10 



THE AGKICULTUEAL NEWS. 



January 11, 1908. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Cane B. 147. 



The Attoinex >if a very large estate at Demerara 

 writes as follows iu i eference to the ratooning properties 

 of B. 147 :— 



We have just tinishetl cri))). The area in oth ratoous 

 of B. 147 corresponding to that of which I wrote you some- 

 time baclc, yielded at the rate of 2 tons per acre, although 

 cut at eleven months. I liad to cut them so early as I wished 

 to replant with the same N-atiety, but I very much regret 

 ever contemplating the destruction of such a magnificent 

 spring 01 young canes as has conie on. One of the same 

 fields has been kept as ratoons, and from present prospects, 

 should easily give over 2 tons per acre, as (ith ratoons. 

 This is surely sufKcient proof of the merit of B. Ml. 



Results at Diamond Estate for lOuT. 



The following interesting lettei', dated December 

 8, 1907, from Mr. John ]\I. Fleming, the manager of 

 Diamond Estate, Demerara, containing the results of 

 the crop of 1907 with seedling and other canes, is 

 published in continuation of previous letters which 

 have appeared in the Ai/riculturdl A^ews (Wo], III, p. 

 180, and Vol. IV. pp. 3 and 242). 



Mr. Fleming writes: — 



The results for the Diamond 1907 rmp iire : — 

 Seedlings. Acres. 

 Diamond 18.5 106 009 



Ton: 



; sugar. 



:i7.5 



12 



■.',.57:? 



(i,84C) 



1.50 



2,097 



171 



16 



Yield 



per acre. 



3-.5:3 



2-92 



2-88 



2-8.5 



262 



2-4.5 



2-30 



1-61 



4404-210 



Mi.\edvarieties278-242 

 Lahania 242-08.5 



Bourbon 1,570-060 



1-2,240 



748 



647 



3,204 



2-77 

 2-68 

 2-67 

 2-04 



Total 



6,49.5-297 



16,839 



-.59 



On this occasion, the different seedlings taken together 

 average 26 per cent, better than liourbon. 



Bourbon and D. 109 arc both being as rapidly as jiossible 

 displaced by better varieties, and by the md of 1908 thei-e 

 sliould be left l)ut little of either xaricty. 



1 )ianiond 1 S5, as you will oUserve, stands out ahead of 

 other <-aiic.^, liiit the area cut is limited, and it cannot be 

 justly compared with B. 208, for instance, of which 2,403 

 acres were )eai)ed. Xext year's figures may m<idify the 

 relation m which they stand to each other. 



The year 1907, so far as weather is comTnird, has brrii 

 peculiai-ly unfortunate. Fiom .lanuary 1 to .lime .-id, 

 99-74 inches of rain fell at iMamond. Lowered leuipera- 

 sure and lack of sunshine prevailed during six months. The 

 toil liecame sodden, and a surface root growth wiis indueed. 



which, followed shortly afterwards Ijy a sharj) drought 

 of two months' duration, resulted in the development 

 of the cane being checked, and an unusually low tonnage at 

 time of reaping. As some comijensation for this state of 

 things, cane juice for the last three months was of remarkably 

 good (piality for Demerara. 



Selective Cane Re-aping At Jamaica. 



The following paper, contributed to tiie Wc^f 

 Indian BuUefin, Vol. VIII, No. 1, by Mr. A. Charley 

 of Janjaica, discusses a subject likely to be of interest 

 to sugar planters in these islands : — 



'file method of reaping or cutting canes that is u.sually 

 adojited thi'oughout the West India Islands involves the 

 cutting of the wdiole field clean to about the level of the 

 ground. I'nripe canes are cut with tho.se that are fully ripe, 

 and all young suckers, many of which are of no value to the 

 factory for sugar manufacture, are cut down to the grounfl. 

 Canes that are, therefore, ratooned, have to make an entirely 

 new growth, whereas it is possible to save much plant growth 

 in a field of canes when it is cut, by allowing the young 

 suckers to remain untouched by the cutlass. These would 

 continue *^o grow, or at least, would hold their own through- 

 out the dry season, and furnish a good start for the ratoon 

 crop. An entirely fresh growth of suckers would not have 

 to be depended upon. 



Tlie method of selective cane reaping, as started by 

 Mr. T. (.'amiiliell and myself in the year 1875, has resulted 

 ill the establishment of a system that is generally known as 

 • [licking ' canes. This system is largely practised in the 

 parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica, and has given very gexid 

 results. It is here briefiy described in the hope that it may 

 be of value to other growers of sugar-cane, especially in those 

 districts where ratooning is generally practised. 



In the .system referi-ed to .dl full-grown, ri|)e canes are 

 carefully .selected and cut \ei'y low down at the roots ; 

 especial care being taken not to injure the unripe suckers, 

 as it is by these that the life of the field is sustained during 

 the long dry months of the croj). The full-grow-n ripe canes 

 that have been cut out are then divided into pieces about 

 4 feet in length and these portions tied up into bundles. 

 Ten lengths of cane make one bundle, and fourteen bundles 

 are thrown together into a heap. The heaps are made by 

 the cutters in intervals through the field, where carts can 

 gather them up and take them to the mill. The labourer 

 is paid at various rates for cutting the canes and making 

 these heaps. In Westmoreland, l.s. is paid for every twelve 

 heap.s, while in Hanover the laboui-ers receive a wage at the 

 rate of \s. for every tVairteen heajis. 



The labourers also carry all cane tops to the intervals 

 ill which the hea|is of cane are made, -so that they may 

 lie eoiiveniently carted away for use in planting or for 

 fodder for the cattle. Xo carts are allowed to run on the 

 field.s, otlier than in tlie intervals, and no cattle permitted 

 to graze or trample o\er the suckers that are left standing. 



It lins lieeii found that by adopting this 'picking' of 

 only full-grown, ripe cane.s, the roots ajijiear to liecome 

 stronger and to grow deeper in the soil, with the result that 

 the suckers which have been left develo]i better and give 

 heavier crops of canes than can be obtained from ratoons on 

 fields that have been clean cut. By adopting careful 

 ' picking, ' ratoons may profitably be grown for a Jieriod of 

 from three to five year.s, and the expense of planting large 

 areas every year in jilaiit canes is thereby avoided. 



l!y the adoption of such a .system, together with 

 a judii-ioiis use of artificial manure.*, it is possible that 



