18 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 10, 1902 



able representatives of the sugar and other inckistries 

 and members of the mercantile community. The 

 Secretary is the Agi-icultunil Lecturer connected with 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture. Mr. Olivier 

 adds : ' On the whole the Board i.s a very strong and 

 active bxly and has thoroughly justified its existence 



since it has been organized the island has 



made a great deal more progress in agi'icultural educa- 

 tion than in any like period in the pist.' At British 

 (iaianv Professor Harrison is Doputy-Chainnan of the 

 B'jard with the Immigration Agent-General, the 

 Inspector of Schools, the Inspector of Prisons, the 

 Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens and the 

 Government Veterinary Surgeon a.s official membei-s. 

 There are several leading planters as unofficial mem- 

 bers, ;is well ;i,s the Chairman of the Agiicultural and 

 Commercial Society. The main work is pro])i>se(l to 

 be accomplished by circulating papers and ripening 

 matters for settlement before being brought up at the 

 general meeting. There are nine sub-committees 

 <iealing with Sugar-cane Experiments, Agricidtural 

 Education, Experimental Stations, Agricultural Exhi- 

 bitions, Stock, etc. So far, the work undert^'ken by the 

 Board at British Guiana has been eminently u.seful and 

 practical. 



It may be added that the Boards of Agriculture in 

 Jamaica and British Guiana are heartily co-operating 

 in the work of the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 

 The Commissioner of Agi-iculture is ex ojjirio 

 member, with a seat at the Board, during his visits to 

 the Colony. Whether, as Mr. Olivier anticipates, 

 Boai'ds of Agriculture would prove of considerable 

 advantage in other Colonies is impo.ssiblc to determine 

 off-hand. There ain, however, be no doubt that 

 there is required, all over the West Indies, wider 

 organization, gi'eater concentration of effort and a 

 more intimate knowledge of the difficulties and circum- 

 stances of those engaged in agricultural pursuits. Thi.' 

 various Agiicultural Societies have done, and are still 

 capable of dcjing good work : but in many cases they 

 are cram])ed by want of funds, and in these days of 

 universal dejiression there are few men that can sjiare 

 the time and energy neccs.sary to caixy them on eti'ec- 

 tively. A Boai-d of Agriculture, jn-ovided it is well 

 organized and supplied with funds, might prove of 

 great service at the present juncture : and the question 

 whether one should, or should not, be formed in any 

 particular Colony de^ervcj the serious attention of the 

 Government and Legislature. 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN THE LEEWARD 

 ISLANDS. 



'J'ln' l.ill.iwing extract is taken from the address 

 by Sir Henry Jackson, K.C.M.G., to the Legislative 

 Council of the Leeward Islands, on March L'i last: — 



"The convention for the abolition of the bounties, .so 

 long desired anil so avduou.sly .striven for, has been signed 

 with efiect from September, 1903, but it has yet to be 

 ratified by tlie difterent Governments which sent delegates 

 to the Conference 



The abolition of the boimties is, however, but the first 



step towards a renewal of stability in the sii^'ar industry of 

 these islands, since it does bat remove the bar which kept 

 cane antl bounty fed beet sugars from competing in the same 

 market, and an indu.stry conducted on tlie unjirogrcssive lines, 

 which have hitherto been unfortunately unavoidable in 

 thcs2 islands, cannot liope to survive in open competition. 



The boet industry of the continent has been over stimu- 

 lated by years of liberal boiuities, and va.st capital has been 

 invested in it by men of energy and intelligence, who will 

 strain every nerve to retain their connnand of the market. 

 Thoy have been able to att'ord costly experiments to seciu-e 

 the richest varieties of beet, and to paj' high premiums for the 

 invention of machinery designed to yield the greatest return 

 at the clieapest rate from the raw product. 



Hajiiiily the sugar growers in these islands have not 

 bjon idle, as, though the means as yet at their coamiand 

 have not allowed of the nece.s.sary improvements to machinery, 

 they have not failed by continued exi)eriments to endeavour 

 to .secure the best varieties of cane. Those exiieriments must 

 continue until the desired result be obtained, and every 

 advantage must bo taken of the advice and a.ssistance 

 attorded by the Imperial Deiiartment of Agriculture, so 

 generously sui>ported in these i.slands ))y His ilajesty's 

 (lovernment, and whose value is being daily more apjireciated. 



The provision of the nowost and most economical ajipli- 

 ances for extracting the juice is not at the moment within 

 our reach, but it seems rea.sonable to hope that the abolition 

 of the bounties may be an inducement to CapiUxlists to come 

 forward with the means to provide for the construction of 

 well-equiiiiied Central Factories. 



SUG-AR-CANE EXPERIMENTS AT ST. 

 KITTS. 



The following brief rep jrt ha.s been contributed by 

 Mr. Franks Watts dated April 21,19D2 :— 



During my recent visit to Ht. Kitts, where I remained 

 five weeks, ths « ork of reaping the sugar-canes under experi- 

 ment was practically completed. This involved the reaping 

 and analysis of the c;inc5 from between 400 and .500 plots. 

 The Easter season occurred during thcsj five wejks so there 

 was some lost timo and cjnseju'.nitly high jiressure during 

 the working period. Onj series, ii.imely, the ratoon manu- 

 rial experiments at Duckley's, could not be re;iped during my 

 stay. These canes will bj reaped and the results calculated 

 on the basis of the weight of cane i)er acre, instead of on the 

 sugar in the juice as determined l>y airalysis. 



Little or nothing can be .said concerning this work until 

 the results are tabulated, though attempts were made, with 

 sime success, to caf.'ul itj tlu^ results obtained from the 

 variety plots in different parts of the i.sland, and to inform 

 the jilanters of the chief points of interest to .serve as guides 

 in any operations n.>w prooseding, and thus avoid thjir 

 waiting for a long time for the information ; of course 

 this information is of a purely provisional character and not 

 to the prejudice of the regular rejiort. 



It is gratifying to be able to .sity that very gi-cat interest 

 is taken by the plantei-s in the e.xiieriment.s, jiarticularly 

 those with \'arieties, and I uuist add that every one gave us 

 most re;idy assistance in Kvrrying out our work. .\s soon as 

 we can get the report finished — we are pushing forward the 

 preparation as rapidly as possible,- 1 propose to return to 

 St. Kitts for a day or two to meet the planters and go through 

 tlie rejiort with them at a meeting to be called for the pur- 

 pose. This may lead to interchange of view.s from which we 

 may all benefit. 



