Vol. VJI. No. KJi 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



2:43! 



1882 the crop is rejjurted tn liave been 57,000 short tons, 

 vhile tlie ijos.siblo oiit|mt of the islands -was estimated at 

 about 84,000 short tons, or less than one-fifth of the croii 

 yield of the past year. 



The sugar planters of Hawaii have formed an association, 

 whiclr at its own expense maintains an Experiment Station, 

 with a stiff of scientific officers. A valuable series of experi- 

 ments, designed to as.sist the sugar industry, is in progre.ss at 

 the station. These include trials of seedling and other 

 varieties of cane, manurial experiments, the breeding of 

 parasites to control such pests as the cane borer and cane- 

 leaf hopper, and the investigation of fungus diseases affecting 

 the plants. 



Varieties of Cane Planted at Antigua and 

 St. Kitt's. 



Tlie first ))art of tlie lepoit on the Sufjai'-caiic 

 Experiments enrieil out in the Leeward Islands during 

 IDOG-T coutains an appendix dealino; with the present 

 position as regards the ])laiiting of new varieties of 

 sugar-cane at Atitigna and St. Kitt's. 



In Antigua, ])rior to 1895, practically only the l!ourb<ju 

 cane was grown. By that year the seriou.s ravages of cane 

 diseases, principally rind fungus {Tn'r.hos/thaeri<i .lacr/niri), 

 necessitated search for varieties of 'cane of greater disease- 

 resisting character, and as a result the Bourbon war. almost 

 entirely replaced liy the White Transparent. Since the latter 

 became the standard cane in -Antigua, the experimental 

 introduction of newer and improved varieties of sugar-cane 

 has still continued, and a considerable aiea in the island 

 is now planted with seedling canes. 



A taljular statement is given in the appendix mentioned, 

 which shows the acreages planted with different varieties of 

 canes on sixty-foiLr estates in Antigua for the croiis of 1907 

 and 1908, while as legards the crop of 1908, returns are 

 also provided from eleven additional estates, the total 

 seventy-five estates lu-actically comprising the whole island 



In the crop of 1907, on sixty-four estates, there were 

 8,879i acres reaped. Of this area G,7S7 acres were White 

 Transparent and 1 90 acres only of' Ijourbon. There were, 

 therefore, l,902i acres of other varieties, oi- •_'i-4 per 

 cent, of the area of these sixty-four estates. On the same 

 estates for the crop of 1908, there were i-eaped 8,(Jl 1 J,- acres 

 of canes. Of the.se 6,34.3i acres were White Transparent 

 and 138 acres Bourbon. The new varieties, therefore, 

 occupy 2,128-^ acres, or 24-1 per cent. The reduction of 2G8 

 acres in the acreage planted in 1908 on the above estates as 

 compared with the acreage of 1907 is, it is stated, probably 

 traceable to labour difficulties. 



Taking into account the eleven additional estates above 

 mentioned, this gives the total planted area on the seventy- 

 five estates for the crop of 1908, as 9,811 acres of land. Of 

 this, 7,092-i acres are planted in White Transparent canes 

 and 140 acres in P>ourbon. There are, therefore, 2, 578.1 

 acres planted in new varieties, or 20-2 jjer cent, of the total 

 planting. The new canes most generally planted at Antigua 

 are B.147, Sealy Seedling, J'..20S, and 1).95. The areas 

 planted with canes B.109 and B..'>06 are being decreased, 

 .since it is stated that both these canes come under su.spicion 

 as regards their freedom from disease. 



Reliable records of field results on a large scale with 

 different varieties of cane on Antigua e.states are not easy 

 to obtain, but some i)articulars that have been collected are 

 included in the appendix refeired to. The figures given show 

 that D. 95 has given very satisfactoi-y results on several estates, 



the yields of cane recorded ranging frtnn 31-3 tons to 42 

 tons per acre. The few returns obtainable relating to B. 147 

 .show that it yielded from 19-3 to 29'2 tons as plant canes, and 

 19"6 tons as ratoons ; in two cases recorded B.208 has given 

 26-3 and 29'4 tons per acre respectively, Sealy Seedling 

 from 18-4 to 25-2 tons, while in regard to White Trans- 

 parent, for wliich a mlich larger number of returns were 

 obtainable, yields of from 20 to 35-2 tons per acre are 

 recorded. 



A return has also been compiled, and i sincluded in the 

 report, giving the areas under each variety of cane on forty- 

 thiee estates at St. Kitt's, representing practically the 

 entire area at present under cultivation in that island, and 

 comprising 7,506 acres. The White Tran.sparent cane is planted 

 on 2,171 acres, while the area planted with Jiourbon cane is 

 no more than 21 acres. There are, therefore, no less than 

 5,314 acres, or 71 per cent, of the whole, under cultivation 

 with new varieties of sugar-cane at St. Kitt's. 



The relatively larger proportion of the total area at 

 St. Kitt's that is jilanted with seedling canes, as compared 

 with Antigua, is noticeable. It is explained that the 

 Jamaica variety of the 'White Transparent cane introduced 

 into St. Kitt's ten years ago with the object of replacing the 

 disease stricken Bourbon, did not show the same immunity to 

 disease in the island which it had shown elsewhere. It was 

 therefore at once necessary to find some other and more 

 diseasn-resistant cane, and the one which ap})eated best to 

 meet the needs of the St. Kitt's planters was the seedling 

 B. 147. For several year.s, therefore, B. 147 and the 

 ^^ hite Tran.sparent have been the two chief varieties planted 

 in the island, and the areas occupied by the.se two canes for 

 the crop of 1908 were 2,708 and 2,171 acres respectively. 



B. 208 also is now largely planted at St. Kitt'.s, no less 

 than 2,101 acres being under cultivation with this cane for 

 the crop of 1908. The results of the sugar-c;ine experiments 

 conducted liy the Imperial Department of Agriculture show 

 that B. 208 is admirably suited to the soil and climatic 

 conditions which exist at St. Kitt's. Sea Island cotton in 

 grown at St Kitt's as a catch crop between two cane crops, 

 and it is desirable, for the successful working of this .system 

 of cultivation, that the variety of cane grown should j)osscss 

 a short cycle of growth, and mature early. In these 

 respects B. 208 is superior to B. 147, and it is pointoil out 

 that the introduction of cotton cultivation into the island has 

 therefore jirofiably had an infiuence in extending the area 

 ])lanted with the cane B. 208. 



Sugar-refining Industiy in Japan. 



The sugai'-refining industry showed signs of rapid 

 development in Japan some three or four years ago, and in 

 190G the value of the refined sugar exported to China and 

 Corea exceeded £1,000,000 sterling. In 1907, however, 

 owing to strong competition liy factories at Hong-Kong, the 

 value of the sugar expoiti'd from Japan to ( 'hina fell to 

 £172,000. 



The latest British (.'mtsiUaf liepuif on the trade of 

 .lapan, however, speaks of the sugar industry of the country as 

 a highly promising one, provided it gets a fair chance of 

 development. The raw sugar for the refining factories is at 

 present imported chiefly from Java, the Philipiiine Islands, and 

 Oermany, but it is hoped that in time Formosa \\ill be able 

 to supply Japan's requirements for this commodity. In 1906 

 Formosa produced 77,000 tons of raw sugar : in 1907 the 

 weather was unfavouiablc, and the output was little more 

 than 62,000 tons. 



