Vol. III. No. 6-2 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



275 



of the West India Committee lias sliown his confidence in 

 tlie im|irove(l prosjiects of sugar growing l>y enhirging liis 

 jiossessions in Uritish fUiiana; the nuuhinery on two of the 

 largest estates in that colony have lately been imiiroved; 

 while at Antigua Sir Gerald Strickland has been successful 

 in attbrding assistance in starting two sugar factories which 

 will jirove of great service in that island. There is also the 

 hope that the Xaudet system, which appears to combine the 

 best results of crushing and maceration, may assist in 

 reducing the cost of production. I understand that the new 

 process is to be tried on a fairly large scale in Trinidad 

 during the next crop. 



There can be no doubt that in several of the West Indian 

 Colonies the prospects for sugar growing are capable of being 

 rendered as promising ns anywhere in the tropics. There are 

 extensive tracts of land in Jamaica, British Guiana, and 

 Trinidad, where the soil is particularly well suited to 

 the sugar-cane and where with good cultivation and 

 a moderate quantity of manure the yield of sugar, now 

 bounties are removed, would be likely to prove remunerative. 

 The great point in favour of sugar cultivation, where it can 

 be successfully carried on, is that it employs a very large 

 amount of labour and give.s employment also to various 

 tradesmen, and circulates a considerable amount of money 

 amongst the general communitj-. There appears to be some- 

 thing specially favourable to sugar in the atmosphere of the 

 AVest Indies and in the disposition of the negro population 

 towards it. One of the difficulties that the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture meets with in its endeavour to 

 promote minor industries is the strong predilection of the 

 negro to plant nothing but the sugar-cane. In spite of 

 getting the poorest results from the cultivation of the cane 

 in the exhausted soil of their jirovision grounds, the negro 

 .still prefers to plant sugar-cane than to jilant cotton. ' In the 

 sugar-cane,' he says, ' I get something to eat ; I cannot eat 

 cotton, I therefore i)lant cane.' It may be that it is merely 

 a matter of sentiment, but in any case, where sugar can be 

 made to [lay better than anything else, there is no reason 

 why that cultivation should not be continued. What, 

 however, is claimed is that by growing cotton in suitable 

 localities, the people in the West Indies might obtain the 

 same results in eight months from cotton as they obtain from 

 sugar-cane in sixteen months. 



Sugar-cane Cultivation in the Virgin Islands. 



The following extracts relating to exiieriments 

 with the sugar-cane in the Virgin Islands are taken 

 from the Report on the Experiment Stiition, Tortola, 

 19aJ-4. Ifc is stated that about 2,000 tops of seedling 

 cane B. 147 were obtained from St. Kitt's and 

 distributed among small proprietors : — ■ 



An acre of land on the baj' side was cultivated and 

 planted with sugar-canes in December and .lanuary. The 

 variety selected was B. l-t7; About 1.5 tons of farmyard 

 manure were dug in in December, and about 15 tons more 

 in ^larch ; in the latter case holes were opened between the 

 cane holes, and the manure placed in these and covered up. 

 Owing to lo.sses in shipment, due to the tops perishing, a 

 large (juantity died, and the vacant lioles had to be supplied. 



It was found that the toi>s grew much better than pieces 

 of cane. Desjiito drought, the canes are now looking fairly 

 weir. The total cost up to date has been about £10. If the 

 variety proves successful here, it is hoped to distribute it 

 through the i-sland. Hitherto the only cane grown in the 

 island has been the old Bourbon, which is liable to attacks 

 of fungus and borer. , 



It is felt that the island .should at least produce enough 

 .sugar for local reijuiremcuts. Last year some 20 tons of 

 sugar were imported. 



From the old 1-acre jilot about 10 tons of cane were 

 reajied Riid some fair-ipiality nmscovado sugar was made. 

 Muscovado sugar retails here at about 2(1. to'' 2hd. per lb. 



Forty-five barrels of sugar were made for tenants and 

 occupiers of land in the vicinity of the station, the .sugar 

 being of a good grocery type, and worth about £1 5s. to 

 £\ 10s. per barrel locally. 



A -larger mill is needed. The jiresent one does 

 e.xcellent crushing but is too small. 



JOB'S TEARS AS A FAMINE FOOD, 



The Agricultural Ledger (1904 — No. 6) contains 

 interesting information in regard to 'Certain Indian 

 accessory vegetable food-stuffs used in greater quantity 

 when famine presses.' Among the products studied were 

 the seeds known as 'Job's tears' (C'oi.x Lachryma- 

 Jobi), which are fairly plentiful in the West Indies. 

 The native name of this grain is Kai^aiya. We 

 publish the following extracts ; — 



Elliptical seeds, shar[)ly pointed at one end, olive-green 

 to brown in colour, extremely hard, so much so that they 

 cannot be broken between the teeth. Their size is rather 

 larger than ordinary barley. They contain a white kernel of 

 great hardness and of no Havour. 



Mr. Barucha (who sent the specimens) writes : — 



'Kitsaii/a is a large seed collected from plants or shrubs 

 that look like reeds and grow on banks of streams. The 

 seed is enclosed in a hard shell which has to be broken with 

 a rod or has to be roughly ground. If mixed with maize it 

 can be turned into bread, but it is mostly cooked like rice. 

 It tastes like wheat, and is considered nutritious. A pound 

 and a half of this Kasaii/a would suffice for a man per day, 

 but it is generally not used alone, and is not resorted to as 

 long as maize is to be had.' 



RESULTS OF ANALYSIS. 



Proteids 18'81 per cent. 



Fat 6-2 



Soluble carbohydrates ... 59'55 ,, 



Fibre 1-28 „ 



Ash 3-4 



Water 10-7-t 



Energy value 378 calorie.?. 



Our analyses as well as those of Dr. Church show that 

 this is a food specially rich in proteids and fats. When 

 separated from its very hard husk, it should form a food of 

 great value, especially as its energy-value is the highest of 

 all the foods studied. 



Professor Church writing of this food says : ' Through- 

 out Assam and in the eastern frontier lands of India, this 

 coarse cereal constitutes an important food of the hill tribes, 

 replacing to some extent the millet of Northern and 

 Southern India. . . The grains of wild kinds are exceedingly 

 hard and are used as beads, those of the cultivated variety 

 are much softer and more easily husked.' 



He gives the following analyses of two varieties : — ■ 



Water 13-2 14-8 per cent. 



Albuminoids ... 18'7 16'6 ,, ,, 



Starch 58-3 60-1 „ 



Oil 5-2 5-8 „ 



Fibre 1-5 0-9 „ 



Ash 2-1 1-8 „ „ 



