354 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 5, 1904. 



II, p. 274), in discussing the possibility of holding 

 a Conference last year, there are a number of important 

 subjects that are likely to be brought before the 

 Conference for discussion. Since the last Conference — 

 that of 1902 — the subject of cotton growing in the 

 West Indies has been brought prominently before 

 planters and must naturally occui)y an important place. 

 Another subject in which several of the colonies are 

 directly concerned is the onion industry. Then 

 ao-ain considerable attention has been devoted to the 

 efforts to establish a fruit trade between several cf the 

 islands and the United Kingdom. The efforts of the 

 Symington Syndicate in Trinidad are in particular likely 

 to afford material for discussion. Other subjects desirable 

 to be ventilated ai'e the cultivation of the best rubber 

 trees, the cultivation of cassava as a source of starch, 

 the improved cultivation of cacao, in view of the 

 increased production of African cacao, the cultivation 

 of ground nuts for the production of oil and ground 

 nut meal, the improvement of the bay oil industry, and 

 many others. 



A further subject suggested to be dealt with is the 

 best means for checking ' Pra'dial larceny,' that is, the 

 theft of growing crops. A good deal has been written 

 in regard to this, but it would appear that we are as far 

 as ever from solving all the difficulties connected with 

 it. It might be of considerable advantage if we could 

 ascei-tain exactly what is the position in dealing with 

 prandial larceny in the several colonies ; and a review of 

 the laws, as they now stand, and the extent to which 

 their provisions are enforced, might serve as a useful 

 basis for discussion. 



If the question of dealing with prandial larceny is 

 to be discussed at all at the forthcoming West Indian 

 Conference, it is hoped that those attending it will be 

 duly prepared beforehand and that they will be in 

 a position to join in recommendations of a practical 

 character for getting rid of one of the most retarding 

 influences associated with agricultural development in 

 the West Indies. 



Exports of Gambia. As stated in the last issue 

 of the Agricultural JS'eii's, the principal item of export from 

 Gambia is ground nut.s. In 1903 the export of these showed 

 an increased value of £81,909. Over 90 per cent, of the nuts 

 were shipiied to France. The only other item under 

 exports .showing an increase, according to the Annwil 

 Repm-t, is hides. There were decreases in the exports of 

 rubber (due to tapiiers having to go farther atield to 

 collect it and to their taking it to the French port of 

 Cassaniance), and iu the exports of palm kernels and 

 bees'-wax. The exports of bees'-wax were 38,0-10 Ih. '^f the 

 value of £1,589. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Naudet Process for Extracting Cane Juice. 



The following reference is made in the Consulai' 

 Report on the trade of j\Iadeir.i for 1903 to the sugar 

 industr}' and jxarticularly to the pateiit Xaudet process 

 for extracting and purifying cane juice, a complete 

 account of which was given in the West Indian 

 Balletm, Vol. V, no I :— 



The cane croj) of 1903 was'e.xceptionally short, owing 

 to want of rain at the proper .season, and also to a fungoid 

 disease which attacked all ijualities of cane about one month 

 l)efore reaching maturity. The only exception is the ' Yuba.' 

 cane, which has up to the present resisted the disease, and 

 there is no doubt whatever that in two or three years' time 

 this cane will be universally grown in the island. 



The entire cane crop of Maderia was roughly estimated 

 at 19,000 tons, valued at £56,000, of which (i^OOO tons were 

 converted into sugar and the remainder into cane spirit for 

 local consumiition. It is early to say what the result will be 

 of the seedling canes importeil from Barbados, but at present 

 they do not aiii)ear very tiourishing. 



All the cane turned into sugar was manufactured by 

 the Hinton-Naudet process, being an improvement on the 

 Naudet process, and the results were remarkalile. During 

 the 1903 season all the juice or saccharine matter was 

 extracted from the cane with a loss of 30 per cent, of the 

 total sugar contained in the cane, and this juice was obtained 

 in nine-tenths of its original density. This process has made 

 <]uite a sensation in the sugar world, and during the 1904 

 sea.son, which is just over, planters from Trinidad, Demerara, 

 and Reunion came to ]\Iadeira to iii.spect it. I am informed 

 that a large plant to treat 000 tons of cane per day is now 

 lieing made in Glasgow for Trinidad. Should the advantages 

 claimed for this process b}' the inventors be true — ^and I am 

 told they have been denumstrated by practical experience — 

 there is no doubt that it will revolutionize all over the world 

 the manufacture of sugar from cane. 



Manurial Experiments at Barbados. 



In tlie last issue of the A(jri<'(dfufi(l Neius 

 a summary was published of the results of experiments 

 with seedling canes at Barbados, as given by Professor 

 'lAlbucjuercpie and Mr. BovoU in their paper read 

 before the Agricultural Society on October 14. In the 

 same paper the following summary of the results of 

 manui'ial experiments was given : — 



The manurial experiments were carried on at Dodds 

 plantation and Foursquare iilantation, St. Philip, and 

 Hoiiewell plantation, St. Thomas. In addition to these, 

 fields of lai-ge manurial plots, of the approximate area of 

 1 aci-e each, were reajjed at Hampton, Foursquare, and lluliy 

 St. Philip, and Rlower.s, St. .James. 



It is estimated by one of us that in 1904 the average 

 jirice of a ton of muscovado sugar and its molasses was !?50'87, 

 that the cost of reaping and manufacture is -"Sl'SO per ton of 

 cane, and that 131 tons of cane are required for the 

 manufacture of 1 ton of muscovado sugar. According to thi-j 

 estimate, the value of a ton of cane in the field was $2'4G.- 



