91 



the variety, and not capable, under ordinary conditions, of being 

 influenced by making use of the ordinary variations, such as are 

 found in seed-cane. The latter seems to us the more probable 

 conclusion, a conclusion which is in harmony with the results in 

 British Guiana of Professor Harrison, who concludes that the 

 relative richness of seedlings is qualitatively, if not quantitatively, 

 constant. 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS. 



The results may be stated in the following general terms : — 



(1) Land that received no farmyard manure showed substantial 

 increase in yield as the result of the application of artificial 

 manures, containing nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. 



(2) In the case of land that had received large applications of 

 farmyard manure, nitrogen as a rule, was the most important in- 

 gredient of artificial manures applied either to plant canes or 

 ratoons. 



(3) The application of phosphoric acid in the form of super- 

 phosphate or of basic slag in a few instances was followed by 

 moderate or large increase of the returns, but in the majority of 

 cases, it had either a very small effect or no effect. 



(4) Potash in the form of sulphate of potash produced in many 

 cases increased returns. 



(5) Sulphate of ammonia appears in many cases to be slightly 

 superior to nitrate of soda. 



(6) At Dodds, the early application of dried blood has, in some 

 seasons, given better results than other forms of nitrogen„ 



(7) The application of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash ap- 

 pears to have no direct effect upon the composition of the cane 

 juice. The beneficial effect of such applications apparently de- 

 pends upon increase of cane growth. If, however, the nitrogen is 

 applied too late, it retards or prevents the ripening of the cane, 

 and so may lead to comparatively poor and impure juice. 



(8) The application of slaked lime to the extent of half a ton 

 per acre was followed, even in land that was rich in carbonate of 

 lime, by substantial increase in the crop : a result apparently due 

 to an improvement in the physical condition of heavy clay soils. 



(9) The monetary result of the application of one or other con- 

 stituent of artifictal manures is so greatly dependent upon the 

 market price of sugar, that it is difficult to make a simple state- 

 ment of general utility for Barbados. The profit on manuring is 

 the value of the increase of canes less the cost of the manure, and 

 less the cost of manufacture. A manuring which, in one year at 

 one market price, gives a profit, may in other years, result in loss. 



The following recommendations appear to be those most 

 generally applicable : — 



(l) Where early cane manure is to be applied, the farmyard 

 manure should be applied to the land at an interval of two or 

 three months before the early cane manure. 



