage, it reaches
a degree Of maturity that the D74 does not
nearly attain under the same conditions,
and under which the old striped or red rib
bon cane. would scarcely be worth hauling
to the factory.
After considerable experience in the OBJ
segvation from the results of these two seed
lings of different types of soil in our sugar
region the writer is of opinion that on all
the comparatively high and well-lrained
lands of our sugar belt the D74 in the long
run, despite possible storm breakage, may
be more advantageously cultivated and
though that imported variety renders a much
higher degree Of maturity on our compare
lively low lands and rich and ran reclaimed
marsh lands than the old ribbon cane, it
never becomes as ripe in such situations as
the DDS, nor does it yield 50 heavy a ton
mage.
Thus placed, the superiority of TIE DDS
cane has been plainly demonstrated for a
dozen consecutive years. But MS the area of
the "high'' lands devoted to cane cultivation
in this state is very much larger than that
of the low, and reclaimed marsh lands, the
proportion of the D74 cane cultivated should
be Just as much larger than that OF the DOS;
and we should depend more on the D74 cane
to produce the bulk of our sugar crop.
Those who determine to utilize the extern
sive areas of recently reclaimed marsh and
swamp lands in cane culture and sugar pro-
duction would do well to1proft by this long
experience, and select only the Dos for the
planting of such lands. 1t would be prac-
tically ruinous, as was experienced with a
large area of reclaimed lands devoted to