Vol. III. No. 45. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



The Situation in Regard to Sugar. 



A member of the Brussels Conference, wlio is 

 closely interested in the West Indies, writes as follows 

 as to the situation in regard to sugar in the United 

 States and other markets : — 



I do not quite follow what was said at Jamaica as to 

 the effects of the witluliawal of the countervailing duties in 

 the United States on bounty-fed beet sugar. It was there 

 stated that Jamaica sugar was thereby prejudiced in the 

 United States jnarkets. My view is just the oi)i>osite. 

 Germany (I think most of the bounty fed sugar in the 

 United States came from Germany) gave a direct bounty of 

 about 2o!s. or 30.«. a ton. I forget the exact amount at the 

 moment. Thi.s was countervailed. As the duty was taken 

 off so is the bounty, so that as regards com[ietitiou with 

 Jamaica, the taking off the duty makes no difference. 

 But besides the direct bounty of 25s. to 30.«. there was 

 a Cartel bounty of £3 a ton which was 7iot countervailed, 

 and which now goes, so that as regards German competition 

 with Jamaica, Jamaica is in a better position than before. 

 As a matter of fact, however, I do not think much (Jerman 

 sugar went to the United States but that the real competition 

 came from the home industry and the non-duty paying 

 sugars of Hawaii and Porto liico and that it was this that 

 governed prices and not the European beet sugar. 



I hear in some quarters great 'disappointment at prices 

 of sugar keeping so low and even for delivery some time 

 ahead. This latter is of course pure si)eculation and may be 

 mistaken, but in any case the bounty fed stocks can hardly 

 be worked off before March. When thej- are, we must, 

 I think, either see a reduction in European production, or an 

 increase in European consumption. The latter I think is 

 certain, partly from the reduction of the excise duties in 

 France, Germany and Belgium, and partly from the 

 endeavours now being made on the Continent to encourage 

 the }>roduction of sugared products, such as chocolate, etc., 

 which the Sugar Commission has just ruled are not sugar 

 as regards Article III of the Convention, and may be heavily 

 protected. 



Beet Sugar Industry in the United States. 



The Secretary of Agriculture for the United 

 States refers as follows in his Annual Report to the 

 development of the beet sugar industry : — 



In 1896, 29,220 tons were made ; one year ago 220,000 

 tons were made. Careful estimates put the crop now being 

 worked up at 260,000 tons. This is a more rapid develoi>nient 

 than has taken place in sugar-making with new conditions in 

 any other country. The future of the crop depends upon the 

 adoption of economic methods in field and factory. The 

 growing of seed in the United States of a superior quality is 

 assured, which will result in much richer beets and better 

 yield than from imported seed that is never first class. 

 Heavier tonnage per acre will come from better farming, and 

 more economic economy from intelligent disposition of the 

 by-products. The industry is well established. 



Cocoa-nuts for Planting. To replant storm- 

 destroyed cocoa-nuts and to extend the cultivation is a work 

 of importance, and as there is some difficulty in getting 

 plants here, the Board of Agriculture has arranged for 

 importing from San Bias by the Eoyal Mail steamers. The 

 nuts will be sold in Kingston at 10s. per 100. Applications to 

 the Secretary of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, 4, Port 

 Hoyal Street. (Jamaica Times.) 



GEOLOGY IN RELATION TO AGRI- 

 CULTURE. 



In the introduction to a recently published text- 

 book on Agricultural Geology, the author, Mr. J. E. 

 Marr, M.A., F.R.S., writes as follows on the relationship 

 between agriculture and geology : — 



The student of agriculture is no doubt chiefly concerned 

 with the thin covering of soil which in so many parts of the 

 land conceals the solid rocks beneath ; but a knowledge 

 of these rocks is by no means useless to him. In the first 

 place, nuich of the material which composes the soils is 

 derived from the underlying rocks, and therefore varies 

 according to their coni[>osition. The soil of a country 

 composed of chalk is very different from that of an area 

 where red sandstone is the prevailing rock, or of one in which 

 clay is found beneath the soil. 



Again, the degree in which the underlying rocks are 

 pervious to water is important, not only on account of the 

 influence which is exercised upon the soil above — a porous 

 rock causing the soil to be drier than a less porous one — 

 but also because of the dependence of water-supply on the 

 porosity of the underlying rocks. An acquaintance with the 

 elementary facts of geology, and with the general principles 

 of the science, may often save a farmer the trouble and 

 expense of securing the services of an expert in order to 

 obtain a supply of water. 



Many of the rocks which compose the earth's crust are 

 serviceable to the agriculturist, or contain substances which 

 are of service to him. It is useful to be able to know what 

 rocks may be utilized for building purposes, for road-metal, 

 and for fertilizing the soil. 



Should he find it necessary to make road-cuttings, or to 

 excavate pits or quarries on his property, it is important 

 that he should have some accpiaintance with the nature of 

 the divisional planes which traverse rocks. 



Lastly, although he is not directly concerned with the 

 mineral substances which may exist beneath his land, which 

 are not useful for agricultural purposes, the knowledge of 

 the distriljution of substances like coal and ores may prove to 

 be very serviceable. 



AGRICULTURE IN PERU. 



Tiie following extract from a letter from Mr. A. R. 

 Gilzean, of Cerro Azul, Peru, to the Imperial Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, is likely to be of interest to 

 planters in these islands : — ■ 



It is a pity you have not got a climate and soil like 

 those of Peru to work on. The climate here is the finest in 

 the world. For the last four months the temperature has 

 ranged between 58' and 66° F. In the summer months it goes 

 up to 82° at times. The soil will grow anything. Seventy- 

 five tons of cane from an acre is not uncommon, and the cane 

 often contains 20 jier cent, of svigar. The usual crop of 

 cotton is from 600 ft), to 900 lb. per acre from plants and a 

 little over half that from ratoons. It can be produced, 

 packed, in the ports, at about 20s. per 100 ftj. As it is 

 selling just now at 40s., everyone who can is planting it. 

 Alfalfa grows splendidly here. It is the most wonderful food 

 for stock that I have ever seen. It only thrives in the 

 winter, so I fear it will never do for the West Indies. Rice 

 of splendid qualitj' is grown in the north of Peru. The 

 country is very rich in minerals. Want of sufficient labour 

 has been one of the principal drawbacks. Japanese can be 

 landed here at £10 a head. 



