Vol. VII. No 15-2. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



51 



The presuinptiun tli;it the scheme to be introduced 

 l)y Si:- Heiirv Jackson will be under Government 

 control, is considered to be the best guarantee ot its 

 riitnre snccess, foi-, iiiifoitnnately, the co-operative spirit 

 does not at [iresent seem to be sufficiently strong in 

 these colonies lo allow of the establishment of 

 co-o])cialivc baid<s on the I'aifteisen system. 



Ari Agricultural Bank, started under Government 

 auspices at Trinidad, will be watched with considerable 

 interest in the neighbouring colonies, and its success 

 would prove ii starting point for the establishment ot 

 similar institutions in other parts of the West Indies, 

 and in British Guiana. 



It: may be mentioned that the question of Agri- 

 cultural Banks has occasionally come up for discussion 

 in British Guiana, where, owing to the large number of 

 small rice growers in the colony, institutions of this 

 nature should jirove especially helpful. With a view to 

 meeting the requirements of these rice growers, it has 

 been sug.gested that arrangements for advances might 

 be made on the lines of the cotton loans in the Ix'ewai'd 

 Islands, or that efforts should be made to start co-opera- 

 tive loan baid<s on the lines of the one at present 

 working in Jamaica. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Central Sugar Mills in Queensland. 



Some particulars in reference to the work carried 

 on at the Queensland central sugar factories were given 

 in the Agrifultural Nevs (Vol. V, No. 121). The.'^e 

 factories are under Government control, the actual work 

 of supervision being delegated to the Hon. Dr. Walter 

 Maxwell, who holds the title of Comptroller. The mills 

 are supplied with canes by cane farmers in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and it would appear from the figures given, 

 that cane farming in (Queensland is fairly remunerative, 

 since there has been a steady increase in the number of 

 farmers each year from 1903-7. 



The following paragraphs are taken from 

 Dr. Maxv/ell's report: — ■ 



The iutrofUu-tiiiu rif the cnltivatioii i>i new varieties of cane 

 into the districts around the mill i> definitely raising tlie 

 quality of the crops. These varieties were obtained from 

 the Mackay Experiment Station, where their values are 

 ascert.ained before they are distributed. Each of the mills 

 has procured promising varieties, and is having them grown 

 for distribution amongst the cane growers. 



Each year renewed attention is given at the factories 

 to the governing factor of clarification. The Coinpti-oller 

 wants steam power ample for all other |'Urpose.s. and also to 

 introduce tlie practice of maceration with cold v.'ater. Tests 

 conducted personally .some time ago showed that the extrac- 

 tion co-efficient of cold water is alnl0^t •.qual to that of hot 

 vater ; and that cold water extracts ,• less proportion of 



impurities relative to the sugar extracted, whirli factor 

 determines the proportion of recoverable sugar. With cane 

 of relatively low puritv, wliich obtains at most of the mills 

 under the control, this is a matter of high importance 



Also, ill the clarification, the practice is being adopted, 

 where practicable, of taking the lime juico into the clarifier.s 

 in its cold state. As the results of tests made some long time 

 ago, it was demonstrated that the best clarification, especially 

 of relatively low purity juices, is obtained by bringing the 

 cold .juices gradually to a high temperature, and finally 

 to boiling point in the clarifiers The undisturbed state of the 

 the juice, as it rises to the high temperature, allows the impur- 

 ities to rise in a more solid layer to the top, and to be swept ofi 

 without breaking, leaving a clear juice beneath. When the 

 juice goes first into and through the ' heater,' in which 

 course the heat is enough to coagulate certain of the impuri- 

 ties, and is then violently discharged into the clarifiers, 

 a clarification results which is visibly more imperfect. Unfor- 

 tunately, the equipment at some of the mills is not adequate 

 to allow of this practice being followed. At the Gin Gin mill, 

 the manager, ilr. Desplace, reports : ' Your instructions respect- 

 ing the taking of the juice cold into the clarifiers were fully 

 carried out. The results were excellent. Unfortunately, we 

 cannot dispense with the heater until more clarifier capacity 

 is put in.' The change.? in methods of treating the juices 

 are making ajjparent the further additions to the mill equip- 

 ment that are necessary in order that the best work may be 

 done. In the report of last year, the Oomptroller remarked upon 

 the ' high loss of sugar due to preventable causes ' in the 

 Jlount Bauple mill. These causes received the Comptroller's 

 ver}' close attention during the last crushing. As a result, 

 the losses have been reduced by between 5 per cent, and 6 

 per cent, upon the whole output as compared with previous 

 j'ears. These ' preventable causes' have, doubtless, operated 

 ever since the mill liegan operations, and have only been 

 located since the control has checked the mill operations by 

 the laboratory. There is yet room for some further improve- 

 ment with the aid of additional crushing power. 



During the period fi-om December 1903, to .June 1907, 

 white labour has taken the place completely of coloured laliour, 

 whi(.-h had previously ])een employed upon given kinds of 

 work. Also, during this period, the wages of white labour 

 have been increased fully 20 per cent, in the mills in which 

 the Treasur.v is in po.ssessioii ; ami the living conditions of 

 the workmen have been ^\holly recjrganized at a 'very 

 considerable cost. On another hand, the prices paid for cane 

 during this period have been higher than at any other time 

 in the histoiy of the mills under consideration. All the.sc 

 several considerations, however, must not be allowed to 

 conceal the fact that what has been accomplished at the 

 mills under the control during the period specified has been 

 due in a very notable measure to the favourable seasons that 

 have obtained. Even with a continuance of good climatic 

 conditions, it appears certain that the same high measure of 

 success cannot continue, by reason of fiscal and economic 

 changes that are now transpiring, and which are lessening, 

 and must continue to lessen the margin of gain. Should 

 unfavourable climatic conditions recur, then nothing can 

 prevent less favourable and, in fact, serious financial results 

 following. The.se con.siderations have emphasized the efforts 

 made, on the one hand, to get the mills put into a thoroughly 

 efficient working condition ; and, on another hand, to 

 encourage the placing of mon- in'oducing settlers ujion the 

 land in order to secure an increased supply of cane. The 

 situation, present and prospective, requires the exercise of 

 the most careful device and economy if a measure of the 

 recent .success is to be maintained. 



