386 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



De:jembek 12, 1908. 



phate is more soluble than the tricalcic phosphate, and 

 consequently is more active. 



In deciding which manure to use when an applica- 

 tion of phosphates is necessary the planter is naturally 

 guided by the nature of the soil, and the kind of crop 

 ihat is to be grown. The phosphates are present in 

 larger proportion, and in a more readily available form 

 in superphosphate than in basic slag, and, speaking 

 generally, it may be assumed that the fonner is likely 

 to prove more suitable on the niajuriiy of cultivated 

 lands, and more especially where rapid effect is wanted. 

 Id is naturally to be jireferred on calcareous or chalky 

 soils, such as those of Barbados. As a source of 

 phosphatic food for plants, it may be saiil that no manure 

 is more reliable and certain in its results than super- 

 phosphate. This manure, however, should not be mi.\eil 

 with nitrate of soda previous to application, since not 

 only does such a mixture result in the loss of more or less 

 nitrogen, but the mass is apt to become sticky, and 

 difficult to distril)ute. 



A good superphosphate should lie a fiirly dry, 

 friable powder, and should not readily become wet and 

 sticky. This tendency to stickiness is more common in 

 the high grades of the manure than with lower grades, 

 aiifl arises from the fact that an excess of sulphuric acid 

 has been used in the manufacture, in order to disssolve 

 as much of the phosphate as possible. 



It is frequently stated that acid superphosphates 

 have a teiulency to make land sour, particularly heavy 

 l.iiid. The best wa}' to counteract this is by gi\ing an 

 occasional dressing of lime. It has been calculated 

 that 1 cwt. of lime per acre is more than sufficient to 

 correct the acidity of any reasonable dressing of su])er- 

 phosphatc, so that if an average dressing of liuie is 

 given at jieriodic intervals, no fears necil be 

 entertained as to the souiing effect of applications 

 of superpliosjjhate. It may further be mentioned that 

 on many soils, particularly clays and sands, occasional 

 applications of lime have an excellent effect in increas- 

 ing the I'esult of subse(pu,'nt dressings of su[)ei-phos- 

 phate. 



Basic slag is especially suitabl- ior use on heavy 

 clavs, and on peaty and acid soils, as well as on land 

 containing much organic matter, probably because on 

 siich soils the large ])roportion of lime this msinure con- 

 tains exercises a greater effect than on others. It is 

 generally ])referable to superphosphate in manuring 

 grass land and fruit trees. It may be pointed out, too, 

 that it has also been used, with very remunerative 



results, in combination with nitrogen and jjotash, and 

 also with potash alone, for manuring cacao at Dominiciu 



It is generally assumed that 5 cwt. of slag are 

 equivalent in effect to 3 cwt. of superphosphate, but 

 a good deal depends on the fineness of grinding of the 

 slag, which is a very important fixctoi-. The manure 

 should be ground so finely that from 70 to 90 jjer cent, 

 will pass through a sieve fiaving 10,000 meshes to the 

 S(piare inch, and, in many cases, even finer grinding 

 than this can be obtained. 



It is pr-obably genei-ally understood that basic slaw 

 should never be mixed with sulphate of ammonia, 

 since the excess of lime causes free ammonia to be 

 given off, and thei'e is consequently a considerable waste 

 of nitrofren. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Queensland's Sugar Industry. 



The Amcrico.n Sugar IiiduKtrij of October last 

 contairred the fVillowing note on sugar pr'oduclion in 

 (Queensland asid other Airstialian colonies: — 



Qr.eunsUirid has a bi-iglit futui'c ahead for its su"ar 

 industry, us the ci(j[) of last year ( I'JUT-S), carried tlimuiih 

 almost entirely on white labour-, was a r-ecor-d one. Tlie 

 (lovernment statistician .says that the output was a recor'd for 

 the State, due to the vei-y high sacchai-ino contents of the cane 

 cut, especially at Ingham ilourilyan, Ayr', and Mackay The 

 area cultivated was f 26, mO acre.s, of which !)4,384 acres were 

 crushed, 'flic yield of cane was 1,665,028 tons, hucI of sugar 

 ISS,:iil7 funs. 'Ihe iicieage under cane was 6,474 aci'cs le.ss 

 than in l!)l)(i. 



It is intcrcs'dng to note, in view nf these figures, tliat 

 tlie svigar consumption of the connnoiiwcidth of Auslndia 

 is put down at 101,416 tons, and of New Zealand 42.673 toiis. 

 In addition to Queen.sland, New Sonlli Wales last vear 

 produced 72,87-3 Uins, Victoria 53.437 tons, .Seiith Australia 

 17,486 tons. Western .\u-;tralia 12,751 tuns, iind 'I'asininia 

 7,323 tons. 



Sugar-cane Experiments in British Guiana. 

 A report on' the cultivation of vmieties of sugar- 

 cane in Ihitish Guiana during the two crop seasons of 

 the year emled ])ecembcr 31, 1907, has lately been 

 issueil by the i )iiector of Science and Agriculture of 

 the colony, on behalf of the Sugar-cane Experiments 

 Committee of the Board of Agriculture. Thirty-om; of 

 the plantations which earned on trials on a large scale 

 with varieties ef cane placed their results at the dispo.sal 

 of tlie Board of Agriculture. In the following table 

 these results .arc set out, showing the acreage occupied 

 with certain vaiieties of canes during 1907-8, and the 



