A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW ^'brapo 



OF THE NEWYC 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. ^oIruIS 



Vol. VI[. No. 150. 



BARBADOS, JANUARY 25, 1908. 



Price Id. 



CONTENTS. 



AVest Indian Agriciiltaral Con- 

 ferenceriOOS. 



r?^- HE seventh West Indian Agricultural Con- 

 yt ference \vas opened ;it the ^Mutual Life 

 Assurance Buildings, Barbados, nn Tues- 

 day, January 14. His Excellency Sir Gilbert Carter, 

 ■^ K.C.M.G., was present, and extended a hearty welcome 

 "^ to the delegates on behalf of the cohmv. 



Sir Daniel Morris then delivered his presidential 

 address, in which he reviewed, at considerable length, 

 the position and prospects of the several agricultural 

 industries of the West Indies and British Guiana. 



The sugar industry received first attention. Dis- 

 cussing the question of e.xports, Sir Daniel pointed out 

 that the chief concern at the present moment was in 

 finding a reliable market for West Indian cane 

 products. He referred to the favourable market for 

 sugar and molasses offered by Canada, which 

 imported direct from the West Indian colonies 79 per 

 cent, of the total sugar consumed in the Dominion 

 during the year ended June -SO last. 



The increasingly \.iluable results that have 

 followed upon e.xperiments in raising seedling canes were 

 dwelt upon. These canes not only yield a larger 

 percentage of sugar, but are also more disease resisting. 

 It is satisfactory to note that planters are recognizing 

 the value of the best of these canes, and that year 

 by year a larger area is planted with them. This 

 is especially noticeable in British (iuiana, where 

 over 30,000 acres are now planted with seedling canes. 

 Reference was made to the f;xct that on one estate in 

 Deiaerara with 4,-104 acres under seedling canes, and 

 1,570 acres under Bourbon canes, the seedling canes 

 taken together averaged 26 per cent, better than the 

 Bourbon for the crop of 1907. Amongst the seedling 

 varieties, 2,403 acres were under B. 208, and this 

 variety during the crop of 1907 yielded 40 [ler cent, more 

 sugar than the Bourbon cane. 



In a paper read by Mr. Bovell at the Jamaica 

 Conference {West Indian Bidlcfi I), Vol. VIII, p. 78), 

 it \yas stated that more ])rofit was derived from the 

 cultivation of the Barbados seedling canes on the 



