116 



THE AGKlCaLTDKAL NEW& 



April 19, 1919. 



ON THE SUCROSE CONTENT OF THE 

 CANES CRUSHED AT THE ANTIGUA 

 AND ST. KITTS CENTRAL SUGAR 

 FACTORIES. 



The following paper by Sir Francis Watts, K.C.M.G., 

 Imperial Commisi-ioner of Agriculture for the West Indies, 

 has recently been published in the JJ'est Ituiian Bulktin, 

 Vol. XVII, Xo. 3, and is reproduced as of general interest. 



In an article in the ]]'esl Indian Bulletin, Vo'. XVI, 

 pp. 95-103, on the recovery of sugar at Gun?horpes Factory, 

 Antigua, attention is drawn to the fact that the average 

 sucrose content of the canes dealt with has steadily fallen off 

 year by year, but no adequate explanation of the variation 

 was. however, then forthcoming. 



The sucrose content of the cane as shown by the yearly 

 averages of all the cine dealt with in each season at 

 Gunthorpes Factory, Antigua, and at Basseterre Factory, 

 St. Kitts, has been as follows : — 



As regards Antigua, where the observations extend over 

 fourteen years, the highest sucrose content was obtained dur- 

 ing the first year under record: this is succeeded by a period 

 of seven years during which the sucrose content ranged some- 

 what over 1 4 per cent. After this came a period of six 

 years during which the sucrose content Huciuates around 

 13 per cent., once re<aching IS'O and once falling to 12 

 per cent. 



As is stated in the article in the W'tst Indian Bulletin 

 to which reference is made, it was thought that possibly 

 the falling ofT might be accounted for by the undue prolonga- 

 tion of the grinding season, but an examination of the records, 

 while showing that this has had some influence, leads to the 

 conclusion that the circumstances are not thus fully accounted 

 for, and there is a falling oft of the sucrose content of the 

 canes even in the better part of the season. It is possible 

 that in dry seasons the sucrose content of the cane is increased 

 even more than the fibre content, and that in seasons and 

 places of heavy rainfall the canes contain smaller amounts of 

 sucrose; but even here we are faced with the fact that the 

 years 1910,1911,1912 and 1913 were years of trying drought, 

 but of relatively low sucrose in the canes. 



These remarks apply to Antigua: it is seen that there is 

 a somewhat .similar falling off in .St. Kitts. 



The year 191.5 is somewhat remarkable, in that the 

 sucrose content of the cane both in Antigua and St. Kitts 

 fell to the remarkably low point of 12-0 per cent. It is curious 

 that this should be the case in two Heparate islands. On 

 referring to records from these islands it is found that the 

 season 191415, when these cane.s were grown, is stated to 

 have been one of deficient and badly distributed rainfall. At 

 Caseada Garden, Antigua, which may be taken as u typical 

 sityalion in the area from which the factory canes were derived^ 



the rainfall was33'67 inches from April 1,1914, to March 31, 

 1915; and it is stated in the reports on the sugarcane 

 experiments for that year that 'the rainfall was badly 

 distributed; the dry weather experienced during August, 

 September, and October exercised a very adverse influence on 

 the growing crop which had been stimulated to growth by the 

 favouring rains of the early portion of the year. In con- 

 sequence the yields of canes were low, and the quality of the 

 juice in general, very indifferent.' 



In the .same report it is stated, as regards St. Kitts, that 

 'the rainfall was again deficient and badly distributed; as a 

 result the crop produced was short.' 



In these circumstances it may be concluded that the 

 abnormally low sucrose content of the canes in 1915 

 may be accounted for by adverse seasons, but it would not 

 seem that adverse seasons can be regarded as accounting 

 for the progressive falling off of the sucrose content 

 observed in other years. 



It was thought that possibly the explanation lay in a 

 steady deterioration of the canes grown in these islands; if this 

 were substantiated, it would be a most disquieting fact, and 

 one calling for active measures to arrest the decline. If there 

 were a general deterioration in the quality of the cane produc- 

 ed, it was argued that this should be shown equally in the 

 canes grown under experimental cultivation on some seven or 

 eight estates in Antigua, and some six in St. Kitts. It is to 

 be observed that these experimental canes are grown on the 

 ordinary field.s of the estates, with the estate's cane crop, and 

 subject to the same cultural conditions, and so should, and 

 doubtless do, reflect fairly accurately the genei-al trend of 

 events in their respective districts as regards field crops. 



The Annual Keports of the Sugar cane Experiments in 

 the Leeward Islands record the .sucrose content of the juice 

 from the canes grown on the experiment plots. L'nfortunate- 

 ly the sucrose content of the actual canes is not recorded, but 

 this has been calculated from the sucrose content of the juice, 

 on the assumption that plant canes contain 15 per cent, of 

 fibre, and ratoon canes 16 percent. This may not be strictly 

 correct, but it will be near the truth and seeing that a differ- 

 ence of 1 per cent, aft'ects the sucrose content to the extent of 

 about 04 per cent., any error so introduced will not serious'y 

 affect the deductions which it is now sought to make. 



The sucrose content of the canes of three principal 

 varieties largely cultivated in these islands, namely White 

 Transparent, Sealy Seeilling, and P.. 147, both as plants and 

 ratoons, has been cilculated from the avera;;e3 of the several 

 plots annually reaped in each of the islands, and also of the 

 canes c'ealt with at the .two central factories. The three 

 varieties selected comprise by far the greater part of the 

 canes dealt with at these factories. 



From the tables given in the original article, but not 

 here reproduced, it is noticeable that, while there is 

 fluctuation in the case of the sucrose contents of these three 

 canes, this fluctuation does not trend downwards, as is the 

 case with the figures relating to the factory canes. It is 

 .somewhat curious that in all three varieties of canes, and in 

 thefactory canes at Antigua as well as St. Kitts, a remarkably 

 low .sucrose content is common to all in the season 1915. 

 Thi.>. featuie has already been discussed in connexion with 

 the factory cines, and it is believed to be due to the peculiar 

 climatic conditions of that season. 



If the sucrose contents ot the canes in 1915 are elimin. 

 ated, it is seen that the figures relating to the sucro.se contents 

 of the other cjnes fluctuate around a mean, and that the 

 sucrose contents of later years are as high as those of the 

 earlier years, being thus in marked contrast to the sucrose 

 contents of the factory canes whether at Antigna or St. Kitts, 

 which have steadily deteriorated. It is reasonably to conclude 



