Vol. A'II. Xo. 151. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



35 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Sugar-cane Experiments at Barbados. 



At a s|ioci;il inoetiiig of the Barbados Agricultural 

 Societ)', held on January 11 hist, Professor ci'Albu- 

 querque and Mi'. J. K. Bovell presented a summary of 

 the more important and intci'esting results obtained in 

 connexion wiih the sucr.ir-cane seedling and manurial 

 experiments, canied on in Barbados under the direction 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, during the 

 crop season of 190.5-7. 



The work of raising new varieties of seedling cane.s has 

 now been in progress for many year.*, and during the time 

 no less than 30,000 new varieties Iravo been -j^roduced and 

 tested. The great majoiity cif these have shown no particular 

 merit ; some, which ha\e shiiwii exceptional (pialities, are 

 already being planted e.xtensively by estate proprietors, while 

 a large number of varieties are still at various stages of 

 the testing process as regards their field characters and yield 

 and purity of juice. 



Selected varieties of seedling canes were, during the 

 past year, grown on eleven black soil estates, and three red- 

 soil estates, and Professor d'Albuquerque referred to the 

 willingness of planters to allow the use of their land in 

 testing the varieties, as a result of which it has been possible 

 to carry out trials in every typical soil, and under every 

 climatic condition existing in Rarbados. 



The weather conditinns during the season under review 

 were rather unfavourable, and in many instances the average 

 weight of canes obtained pei- acre was sm;ijl, especially among 

 ratoon canes. 



Eight selected varieties of seedlings were, during the 

 season 190-5-7, grown in comparison with the White Trans- 

 parent cane on black soils in the island. Three of these 

 seedlings were especially noticeable on account of the good 

 return yielded by them. Cane B. .3,696, wdi'ch headed the 

 list on black soils, gave 2,015 lb. of .saccharose in excess of 

 that given by the White 1'ransparent, this representing an 

 increased value of $29-61 per acre ; B. 208 came second with 

 an increase of 1,-191 11). of saccharose, and an increased value 

 of $21 •6-3 over and above the return obtained from the 

 standard cane. Cane I!. 147. which took third place, showed 

 an increased value of •'?l."r.'U ^ler acre. 



On red-soil estates, during the season under review, te?i 

 selected varieties were grown ii' comparison with the White 

 Transparent. Five of these were grown as plants only, and 

 five both as plants and ratoons. As plant canes, all gave 

 returns in advance of the yield obtiuned from the White 

 Transparent, wdiich gave (),006 lb. of saccharose per acre. 

 Cane B. 3,405 headed the list wdth a yield of 10,792 Bb. of 

 saccharose per acre, while B. 3,412 and B 3,390 came second 

 and third with 9,589 lb. a:ul 9,530 t). of .saccharose 

 respective}}'. 



Considering now the five \arieties grown both as plants 

 and ratoons on red soils during 1905-7, cane B. 1,566 was 

 again, as last year, top of the list, giving 8,394 Hi. of 

 .saccharo.se per acre as jilaiits, and 6,645 lb. as ratoons, as 

 against 6,006 lb. per acre from the White Tran.sparent as 

 plants and 5,730 lb. as ratoons, showing a total gain of 

 !?47'73 per acre. I). 95 and B. 376 came second and third 

 respectively, on the average of both plants and ratoons, the 

 former .showing a yield of 6,260 Hi. of saccharose as idants and 

 7,591 lb. as ratoons, and the latter giving 6,423 lb. as plants 

 and 6,586 lb. as ratoons. The other canes which gave good 



results were : I!.:!, 6 3.5, r).9.5, B.1,753, B.376, and B.1,529 

 on black .soils, and B.208 on red soils. 



It will be noted that in regard to the purity of juice, all 

 the above varieties were fair to good, an important jioint in 

 muscovado manufacture. 



In the 1905-7 erii]i, too, some trials of seedling canes in 

 comparison with the White Transparent wxre made in differ- 

 ent parts of the island, on larger estate plots of from I- acre 

 to an acie in extent. At .lordan's plantation (St. George), 

 B, 208 gave 2,180 lb. of saccharose per ai/re in excess of 

 the yield obtained from the White Transparent, while at 

 Husbands (St- Lucy), B.147 and B.208 each gave 1,340 lb. 

 sugar per acre more than the standard variety. 



Considering now the average results obtained with the best 

 varieties during the pa.st four seasons, it is seen that B. 3,696 

 still keeps its position as first on the list of plant canes on 

 black soils. As regards the other varieties, however, there is- 

 a slight re-arrangement from the positions gained on the basis 

 of the 1905-7 crop alone. Still considering plant canes only,, 

 on black .soils, B. 1,753, B. 1,529, and B. 147 came second, 

 third, and fourth respectively, the increases per acre, compared 

 with the White Transparent, being valued at •'?3r71, •S16-18, 

 and §ir64. Con.sidering the returns obtained, over the past 

 four years, as plants and ratoons taken together, on black 

 soils, B. 208 gave an average of 5,542 lb. of saccharose per 

 acre, as against 5,197 V'. from the standard variety. 



Among all the iiromising varieties grown on black soil.s, 

 and considering the results obtained with plant canes only, 

 the White Tran.sparent comes out ninetieth, on the average of 

 the past three and four years, with a yield of 6,670 lb. of 

 saccharose jier acre. There are no less than seven varieties,, 

 however, that have been cultivated for three or four years, 

 which, on the average of the jieriod, ga^■e yields of from 

 9,004 to 10,120 lb. of saccharose per acre. Among these, 

 I'l. 0,204, B. 3,075, ]!. 3.747, and B 3,090 may be specially 

 mentioned. 



Con,sidering the average returns obtained on red soil.s 

 during the past four years, striking results are recordecK 

 Among plant canes, B, 3,405 gets first place on the average 

 of the crops of 1904-6, as in the crop of 1907 considered 

 alone. The incr'.'a.sed value of the yield of B. 3,405, as 

 compared with that of White Transparent, was 859'11. As 

 plant canes, too, 1!. 3,412 and B. 3,.390 did remarkably well, 

 giving values of !i?55'75 and §49-87 respectively, in excess of" 

 the White Transparent return. B. 1,566 and B. 208 also did 

 well. Taking plants and ratoons together, on red soils, for the 

 same period, B. 376, 1). 95, and B. 208 gave increased values 

 jjer acre, as coni|.iared with the White Transparent, of $10-84, 

 $10-59, and $8-13 respectively. 



New seedling canes to the number of 4,S74 were planted 

 in 1905. From the.se, after the usual testing processes, 118 

 were selected, and were replanted at the close of 1907. 



At the end of 1900, owing to the unfavouralile weather 

 conditions, only 219 seedlings were obtained. These were- 

 transplanted in due course, and will be tested during the 

 reaping season of 1908, and all the stools of the best varie- 

 ties will be rejilanted. 



The work of producing seedling canes by artificial 

 liybridization, crossing parent canes of known merit for thi.s 

 purpose, is being conducted by Mr. F. A. Stockdale, B.A., 

 F.L.S., and it is anticipated that future work in this direc- 

 tion will lead to valuable and interesting results. 



The results of the manurial experiments carried on dur- 

 ing tlie past year were also put before the meeting. These 

 experiments were conducted at Dodds Botanic Station, and 

 at five sugar estates situated in typical parts of the island. 



