Vol. VII. No. 170. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



339 



Attention was drawn by Dr. Watt.s to the fact that the 

 3iehis from the plant canes had been below, while the yields 

 of latoon canes had been about equal to, the average of 

 |irevions years. At first it was thought that the falling otf 

 might have been occasioned by root disease, but as this 

 would probably have aifected the ratoou canes more than the 

 plants, another reason was sought, and it was suggested that 

 the yield from the plant canes was lowered by the unusually 

 heavy rainfall of September 1906, when from 18 to 22 inches 

 were recorded on various estates. This interfered with the 

 cultivation, and the results are apparent in the^sniall cro[is 

 of plant canes reaped in 1908 on heavy soils. The light 

 soils of the limestone districts appeared to have benefited. 



Dr. Watts ventured to predict that the causes which led 

 to a reduced crop of plant canes would probably lea<l to an 

 increase in the amount of i-out disease in the first ratoons now 

 growing. He advised his hearers to be on the alert to recognize 

 root di.sease and to take precaution to check its development, 

 indicating that good cultivation and resting the land from 

 cane crops were amongst the best means to this end. 



In this connexion the widespread prevalence of root 

 disease among canes in .Intigua, at the present time, was 

 alluded to, and Dr. Watts advised all planters to make an 

 examination of their young ratoon canes, to ascertain if the 

 disease were present. 



NEW \ AKIIi'lTES OK CANE. 



Some information was given concerning the I'eturns 

 obtained with a number of new varieties of cane, which are 

 under e.xperiment, but which have not yet been brought into 

 general cidtivation. Tliechiefofthe.se canes, together with 

 the returns given by them, are shown in the accompanying 

 table. The yields of sucrose mentioned represent the means 

 of fovir plots (plant canes) in the case of every variety : — 



Sugar Production of the World, 1907-8. 



A tabular statement, ])rej);u-e(l ami publislieii by 

 the Bureau of Statistics of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, shows the amounts of sugar 

 produced by the various countries of the world in which 

 cano and beet are cultivateil, in in07-<S, and also in the 

 four preceding years. 



The total world's crop of cane sugar for 1907-8 wa,s 

 7,233,477 tons. This is greater than the amount produced 

 in any previous year, with the exception of 1906-7, when the 

 production reached 7,360,172 tons. In 1905-6 it was 

 6,735,081 tons. 



The cane-sugar crop of Louisiana and Texas for the 

 year under review was 347,000 tons, while 420.000 tons were 

 jiroduced in Hawaii and 217,000 tons in Porto Rico. This 

 makes a total of 984,000 tons for the United States, as 

 <'ompared with 845,871 tons yielded in 1906 7, and 938,225 

 tons in 1905-6. 



In 1907 8, Cuba produced 1,200,000 tons of cane-sugar, 

 this being about equal to the return of 1905-6, but 228,000 

 tons less than that of 1906-7. The West Indian Islands 

 other than Cuba and Porto Kico yielded in the past sea.son 

 291,000 tons of sugar, while in 1906-7 the production of 

 these islands was 279,631 tons, and in 1905-6 it reached 

 302,163 tons. Mexico showed an increa.se in the sugar out- 

 put in the past year, advancing from 108,000 tons in 1906-7 

 to 115,000 tons in 1 907-8. If to the above figures we add 

 the production of Central and South America, this gives 

 the total cane-sugar output of the western continent for 

 1907-8 at 3,195,000 tons. This enormous ipiantity, how- 

 ever, was exceeded by the amount produced in Asia during 

 the year — 3,481,477 tons. Africa yielded a cane-sugar crop 

 of 270,000 tons (a considerable drop on the output of the 

 two previous years), and 276,000 tons were produced in 

 Australia, New Guinea, etc. 



('oming to the figures relating to the baet sugar produc- 

 tion ot the world in 1907-8, it is seen that the total crop from 

 all countries is 6,996,897 tons, or nearly half a million tons 

 less than the cane-sugar crop. The crop is less by 163,000 tons 

 than the beet crop of 1906-7, and less by 227,000 than that 

 of 190.5-6. 



In the United States beet sugar was produced to the- 

 amount of 413,954 tons in 1907-8, while in 1906-7 the crop 

 was 431,796 tons; in 1905-6, however, only 279,393 ton.s 

 were produced. In a note api)ended to the statistical table 

 it is pointed out that while cane-sugar is but just holding its 

 own from year to year in the I'nited States the production of 

 beet sugar has more tlan doubled in .six years. 



The outj)ut of beet sugar in Canada was but 7,94.3 

 tons in 1907-8, as compared with 11,367 tons in 1906-7, 

 and 11,419 tons in 1905-6. Among European countries, 

 Germany has been the leading jirodncerin the jiast year, with 

 an output of 2,13.").0O() tons." 



BERMUDA BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 



An account of the work of the Botanical Depart- 

 ment of Bermuda, prepared by the Superintendent of 

 the Public Gardens, is inchided in the Ayiiinnl Report 

 on the colony for 1907. 



The total expenditure made last year in connexion with 

 the Department was £2,177 16.s. 6rf. Of this £500 was 

 allotted to insect pest destruction work (chiefiy the ' fruit 

 fly' — Cerafitis capitntn), and £373 6.s. Wd. was spent on 

 tobacco cultivation. 



The Fruit Fly Destruction Act came into force on 

 March 1, 1907, and has now passed the experimental stage. 

 The work is proceeding on .sound lines and promises good 

 results. 



Altogether there are fifty-four kinds of fruit under cultiva- 

 tion at Bermuda. ExperinieiUal plots of Canary bananas 

 have been established in difi'erent districts, and it is hoped to 

 develop an exjjort trade in this fruit. Strawberry growing is 

 rapidly expanding : 200,000 plants have been imported, and 

 plants of 1 10 varieties are under culture at the Public Gardens. 

 The green vegetable industiy is being encouraged by the trial 

 of different varietie.s, and the ilistiibution of .suitalile kinds to 

 growers. From the area under tobacco culture, 1,000 tt>. of 

 leaf suitable for wrapper was cured and ba]«d. 



