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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 14, 1918. 



In various industries and in various sciences it has 

 been found that the rate of progress is vastly increased 

 80 soon as adequate and accurate records are kept con- 

 cerning the facts with which the industry or the 

 science has to deal; and this is true in agriculture and 

 its allied industries. To illustrate the point reference 

 need only be made to the developments which have 

 taken place in connexion with the sugar manufacture 

 of these islands. In the old days of the manufacture 

 of muscovado sugar, it is not too nnich to say that no 

 one connected with the industry knew how much 

 cane he handled, or how much sugar or molasses 

 he extracted from it, or how much it cost to produce or 

 to handle; how much, that is to say, in any stage of 

 the process: the end results were known, an<l that was 

 all. A planter could say, fairly accurately, that an 

 estate made or lost so much money in the course of a 

 series of years, but he could not say just what was 

 happening in each stage of the process of growing and 

 manufacturing. Efforts then began to be made to 

 ascertain what was happening in the process of manu- 

 facturing sugar, data were collected, discussed, and 

 sifted, and often disputed, until a settled conviction was 

 arrived at that a deplorable degree of preventable 

 waste was going on. Although this collecting of data 

 took yeais, it stimulated activity, and directed it into 

 definite channels, so that, eventually in Antigua a 

 sugar factory, working with a most creditable degree 

 of etficiency, was erected, followed by similar progress 

 elsewhere. This was the outcome of definite knowledge 

 concerning the work that was being done under the 

 old system — knowledge wnich led to a recognition of its 

 wastefulness, and to a conviction that change along 

 definite, rt cognized lines was necessary. 



Progress will be groaily facilitated if steps are 

 taken to apply somewhat similar methods to other, 

 matters relating to our agriculture. The prcduction 

 of the lands of these islands would be greatly increased 

 if careful records were kept of what each field produces, 

 and of the conditions affecting the growth of the crop. 

 It ia not easy to predict just what kind of information 

 ■would be forthcoming, but it may be predicted that 

 ainuy cases would be found where work is carried on at a 

 loss, and where either remedies could be found for the 

 losses, or the work, with its conse(|uent loss, abantloned, 

 and the effort more effectively applied elsewhert'. It 

 has been more than once suggested, and the sugges- 

 tion is worth renewing, that careful record should be 

 kept of the weight of cane reaped from each of the 

 fields of an estate, and it is more than likely that this 

 is being done in many instances; but it is questionable 



whether these records arc being as carefully studied as 

 they might be in order to extract from them all the 

 lessons which they have to teach. It would be a good 

 thing if owners of properties were to collect carefully 

 the information which is in existence or which can be 

 obtained, and, at the end of each season, discuss the 

 results with their managers, so as to see what infor- 

 mation could be extracted for future guidance. Such a 

 course would lead to an intelligent appreciation of funda- 

 mental facts, and make isefiil a mass of statistics which 

 would otherwise probably conduce to but little benefit. 

 After individual results had been discussed, it is fairly 

 certain that points would emerge which might most 

 usefully be brought to the notice of associations, such 

 as agricultural societies, and receive further discussion 

 on the part of the members of them In this way in- 

 terest would be stimulated, and progressive develop- 

 ments would ensue. It is possible that there are 

 already in existence many records of the kind referred 

 to; it is worth enquiry whether it will not be possible 

 for their possessors to analyse them, and to formulate 

 the facts and lessons to be deduced from them. Benefit 

 would assuredly resiOt, and this benefit would be 

 increased if the information were made public. 



Connectoii with this idea of increased efficiency 

 in production, comes the consideration of the crops 

 produced in a country, and the skill with which they 

 are handled. The principal crop of most of these 

 islands is undoubtedly sugar; this, therefore, may have 

 first consideration. 



Sugar-cane growing engages most of the time and 

 ouergy of planters in the islands where it is the prin- 

 cipal crop, and its problems have been fairly carefully 

 studied, though probably the labours of ohe planter 

 in this direction would be rendered more effective if 

 more attention were to be ;jiven to statistical methods uf 

 stuclyiiig these problems. As regards increased produc- 

 tion, it may be said that the principal factor governing 

 the success of sugar-cane cultivation in these islands is 

 the rainfall, and that no humati efforts can alter that; and 

 further, that such things as irrigation, which are of 

 service in other countries for ameliorating the defects 

 of rainfall, are not likely to be extensively employed in 

 the smaller islands. Still there remain for considera- 

 tion some matters connected with soil and soil moisture 

 that may well have systematic study, coupled with the 

 careful keeping of recortis for future guidance. There 

 are methods of ploughing and draining which have 

 a profound bearing on the retention of moisture by the 

 soil. Careful and systematic study will assuredly lead 

 to an understanding of what is best and most profitable 



