372 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 29, 1919. 



/f£P0/f7^ 



SUGAJiCAAK EXPEKJMENTS IN THE 

 LEEWARD ISLANDS, 191617 AND igiy iS. 



Uwicg to changes in the stxff of tbe Agricultural 

 Peparlnjfci.t of the colon}-, and tor other reasons due to war 

 cnDi-.itioDS, it has been necessary to comb ne the reports for 

 the two tcasonf, and is-sue them togeihtr. In previous 

 reports -.here has been a section dealing "ith manurial experi- 

 ments. On account of the ditiicultj-, and even impossibility 

 ol obtaining chemical raanur(S during tlieyea s under review, 

 this side of exptrimentation is not deaU with ; the repoit is 

 confined to tl.e 1 xperiments on variciies of >ugar cane pi nto 

 and rat(ior.s, these beicfr conduct' d in the tlree islards, 

 Antigua. St. Kills, and Nevis. R ference to the mam rial 

 exptrimen's in coni exion vith pen manure, which were 

 f ominued, will be made in next year's report 



The vrtiietv experiments are carried out on fields on 

 \aiioi.s eftaUbtiiuaied in iLe principal sugar-prrducing areas 

 of the Colony In thi^ way the efiFort has been made to give 

 due expression to the eflfecl of variations in the climatic con- 

 ditions and ijrevailing soil i)pes which occur at, the different 

 points. 



The number ( f seedling canes now available for choice 

 to cine plan' ers is enormously largn, and without some sys- 

 tem of preliminary selectiuis u becomes a matter of difticuliy 

 for the planter to make an intelligent selection. By this 

 sysi..-ui of experiment stations scattered throughout the 

 cane-producing ar»a, it. becomes easy tc test the newly 

 introduced and most pr mising varielits and to discard 

 thoe which are unsuited to local conditions. 



As in previous reports ihtre is a description in tabular 

 foiin of the varieti'S of care, some sixty in Lumber, which 

 are being experimented on in tbe ibiee i?lands. Then tables 

 are given ol the actual letum in weight of cane, gallons of 

 jnice, ai d snciose content of each vnriely. 



In each of the three islands the rainfall for tbe season 

 1916 17 was above the average, whereas that of 1917 18 was 

 very much ielow it. 



In .Antigua in ihe funin r season, as regards plant canes, 

 the fir.-t place on tie lable is ( ccupied by I!. 6-iOS, which 

 ^a»e an nverage return of 20"3 tots of cane pt-r acre, 

 and 5,240 11). of sucrose ; lie sucrose con' en t of the juice 

 being '-'2.3 R>. per gallon. Introduced in 19i;5, the preset 

 is the f'lnrth jear in which this cane has been 

 cxpeiinii-ntal y cultivat'd in Antigua, and ibe third in 

 snccpssion in which it has headed ihe list. It has also 

 topped the list in boih Sc Kins and Ni vis in tbe present 

 season, yielding ;i'i tons per ace in the founer place, and 

 51 tons in the lailer. Its average fcr four .--easona on 

 tweniy i.ii.e p'ots is third place, with 1,720 B). s icrose 

 per acre. 



•Sealy .Seedlir.g occupies tbe second place with a yield 

 of 29 1 i';.8 cane per acre, and 1, 7(^0 Hi. .Hiicrose jier acre, 

 the average return uf the. juice bewig 2 0>^ Bi. sucrose per 

 {^llon. This cane las been under experiment for eikhteeii 

 jears, and may be regarded as one of tbe sundard varieliet 

 of cane under cultivation in ^ntigu-k. It is evidently a very 



dependable variety, its average for ten seasons en sixty-nioe ■ 

 plots being 5,030 lb. sucro>e per acre, and its position being 

 second. 



The third cane on the list is B. 459fi, which has given 

 an average return uf 2(52 tons of canes per acre and 4,680 lb. 

 of sucrose per acre This cane has been under experimental 

 cultivation for nine years, and has proved to be a good 

 standard cane, giving uniformly satisfactory results. 



The Antigua vnrieties do not appear to have done 

 particularly well this season, A. 9-') occupying the twenty- 

 ninth place, and .A. 2 ihe thiri)-.-e»enih. The latter cane, 

 however, has doi e well on heavy hnds. 



For the dry season of 11)17-16 the fallowing results 

 are given ; Tbe first place for this season is occupied iiy B 3922, ■ 

 which gave an average return of 2375 ions of canes and 

 4 370 ft', sucrose per acre, the juice Lontaining 225 lb. ■ 

 saccharine matter per gallon. 



B. 6'i08 occupies the second place wi'h a yield of 23'3 

 tons and 3,910 Dft. sucose per acre, and a sucrose content 

 of 209 lb. per galb n. From its constant high position 

 since introduced in 1913 — in no case ranking under fifth in 

 jiositii'n — it is being widely adopted by (jknters. 



The tbiid place is occupied by Sealy Seedling with an 

 average of 22 8 tins of cane and .<,280 lb. sucrose per acre. 

 This cane has now been under expeiiment for ninetien years, 

 and is one of thi' standard varieties under general cultiva- 

 tion in Antigua ; it is apparently a very dependable type. 

 Of the present crop, 1,334 acres, or approximately 15 

 per cent, of the lo'al acreage urider cane is p'anted in 

 this variety. 



With regard to ratoons in 1916-17, it is interesting to 

 note that the South African variety, L^ba, comes first 

 as to r. suits. This cane wis tried for the first time this 

 sea'-on as a ratoon, and gave a yield of 22 tons of cane 

 per acre and 3 170 fi) sucrose. 



Owing to scanty rainfall — 36-8 inches as compared 

 with 567 and 61 '3 in the previous years — the yields for 

 1917-18 are exceptionally low. In some cases only 41 

 tons of cane per acre were obta'ned, while as low yields as 

 25 tons per acre were recorded for NVbi'e Tran-pirent. 



Turning now 10 St. Kitts, it appears ihit, as to plant 

 canes in ihe season 1916 17, the first pla-e is occipiod by 

 B. 6308, which gave a mean return of 3.' 2 tons p»r acre, 

 and 7,820 ft), sucrose per acre, the juice possessing a 

 saccharine richness of 1'96 lb. per gallon. 



Tbe second place is occupied hy B 6388, another new 

 cane lu ihu selected v.triei.e.". Tlis gave a mean return of 

 30"8 tons cane and 7,670 lb. per icre, with a saccharine 

 content of 2 05 tb. pi r ga'lon. 



'Ihe third place is occupied by B. 4596 for sucrose, 

 giving 7,500 lb. per acre, but it holds 'be first place for 

 tonnage with 37 T tmis cane per acre. This is a well-known 

 vari> ty which g'Ttninates ensily. but its .'acchirine conlei.t 

 is I'irt', only averaging I bf lb. per gallon. In the opinion of 

 some planters this variety shows signs of deteri'Tation, 

 (specially with ieg>ud to rooc disease, and requires to be 

 waulied. 



A. 2 is dis.ippiiiiiting as a plant thi-< se^ison, coming out 

 lliirieenlh on the list, among the varieties /^8 an estate 

 cane it is a great f.iv.iurite in the northern rJistricts, and i< 

 largely planted 



As in Antigua so also in St. Kitte, the rainfall for the 

 season 1917-18 was much below the average. The 

 foll'wing results with plant cines are given as to ihe best 

 ihiee : The first place on the list is occupied by Ba.6032, 

 whicli gave a mean return rif 33 4 tons cane per acre, tho 

 juice possessing a saccharine richness of 192 B). per gallon. 



