Chapter 15

           Inconsequenceofmyinabilityincotton-picking,Eppswasinthehabitofhiringmeoutonsugarplantationsduringtheseasonofcane-cuttingandsugar-making. Hereceivedformyservicesadollaraday,withthemoneysupplyingmyplaceonhiscottonplantation. Cuttingcanewasanemploymentthatsuitedme,andforthreesuccessiveyearsIheldtheleadrowatHawkins’,leadingagangoffromfiftytoanhundredhands. 

           Inapreviouschapterthemodeofcultivatingcottonisdescribed. Thismaybetheproperplacetospeakofthemannerofcultivatingcane. 

           Thegroundispreparedinbeds,thesameasitispreparedforthereceptionofthecottonseed,exceptitisplougheddeeper. Drillsaremadeinthesamemanner. PlantingcommencesinJanuary,andcontinuesuntilApril. Itisnecessarytoplantasugarfieldonlyonceinthreeyears.Threecropsaretakenbeforetheseedorplantisexhausted. 

           Threegangsareemployedintheoperation. Onedrawsthecanefromtherick,orstack,cuttingthetopandflagsfromthestalk,leavingonlythatpartwhichissoundandhealthy. Eachjointofthecanehasaneye,liketheeyeofapotato,whichsendsforthasproutwhenburiedinthesoil. Anotherganglaysthecaneinthedrill,placingtwostalkssidebysideinsuchmannerthatjointswilloccuronceinfourorsixinches. Thethirdgangfollowswithhoes,drawingearthuponthestalks,andcoveringthemtothedepth,ofthreeinches. 

           Infourweeks,atthefarthest,thesproutsappearabovetheground,andfromthistimeforwardgrowwithgreatrapidity.