Vou XVIIl. No. 440. 



THk AGKIUULTUKAL NKW'o 



69 



In a few cases the chlorosis appears' in the same spot j^eaf 

 after year, and many of these areas are no longer planted in 

 cane. 



A.s in Antigua, there was an idea in. Porto Kico ihitt tliis 

 condition was due to excessive amonnta of carbnnate of'lime 

 in the soil. The Porto Rico report, however, states that after 

 many soil analyses had been made it w is evident thit there was 

 ■ no corresponlence between the chlorosis of the cane and the 

 amount of carbonate of lime in the soils. While chlorotic cane, 

 it is true, was found only on markedly calcareous soils.all 

 cah-areous soils did not produce chlorotic cane. 



It has been found in Hawaii that chlorosis oi pine apple.s 

 w i associated, in part at least, uitlia lack of iron in the 

 plants. Accordingly ash analyses ot green and chlorotic cane 

 leaves were made for the purpose of comparison as to their 

 contents of iron, and the conclusion fiura these ash analyses is 

 that the chlorosis of sugar cane in.ij'orto Kico i.s caused 

 or accompanied by a lack of in.njin the plants, owing 

 perhaps to the fact that the carbonate of lime lowers the 

 availability of iron in the soil. ' ■ ' -: 



The results of the treatment of chjcfrotic cane with appli- 

 cations of iron apparently substantiaif the conclusion arrived 

 at as to the cause of the condition. One experiment was 

 made by bru.shing over the white leaves of two stools of 

 affected cane three or four times with a 5-per cent, solution of 

 ' ferrous sulphate. These stools soon became green, presenting a 

 strong contrast to surrounding chlorotic stools. 



A field experiment on a uniform -piece of chlorotic can>« 

 was siarted in 191 1 in five plots. The special treatments of 

 the plots were as follows ; (1) check, no special treattVient; 

 (2) ferrous sulphate applied (o the soil at the rate of 100 lb. 

 per acre; (3) stable manure with .'> per cent, its weight of 

 ferrous sulphate applied to the soil at the rate of 10 tous per 

 acre; (4) stable manure applied to the soil at the rate of 10 

 tons per acre: (5) canes sprayed three (KAes with a 5-per cent, 

 solution of fprrous sulphate at inttrvrtlsof two nrenth-. 



The results made it apparent that ferrous sulphate mixed 

 with stable manure was the best treatment, being superior to 

 inanufc aloLS or to i'erroiis sulphate alone, which latter gave 

 no better rrsults than the check plot. So long as the plots 

 receiving ferrous sulphate on the leases could be sprayed, 

 these wfere among the best, but when- the treatment had to 

 be discontinued the p'ots fell behind. ,lt appears, therefore, 

 that spraying with ferrous sulphate, ta.be effective, must le 

 done frequently and continuously. :fnd it is therefore not 

 commercially feasible, 



The yields of the plot when reaped showed that the 

 application of manure with 10 per c( iit. ferrous sulphate wiis 

 the only application'producing a considerable increase in yield. 

 The increase, however, was not siiffi uently large to make the 

 treatment profitable when the price ol ^ugar is low. 



With regard to the removal or am31ibration of chli'rosis of 

 sugarcane, Dr. Tempany, in the paper leferrcd to above, 

 considered that under Antigua coudilion-s it could only be 

 effected by a large-scale system of irrigation, although it wa.T 

 possible that some improvement miijht be effected by mcan.s 

 of applications of calcium sulphate 



Since 1902, when the Government of Formosa adopted 

 an active policy of encouraging sugar-cane growing, the indus- 

 try which had previously been in a very primitive condition 

 has made remarkable progress- There are at present thirty- , 

 four factories of modern type operating in different parts of 

 the island and capable of dealing with a total daily amount 

 of 29,7 10 tons of cane; there are also thirty-five improved mills 

 with a total daily capacity of 2,870 tons. In addition, there 

 are iiSS old native mills. In order to improve methods of culti- 

 vation and conditions of manufacture, the cane planters and 

 factory owners are combining to institute careful studies of 

 the cane in all its aspects, cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, 

 manufacture, etc. 



In the early days of this century a Hawaiian variety of c ine 

 known as J !ose Bamboo, was introduced in quantities, with a 

 view of replacing the native variety by a stiperior and more 

 productive one. Unfortunately this imported cane has 

 proved not to be suitable f(jf,. Formosa, being unable to with- 

 stand the strong win^ls which prevail there, and being not 

 .sufficiently resistant to local pests. 



In order to secure a- new seedling cane that could be 

 recommended as a sundard one for Formosa conditions, the 

 Government sugar experimental stations have for some time 

 past carried on experiments ,,with many varieties of canes 

 which have been introduced from various su^ar proJuciug 

 countries of the world. Up ta the present a Java seedling 

 cane appears to have given. the best results, and this is now 

 recommended as beiog well adapted for local conditions. 

 Its distribution, through- the island is being generally 

 promoted,- and probably in a few years it will completely tike 

 the phce of the Rose Bamboo variety. 



. Irrigation, drainini.-. and other necessary works are being 

 carried out on a large scale, in various localities so as to make 

 both dry and wet racts of land available for cane growing. 

 For example, in ope distriot a project is being ini;iited for 

 constructing .canals capabfe^pf iiiigxtingan area of nearly 

 P.fy'.\rm acre.?. 



The centrifugal s 'gar maiiufHr;rm-e in Formosa faas evi- 

 dently a great leature in tt >re lur i .self. Ills possible that 

 the existing plants, if worked to their full capacity, could turn 

 out a vtry large tonnage, althoUi;h the output for the last 

 season was consideral)ly less than what was possible. la 

 addition to the above, the factories have also capacity fo: 

 turning out a Urge quantity of brown sugar. 



It is true that it may be a lon^- time before the 4iigar 

 industry of Formosa can b1^ placed in the same rank as that 

 of Java te-day. It will not, however, be a dillijult thina in 

 the near future for Formosa to produce suffi.-ienl sugar for 

 the markets of the Far Kast, if ihe improvement ir. culuva- 

 lion and manufacture i>f the last; few years is coiniuued 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN FORMOSA. 



In an article translated (roiii Si^gar Imltisliy, a Jipan 

 ese paper issued in Foimosa, the hifeniudofiat Sii^ar /ournal, 

 Jsinuary 1'jI9, gives a survey of the H'lgar indusiiy in ih,it; 

 far-eastern island. 



The Loitisi-ma P!:>>itct for December 28 1918,. notes 

 thatduiing the past year the Department of Agricuiture ha^ 

 been invcstiguiug. syrup making. The cane juijo without 

 lime or sulphur is mixei with Kieselgulir (m inrusorial 

 earth), boiled, and filteici! through premises. Th pra.iucL \» a 

 remarkably clear and brilliant juice. Tbisis then ireteil with 

 a certain amount of in-.ertase (the ferment which acts an 

 .sucrose) at. a temperature somewhiit below CO" O., under 

 which conditions the sucrose changes over almost co.npletely 

 to invert sugar The proJuct may than bee^ip i,-\tt; I to any 

 desired density without fermentation or cry<ia!ii/;ni m. The 

 •syrup thu- produced, is sterile dense, and of good fl ivour. The 

 process is said to be ;heap enotigh to Hh com uerclally 

 praitical. The syrup may be kept without fear of fermenta- 

 tion when bottled or canned 



