1919.\ CANE FABMEES AND CO-OPERATION. 49 



can do thoroughly. The result too often is very little profit. The man 

 who, if he would cultivate one acre well, might make a good profit, 

 spreads his available labour and money over two aires, and often makes 

 less profit than he would from the one. The Board of Agriculture last 

 year in this district, and again this year at Couva, Chaguanas and 

 Caroni, is endeavouring by means of Cane Farmers' Prize Competi- 

 tions, under the charge of one of its Agricultural Advisers, Mr. Roach, to 

 help the farmer to get better crops, and so more money for his work. 

 This year the Usine Ste. Madeleine has its own officer, Mr. Jones, 

 Superinten lent of Cane Farmers, doing similar work, and is also offering 

 prizes. It is a competition in which you can all g3t prizes, for a better 

 return of canes is a good prize in itself. 



In speaking to you on this subject, I would remind you that the 

 Department of Agriculture practices Cane Faiming. During this last 

 season at St. Augustine Estite, we, as others, have been unable to get 

 any artificial manures, and so we have to rely on pen manure, and 

 attention to cultivation. Tlie following figures of our results mxy be of 



interest to you. 



Tons Cane 

 Acres. ^^^. ^(.^g^ 



Plant canes ... ... 12-6S ... ... 23-70 



First ratoons... ,.. 17-09 ... ... 19-94 ■ 



Second and other ratoons... 39-33 ... ... IT'lO 



Total 69-95 acres with an average yield of -20-07 tons to the acre. 



Now in extending or improving your cultivations, buying additional 

 stock, putting up the new buildings, buying better tools, implements and 

 artifical manures, many of you want money. That is money in addition 

 to what the Estate is ready to advance you for the ordinary cultivation 

 of your canes. It is money which if well spent will bring you in 

 greater returns than you could otherwise expect. 



Small cultivators of the Colony who are not members of Agricultural 

 Credit Societies know that it is difiicult to borrow money for such 

 purposes at reasonable rates of interest. 



They usually are compelled to go to the money lender, who charges 

 such high rates of interest, that the borrower often has little chance of 

 paying back the lo m, much less of making larger profits from its use. 



GROWTH OF CREDIT SOCIETIES. 



The principal object of these Credit Societies is to help you to 

 borrow money at reasonable rates of interest. We had to work a good 

 many years to get such Societies started here, as my friend Mr. Ludovic 

 de Verteuil can tell you, for he was one of the first to try to get 

 these Societies established in the Colony. It is probably 30 years since 

 the first efforts were made. Where there was not active opposition 

 there was often lask of interest, and it has taken very much longer to 

 conquer this opposition and apathy than it did to beat the Germans. 



Their development in this district is very largely due, as you 

 know, to the personal interest of Mr. Moody Stuart, who has also in 

 other ways, including the introduction of a sliding scale for your 

 canes, helped to put cane farming on a better basis. Associated 



