The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-01-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE FARMER
- and STOCK GROWER ==
Time to Prepare Land for Sugar Cane
Crop

Crop
At the opening of the spring season
the farmers. generally plan their oper-
Iations so that when planting time
comes it finds them ready to take up
the work in the order in which it
should be done. G. X. McQuarrie.
state agent, says that sugar cane be-
ing one of the most important crops
on the small farms, deserves atten-
tion first of all, for the reason that 1t
may be planted several weeks earlier
than any of our other general farm
crops. By giving it early attention, it
clears the way for the farmer to give
attention to other crops, such as corn,
potatoes, etc, when planting time ar
rives.
Land for sugar cane should be thor
oughly plowed and well pulverized. In
the blowing process, it is recommend
ed that the land be sub-soiled unless
it is too wet. If the soil is too wet
this can be determined by the first
slice of the turning plow. Should this
slice have somewhat glazed appear
ance the soil is too wet to recommend
the sub-soiling.
The tool used for this sub-soiling
need not be an elaborate affair. A
four-inch shovel on scooter stock
following the turning pillow in the
same furrow, puts the soil in an ideal
condition to maintains moisture dur
ing the dry. spring months. which In
this state is generally April and May,
sometimes running into June.
The moisture content of the soil is
really the controlling factor in crop
production of all kinds This is espe-
cially true of the sugar cane crop,
which requires a very large amount
of moisture to give it a satisfactory
yield. When planting this crop fur
row should be laid off by the use of
, middle burster, AZ feet on the poor
er soils, and to 51a feet on the bet,
ter land This furrow should be made
almost as deep as the land was brok
en-, unless on wet flatwoods SOIL I'll
this furrow is made too deep on wet
soil and heavy rain prevails after
planting the crop, water may stand
in the furrow, covering the seed and
injuring the seed buds considerably
On the higher lands, however, the
seed should be planted in deep fur
rows and covered lightly at first just
enough to maintain moisture to en-
able the buds to sprout Later on,
more soil should be worked to the
growing crop.
Seed should be cut in three or four
joints lengths, and laid in this furrow,
tapping about 10 per cent Whole
canes should never be planted be-
cause it is a waste of seed and also
should a dry spell occur Immediately
after planting, several joints in the
middle of the canes will not sprout
The moisture necessary for sprouting
mutually goes to each end of the
canes, leaving the middle buds unsup-
piled. Ii planted in AZ foot rows,
the seed cut and Tapped about 10 per
cent. in the furrow, it will take 1920
stalks averaging feet each to plant
an acre. Planted in 5 foot rows,
which is recommended on the best
types of soil, about /, 500 stalks of
this same length will plant an acre
q
Growing Melons the Right Way
The value of scientimic methods in
the growing of watermelons can be
seen at Dunnellon, Marion county, in
the operations of Messrs. Baskin and
Griffith. They have 200 acres already
prepared, fortified and ready for
planting and the materials on hand
for spraying to control anthracnose
and the aphis. Their practice is to-
start spraying when the third and
fourth leaves show, going over the
field every week or ten days. A pow
er sprayer is used, and crew is kept
busy running back over the field as
soon as an application is finished.
This practice in the past has demon
strated the value of such insurance
against diseases and insects. The
cost is small compared to the profits
in the results.
MAKING VINEGAR From