Windrowing.—In Louisiana, frost so often occurs before the harvest is complete, as to have resulted in the adoption of a method of keeping the cut canes uninjured, termed " windrowing." For cane that is waiting for the mill, the usual plan is to throw into one furrow 2-1 rows of cane, so that the tops of the last will cover the butts of the preceding. The proper way to windrow cane for seed is first to throw to the centre of the water-furrow one or two furrows of dirt from each side ; a harrow is then run over to pulverize it thoroughly, and give the cane a soft bed, at such an elevation that,the cane cannot be injured by water standing on it. TJpon the cane, 2-4 more furrows of dirt are thrown, to protect it from the cold. Some are in favour of " round mats," or standing the canes upon their butts on a dry piece of land, and throwing dirt around the outside to the height of 3-4 ft. ; the cane from about acre is usually put in each mat. The addition of a square wooden tube, running up through the centre for ventilation, prevents dry rot. The " flat mat " method (laying down in beds about 15 ft. wide, on elevated ground, to the depth of 2-4 ft., then lightly covered with earth) is much more common and popular.
Diseases and Enemies.—Some of these are common to both wild and cultivated cane ; but others are developed upon the latter alone, and have originated in defective culture, improper or insufficient manuring, or unsuitable conditious of climate or soil.
Rats.—Rats are one of the most troublesome pests, as tbey gnaw the standing canes, thereby admitting air, and setting up destructive changes in the juice. Some estates have been rid of rats by rearing numbers of the mongoose ; it will thrive in any climate that will grow sugar-cane.
Ants.—In some localities, white ants are a great nuisance. They are driven away by tillsge ; and tops or cuttings soaked for a few minutes in water tainted with petroleum will never be attacked by thern.
Pou blanc.—Pou blanc, or more properly, pou poche blanche, is a collective name applied to two species of " louse " (Icerya sacchari and Pulvinaria gasteralpha). Their ravages are familiar to the planters of Mauritius and Bourbon, and specimens of one of the species have recently been dis covered in Queensland, upon canes grown from joints newly imported from Singapore. In dry hot weather, these insects frequent the roots of the canes, and do much injury to the fresh rootlets, thereby greatly retarding the growth of the plants. The young run about on the green shoots and leaves, until they find a suitable spot where they may fix themselves for life. They are armed with a long sharp probe, which they introduce into the new sap-wood, and suck away the juices of the plant, sometimes till they have quite destroyed it. They spread rapidly, and are very tenacious of life. Dr. Icery found that washing the canes with aleohol killed the insects at once, rind he recommends a solution ferule,' by boiling a mixture of sulphur and lime in water. The insecta rarely appear on healthy well-developed canes, and though these remedies may prove useful for checking their ravages for the moment, their complete extermination will only be secured by attention to all the conditions required by the plants. W. Bancroft Espeut believes that the "rust " described further on is caused by these insects, being in fact abrasions produced by the young feeding on the surfaces of the leaves. The " waxy " powder which is usually dt scribed as coating the fully-matured insects, is ascribed by him to the saccharine juice of the cane. It is this exudation iN hich forms the great attraction to the ants, in quest of which the latter scrape the lice incessantly with their rnandibles, till the victims die of starvation.
Berers.—The term " borer " is applied generic,ally to the c,aterpillars or " grubs " of a number of species of moths, beetles, and other insects ; they are sometimes (in America) also called " worms," which is a misleading name, from its being correctly and more generally applied to a distinct class. One of the most common is Proceras sacchariphagus, long dreaded in Ceylon, and the
cause of great destruction in Mauritius, since its introduction in 1848. Two kinds prevalent in British Guiana aro Sphenophorus sacchari, and the tacuma, a large species of Rhyncophorus, very like R. Zimmermanni, but not identical with it ; another is Phalcena saccharalis, which produces 6 genera tions in a year. The grub of a beetle ( Tomaras bitnberculatus) also has recently given much trouble in that colony. The list might be greatly extended. The habits of the grubs appear to be nearly identical in all cases. They are provided with powerful mandibles, and their mouths arc armed with lance-like instruments, which enable them to pierce the silicious (flinty) outer rind of the cane. Once within the soft juicy mass of the interior of the cane, they effect its destruction with extreme rapidity, and the juice is rendered useless. Among the means to be adopted against these insects, are the encouragement and cultivation of their natural enemies. Principal among the latter are ants, which attack the insects both in their'caterpillar state, whether just issued from the eggs or about to enter the " pupal " condition (commencing to spin their cocoons), nnd in their perfect or " imago" form, i. e. as moths or beetles. Turkeys and the smaller insectivorous birds devour enormous numbers of the " grubs " (caterpillars). Bancroft Espeut has had singular success in cultivating other enemies of these insects, notably the Ichueumonidte (" lady-bird beetles"), by planting a hedge of the Congo or pigeon pen (Cjanus indicus) around each field, and growing the bonavist bean (Dolichos Labial) and pigeon pen on fallow fields, ploughing in the latter as a green soil 11181111113 afterwards. When the estate is quite overrun with the caterpillars, it may be necessary to burn all vegetable matters likely to harbour them. But this should be avoided if possible, as it entails the destruction of the hest manure the land can have (see p.1865). The abundant applica tion of lime to the soil is generally very beneficial in destroying the insects, besides its manurial value (see p. 1864). A widely-adopted plan is to cut off and burn the first shoots that spring from the planted cuttings; theso aro allowed to grow for about three months, by which time the grubs will have congregated on them. The second crop of shoots soon appears ; and their skins are tougher, and better able to resist the attack of the grubs which have escaped burning. Not only borers, but many other injurious insects nre propagated on the canes year after year. Hidden in the cane-tops, are the chrysalides of the insects, which in due course are transformed into moths and butterflies, whose eggs supply new swarm of caterpillars and grubs, and thus the evil is con stantly maintained. Obviously, therefore, great good may be gained by ridding the cane-tops of all vermin before planting. A very simple plan is to soak the cuttings for 24 hours in water which is sufficiently hot to destroy larvie, without being hot enough to injure the germinating powers of the plant. More effective is the use of antiseptic preparations, as they attack parasitic growths which would be unaffected by mere warm water. Carbolic acid (see pp. 671-80) has long been used. Dr. Bancroft has published exact directions for a treatment which lie has adopted with success : as follows :—(1) Carefully clean the joints of the cuttings entirely from trash (leaves), (2) immerse the cuttings for 24 hours in a mixture of 1 lb. carbolic acid to 50 gal. water heated to a degree that the hand can bear ; (3) immerse the cuttings for a few minutes in milk of lime, made by mixing 2 lb. slaked lime with 1 gal. water ; (4) spread the cuttings out to dry in the sun, and tum them occasionally, for one day before planting.