93 



Under these circumstances, the experiments with varieties of 

 sugar-cane at once assumed considerable importance, for on our 

 experiment plots planters could see for themselves that certain 

 varieties of canes were highly resistant, if not quite immune. I 

 well remember an excellent demonstration where a plot of Bour- 

 bon canes grew side by side with a plot of White Transparent, so 

 that the canes on the boundary interlaced : on the Bourbon side 

 it was difficult to find a sound cane, while among the White 

 Transparent it was equally difficult to find a diseased one. This 

 was convincing and the lesson was speedily applied in practice. 



Upon the formation of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for the West Indies the experiments were placed upon a broader 

 kasis and extended to the neighbouring presidency of St. Kitt's. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH VARIETIES OF SUGAR CANE. 



As the result of our experiments, we recommend for cautious 

 introduction into Antigua : B. 208, B. 156, Sealy Seedling B. 306, 

 B. 109, and D. 95. 



In St. Kitt's, the following canes appear to be worthy of con- 

 sideration : B. 393. B. 208, D. 74, White Transparent, B. 109, and 

 B. 306. To these we must add B. 147 which has given excellent 

 results over large areas, though it occupies a somewhat low place 

 in 'our experiments. Of these D. 74, White Transparent, Mount 

 Blanc, and B 306 appear to be fairly resistant to drought, while B. 

 268 appears to require a greater rainfall. 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS. 



We can only claim that our results are applicable to the condi- 

 tions of the Leeward Islands. The peculiar features of other 

 countries may tender these conclusions inapplicable. 



The first point of considerable interest which we think is 

 demonstrated is that, if the soil is properly prepared and in its 

 preparation an adequate quantity of good pen manure, or its equi- 

 valent, is used (about 20 tons of pen manure per acre), then arti- 

 ficial manures are neither necessary nor remunerative. This is a 

 generalization of great importance to planters, particularly as it 

 appears reasonable to urge that the use of pen manure, or its equi- 

 valent, is necessary in the Leeward Islands in order to maintain 

 in the soil a sufficient supply of humus. 



With ratoon cultivation the conditions are very different. 

 There we find nitrogenous manures of great importance and 

 necessary in order to obtain remunerative results. 



Our experiments over the three seasons 1900-3 afforded data 

 whereby we could ascertain whether the nitrogen, phosphate, and 

 potash exercised any marked influence upon the saccharine rich- 

 ness of the sugar-cane. As the result of the study of the data 

 thus furnished, we arrived at the conclusion that the saccharine 

 richness of the cane is not affected in any marked degree by the 

 manures used, and that when any form of manure, in quantities 



