Vot. XVIIL S'o. 458. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



:i->5 



known yellow or Deraerira crystals, wiiich are exported to 

 the United kingdom for direct ocasnmption. The largest 

 sugar factories of lirilisb Guiana are referred to as having 

 up-to-date milling facilities, consisting of crushers and nine- 

 roller mills. An interefting point in regard to xhi; proper- 

 ties of British Guiana raw sugar is the low optical activity 

 of the invert sugar, and this has been Attributed to the high 

 saline content of the cane juice. In the course of this 

 account of the sug-.r industry, a description is gi^en of the 

 method of manufaci uring yeil t crystals, and the writer then 

 proceeds to refer to the personal work of Professor I farrison 

 in regard to the chemical and biological aspect of sugar- 

 cane cultivation. Mention is made of his work with seed- 

 ling canes, studies which resultC'l directly from his associalion 

 with the pioneer work in Barbados. Concernina the 

 manurial requirements of sugar-cane in, British Guiana, it is 

 pointed out chat Profes.so"- Harrisons experiments show that, 

 when applied ';o sugar cane in amount.^ exceeding 50 to 60 lb. 

 per acre, sulphate of ammonia is the most economical and 

 efficient fertilizer for heavy clay alluvial soils Nitrate of 

 soda is a less satisfactory source of nitrogen. 



4fter referring to Professor Harrison's other work on 

 soil problems in connexion with sugarcane cultivation, the 

 writer goes on to consider by-products of the sugar industry, 

 including spirits and molascuit. British Gr.iana is the 

 largest producer of rum of all the other WiSt Indian colonies, 

 its production from pot stills alone being 12 per cent. 

 higher than tlia^ of Jamaica. A detailed account is then 

 given of the method of manufacturing nun. 



The next three section.s of the paper deal with the 

 posiiion in regard to balata. gold, and bauxite. In regard 

 to gold, the writer quotes Professor Harrison a.s saying that 

 the prospects for increased gold production are very good, 

 the geological structure in many of the valleys in the vaat 

 interior being such as tc make the presence of gold in large 

 quantities highly probable. Concerning bauxite, the work 

 of Professor Harrison is again referred to. This mineral 

 is beiug extensively exploited, and the success which is 

 attending this work is largely due to the investigations of 

 Professor Harrison. Bauxite is mined as a source of 

 aluminium. The mineral contains about G.5 per cent, of 

 aluminium oxide. 



A large amount of space is deservedly given in iha 

 piper to a consideration of the general researches of Pro- 

 fessor Harrison upon tropical anils. The breadth of these 

 researches has been responsible for many important generali- 

 zatioiis. In ^regard to the Government Laboratory, of which 

 Professor Harrison is Director. Dr. Browne states that (or 

 doing the miscellaneous work recorded, which embraces 

 almost every branch of chemistry, the laboratory is one 

 of the best equipped which he has ever visited. In 

 conclusion. Dr. P.rswne refers to the work of Professor 

 Harrison in the following terms: 'For variety, skill, and 

 economic value, his thirty years of scientific work in British 

 Guiana tor-Ti a record without parallel, and one of which 

 a general paper of this kind can give but a fragmentary and 

 imperfect picture.' 



A second paper by Dr. Browne deals with hi« impressions 

 of the sugar and syrup industries in Birbados. This paper 

 appears in the Louisiana Planta- for September 13, 

 1919, and is well illustrated by means of thirteen photo- 

 graphs. Although these photographs may give the 

 reader an impression that somen hat primitive methods 

 are still in vo^ue, peru.sal of the suhjeclmatter will 

 make it clear that many lines of the work in Barbados are 

 progressive and ufto-date. The paper commences by 

 describing the beginning and progress of the pioneer 

 work with seedling canes. It is noted that sugar cane 



seedlings were first discovered io Barbados in May 1^.5S, by 

 Mr. .J. VV. Parris, the proprietor of tliahland plantation. 

 Consequent on this ob.'ervation, Mr .1. K. Boveli. the 

 present Director of Agriculture, carried on his experiments 

 with much energy and skill, and the result has been to 

 produce varieties of seedling canos of high sucrose cortent, 

 and possessing other characteristics of immense advantage, 

 not only to the industry in Barbados, but also to that in other 

 parts of the West Indies, and of the tropics generally. 

 Special reference is made to one of the most recent varieties 

 known as B.H.10(12) The average yield in sucrose per 

 acre for this variety is aiKjut 10,.^00 ft) compared with 

 approximately 6,300 ft in the case of White I'ranspirent, 

 the standard cane. This is an increase in value per acre, 

 compared with White Transparent, of approximately 81O0. 



With regard to ilie experimental plots at Dodds, Dr. 

 Browne learnt that the manurial experiments have sho»n 

 that 40 ft), of ammonium sulphate and 80 lb. of potash per 

 acre give the best monetary results. Reference is also made 

 to the damage caused by root borers in Barbados. This is 

 a problem of a .serious character which demands co-opera- 

 tion amongst planters in order that th' sc pests may be kept 

 in check by means of widespread collection. 



Dr. Browne visited four sugar factories during his 

 stay in Barbados, The leading impression produced in all 

 these fa:tories was that of scrupulous neatness, the floors, 

 walls and machinery being fastidiously clean. This 

 condition exist- in practically all Barbados factories. Aa 

 account is next given of a small muscovado factory, and 

 is followed by an account of factories wher-> raw centrifu- 

 gal sugar is principally produced. Waterford, Carrington, 

 and Bulkeley are referred to as tliree factories of the more- 

 modern type, which are well equipped in every way. The 

 use of crystallizers is not as yet general in Barbados, 

 the first molasses being boiled and r .n into tank cars for 

 second sugars. Carrington and the other newer factories are 

 designed, however, to accommodate crystallizers, and these will 

 sooirdisplace the eld system of cars. The output nf these 

 factories, Dr. Browne states, consists of a very clean grade of 

 centrifugal sugar of good grain. At Bulkeley white sugar is 

 raaiiufa' tured for local consumption. 



In regard to transhipment, the writer refers with some 

 surprise to the continued employment of lighters propelled by 

 man power. The practical observ.-^r, he stites, is prompted to 

 aali— Does it pay to do things in this primitive way of 200 

 ye II sago/ The stranger who vis ts Barbados and sees ten 

 men doing the work of one luach'ne, has occision to a.sk this 

 question many times. 



The next point dealt with is the different kinds of sugar 

 and molasse' exported trom P.irbiidos, and Dr. Browne has 

 a g od deal to say concerning .syrup, or fancy molasses. 

 Unfortunately, lie says, but very little of the pure cane syrup, 

 for whuli B.rbados has a high reputation, ever reaches the 

 northern markets of .'Vmerica as such. Although the 

 Barbados Act of 1912 forbids the mixing of syrup and 

 molas.ses within the island, a large amount of the syrup 

 exported from Birbad js finds its way into the hands of 

 mixers and bl nders, who, by adding t) it commercial 

 glucose or bleached vacuum pan molasses, improve the 

 flavour of the latter. These facts are known to the maiiu 

 facturers of PJarbidos. and a vigorous campaign has l>een 

 under way for so'.fie time to prevent the good repmatina 

 of Barbados syrup hnd molasses from being lowered. Dr. 

 Browne conclii 'ea: " When the o^nsuiuer becomes once fami- 

 liar with the uaturui genuine flavour of pure cane "vrup, 

 the po'sibility li iiis evci accepting a bleiplie i "9 

 ciended substitute wiU he exceedingly remote.' 



