338 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



OcTdBEll 31, 1908. 



fully correlated by scientific officers would soon give 

 rise to knowledge of a most valuable kind. 



Similarly, slight variations might be made in the 

 methods of cultivation, and the results noted and com- 

 pared : these would undnubtedly throw a Hood of light 

 on many ve.xed questions.) 



If this aspect of the question were grasped by 

 planters it would in turn react most beneficially on the 

 scientific workers whose attention would constantly be 

 called to the methods of local practice, and their 

 merits and defects. At present, scientific work is 

 retarded from a want of accurate knowledge of many 

 points relating to planting work. This want might 

 easily be remedied by increasing the e.xchange of infor- 

 mation in the manner indicated. 



There is a danger that the scientific workers may 

 pursue lines of investigation which carry them out of 

 touch with the planters among whom, and for whom, 

 they live. These investigations may be useful and 

 valuable, they may indeed be quite necessary ; but if 

 they tend to separate planter and scientist their value 

 is lessened and the efforts of some other worker will be 

 necessary to bring the two together again. 



The scientific worki-r should br recjuired as part 

 of his duty to carry on investigations of an abstract 

 character so as to extend knowledge, and to keep his 

 mind alert and capable of dealing with new problems : 

 if his time and attention are wholly occupied in dealing 

 -with so-called ' practical ' duties, he will soon lose his 

 njentai alertness and fail to deal successfully with the 

 problems presented by the planter. Constant inter- 

 course with the affairs of the planter will ensure that 

 his work does not cause him to lose touch with the 

 problems he is recpiired to handle. 



The work of a Department of Agriculture will be 

 much advanced in usefulness if the planters will realize, 

 and act upon, the idea that it is incumbent on them 

 to ap[)roach the scientific workers with their knowledge 

 and their problems, as well as for the scientific worker 

 to approach the planter, and hapyiily. in many instances, 

 this desirable state of affairs is found to e.\ist. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Varieties of Sugar-cane at Antigua, 1907-8. 

 A meeting of the Agricultural and Commercial 

 Society of Antigua was held on September 28 last, under 

 the presidency of his E.xcellency the Governor of the 

 Leeward Islands, at which an account of the results 

 obtained in the e.xperiments with varieties of sugar- 

 cane, carried on in the island during the season 1907-8, 

 was laid before the members bv Dr. Francis Walts, 

 C.M.G. 



The yields of .sucrose, in pounds per gallon of juice, and 

 in pounds per acre respectively, given by the principal varie- 

 ties cultivated during the season, aie .set out in the accompany- 

 ing statements : — 



l'I,.\Nr CANES. 



(Means of sixteen plots in the case of every variety.) 



B. 208 in Queensland, in tlir repc.ii on sugar- 

 cane experiment work carried out in (Queensland in 1907, 

 it is mentioned that the seedling cane \'>. 20S was introduced 

 into the trials during the past year. Speaking of this 

 seedling the report -Siiys : ' H. "208 is a cane with a .strong 

 record as a sugar prodnc'cr, liotli in the West indies, and 

 also in the Herbert riv( r district, North ynecnsland, and 

 the results obtained with it at the Mackay Kxperimenl 

 Station will be await«d witii inteiiest.' 



KATOON CANES. 



The following table shows the returns obtained in the 

 ratoon cane trials. It will be .seen that most of the varieties 

 included in the plant canes experiments were also under trial 

 as ratoons. The returns here shown are, in every case, the 

 means of fourteen plots : — 



On tlie basis of tiie results of these experiments, the 

 varieties Sealy Seedling (for poor soils), H. 208 (for good 

 •soils), H. 156, H. 30(), and possilily I>. 109, are recommended 

 for cultivation at Antigua. 



