S82 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[Febritary I, 1884. 



SDGAR CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 



The writer who signs himself " Vedda " (page 5Cfi) 

 having sent a copy of his letter to another journal, in 

 which it has been published, it is only the importance 

 of the subject which induces us to notice the letter and 

 its contents. In the south of tlie island, along the 

 banks of the Giutara and Matara rivers ; in the 

 Mahaoya Valley, near Negombo, in the Western Pro- 

 vince ; and in tlie Dumbara Valley and at Peradeniya 

 in the Central Province, sugar cultivation has been 

 tried on a laige scale, capital and e.xperieuce having 

 been applied to the enterprize ; but, except in the 

 case of the isolated and not extensive plantation at 

 Baddegama, the sugar grown on which finds a local 

 market, all the experiments ended in failure. Mr. 

 George Wall took part in some of those experiments, 

 and in lately writing on the subject he did not seem 

 to favour the idea of fresh trials. It is true tliat 

 the sugarcane, wliich is believed to be indigenous to 

 Ceylon, grows luxuriantly in many parts of the island, 

 and that pieces of sugarcane form a favourite article 

 of food with the natives. It is also true tliat many 

 superior varieties of the cane have been recently intro- 

 duced to sugar-growing countries from the Pacifi 

 islands and other places, and that progress in the 

 manufacturing processes has been equivalent to a 

 revolution. But the question is can difficulties 

 founded on paucity of lime and phosphates in the 

 soil and the presence of excessive moisture in the 

 atmosphere, be overcome? The queotiou is not the 

 absolute quantity of juice in the cane, but ths density 

 of that juice. We were present at trials in the 

 Burdekin district of Queensland where Vae juice ex- 

 pressed from "Rose Bamboo" and other canes gave 

 percentages up to II. We doubt if any cane in 

 Ceylon would show more than 7 or 8 by Beaunie's 

 instrument. But that is a nutter of experiment, and 

 the quality of the soil in the drier regions of Oc;}lou 

 can be proved by analyses. It might pay here as in 

 Mauritius to use bones and guano in sugar culture, 

 but perhaps Mr. Wall cm tell us whether such 

 fertilizers were not used in the experiments of forty 

 yeai-8 ago. We by no means desire to discourage fresh 

 experiments. Our alluvials cannot compare with those of 

 Java and Northern Qupensland in natural richness ; l>«t 

 we are not liable to the frosts and droughts of Australia, 

 and we are more favourably situated in regard to 

 labour and means of communicition than even the augar 

 planters of S'lrabaya. The revival of the sugar cult- 

 ivation here was, naturally, a favourite idea with Sir 

 James Longden, aud perhaps Sir Arthur Gordon may 

 determine to put the matter to the test of experi- 

 ment. But we should like to see experiments as 

 to the density of juice aud its readiness to crystallize, and 

 also analyses of sod and estimates of the probable cost of 

 liberal application-) of bme, superphosphate aud guano 

 to enable such soil to bear crops of cane equal to 30 

 tons per acre and producing two tons of clean sugir. 

 Experiments of this nature are quite within ihe 

 scope of the functions of Government. If they were 

 carefully conducted aud the results made public, 

 private enterprize would have the necessary evidence 



on which to act. 



The letter from the Director of Public Instruction, 

 which we insert below, is a valuable contribution to 

 the materials necessary for forming a decision on 

 the question of the probable success of sugar cultiv- 

 ation in Ceylon, and after the instructive history of 

 the tea enterprise, long deemed a failure in con- 

 sequence of the defective experience of the Brotliers 

 Worms with China tea aud China tea makers, we 

 hold our mind open to all the facts which cau bo 



adduced in favour of a further trial of sugar. B e 

 it noted, however, that the Baddegama sugar lands 

 are mainly old rice fields, and that citrouella oil, used 

 chiefly to perfume toilet soaps, is an article not in 

 e.xtensive demand and the market for which could 

 be readily swamped were Mr. Curtis' sysiem to be 

 extensively followed. There are other products, how- 

 ever, besides lemongrass, the growth of which could 

 be alternated with sugarcane. For instance, gram 

 or maize, but, as both those would take more 

 potash, lime and phosphates out of the soil 

 than the grass, manure would have to be used. 

 Or, if a considerable area of land were avail- 

 able, portions could be left fallow in succession, 

 after bearing a crop of canes and a crop of " ratoous." 

 But guano, or other similar manures, would certainly 

 be needed at a very early stage of the enterprize, 

 however conducted. In Mauritius and Demerara, we 

 believe, returns of cane aud sugar have increased just 

 ill proportion to the extent to which fertilizing sub- 

 stances were applied. Even rich lava soils give out 

 after a time, if cropped without the application of 

 miiniires, and we have neither decomposed lava nor 

 anything resembling it. The late Mr. Bowman, gave 

 us an account of an experiment conducted by Mr. 

 Wriy at Penang, which suggested to us the idea that 

 some of our river delta aud backwater mangrove 

 swamp? might be redeemed by means of drainage 

 and bunds for sugar cultivation. Mr. Wrav's swamp 

 was full of shells, which was deemed a most im- 

 portant advantage, but we have never heard the sub- 

 sequent history of the experiment. 



We regret to say that we cannot answer from 

 personal experience or observaiiou Mr. Green's query 

 as to artificial manures in "the forties," but we 

 scarcely thiuk that men like the late Baron Delniar 

 and the late Lord Elphinslone would liave abandoned 

 the enterprize without a full trial of fertilizers and 

 their effects. But this is just the question on wduch 

 Mr. Wall, from his direct connection with the pre- 

 vious attempts to grow sugarcane on a large scale, 

 cau speak with authority, and we trust he will give 

 the public the benefit of his knowledge and state his 

 views as to the possible success of experiments tried 

 in the light of all the experience acquired and the 

 v.ast improvements made in regard to canes cultivated 

 and iu the machinery aud processes of manufacture. 



SUGAR CULTIVATION IN CEYLON: ROTATION 

 OF CROPS. 



31st January 1884. 



Sir,— I have read with interest the letter signed 

 by "Vedda" and your article on "Sugar Cultivation 

 iu Ceyh^n " in your issue of last night. 



May I poiut out one matter not dwelt upon ? 



In the course of a tour on official work, I spent 

 an hour or more on Baddegama estate last week, 

 and Mr. Curtis, the manager (an old West Indian 

 planter), attributed the success of Baddegama aud 

 the failure of other sugar estates to the tact that 

 they planted up sugar ouly, and it soon exhausted 

 the soil aud failed, while .at Baddegama they plant 

 in "rot.»tion" sugarcane and citronella, one part 

 of the estate being under one and another under 

 the other, in turn. 



Apait fr.ini profiting by the good old-fashioned 

 system of "rotation of crops," which is so seldom 

 remembered m this country, the citronella grass, 

 after the oil has been boiled out, forma a m lat valu- 

 able manure for the soil of the estate; it is first 

 placed uuder the cattle aud makes excellent "farm- 

 yard manure." 



Mr. Curtis made no secret of tliis, and told me tliat 

 I was at liberty to make any »so 1 pleased of tlie in. 

 formation which he gave me. 



