. American farming and stock raising, with useful facts for the household, devoted to farming in all its departments. Agriculture. 414 THE AMERICAN FARMER. The cutting of the cane should be as close to the ground as possible, since the lowest, joints of the stalks are richest in saccharine or sugar-producing matter; besides, the sj^routs. or rattoons will grow more vigorously when the old stalks are cut close than when left stand- ing above the surface of the ground. The best results are obtained from cane wlien it is worked up within twenty-four hours after being cut in the field. It has some
. American farming and stock raising, with useful facts for the household, devoted to farming in all its departments. Agriculture. 414 THE AMERICAN FARMER. The cutting of the cane should be as close to the ground as possible, since the lowest, joints of the stalks are richest in saccharine or sugar-producing matter; besides, the sj^routs. or rattoons will grow more vigorously when the old stalks are cut close than when left stand- ing above the surface of the ground. The best results are obtained from cane wlien it is worked up within twenty-four hours after being cut in the field. It has sometimes been the practice, when not convenient to do this, to leave the tops on the stalks, and cut and pile them in the field in long rows, to the height of three or four feet, the tops of the cane from one hill being thrown over the ends of another, and so on, putting the stalks from three or four rows together. It has frequently been kept three or four weeks in this way before taking it to the mill, and without any apparent injury from frost, unless it be unusually severe. This practice, however, is not to be recommended, as it has been found that the product is in this way injured. In such cases, the tops should be cut off just before expressing the juice. It is better to have the cane taken to the mill as soon as cut, if practicable. Implements for cutting the crop have been invented which greatly facilitate the metliod of hand-labor. It should always be harvested before the frost makes its appearance. The tops and leaves may be used for feeding stock, utilized in the compost-heap, or left on the ground for manure. The tops should never be planted, as this will result in deterioration of the crop. Only the best part of the stalks of thrifty plants should ever be used for cuttings. Manufacturing Sugar.—The inefficiency of machinery for expressing the juice of the sugar-cane has been the source of great loss to the planter, and a serious detriment, to the profitable producti
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
