.-,11 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



I ii-.iuaiiy 13, 1915. 



Wesl Indian grocery sugars by special license, since 

 the origin and destination oi this class were unquesr 

 tionable. 



\' the time ol writing, the attitude of the British 



'■Government as regards the immediate and distant future 



aol known definitely. The stock of sugar and visible 



supplies in England arc sufficient to last until aboul 



May, When recently in England, the writer had the 



advantage oi personal introductions from the Manager 



for the Royal C mission to the leading sugar funis 



in Mincing Lane and the outlook for the future seemed 

 to be quite indefinite. The supply oi sugar from the 

 Wesl Indies (aparl from Demerara) being quite inap- 

 preciable, itsimporti ■ from the English aspecl is also 



slight, bul as far as one could judge, the opinion was 

 thai the Canadian market would nol be deprived of 

 its usual supplies. 



The critical time in England will be June, July, 

 and August. After August, the Java supplies begin to 

 come in, and on these the Governmenl will largely 

 depend until the end of the year. But for the 

 -June In August period, the sources of supply seem 

 somewhat uncertain. Tuba will no doubt be drawn 

 upon. The n, it should be remembered as well, that 

 smcc the war. almost unheard of countries as regards 

 sugar exports have come to the front; for example, the 

 Argentine, Columbia and Peru. It is true thai 

 individually, tin/ >iutjmt from these placi - may be 

 comparatively small, but in combination they have 

 helped and will help to swell the supply of cane sugar 

 considerably. 



Taking everything into consideration, it is fairly 

 Main that a level above 'he (formal will hold tin- the 

 greater pari of the current year, in both New York and 

 London: but the question of increased freights has to 

 be considered. These are influenced by fluctuations 

 in the naval sit nation. 



Looking further ahead, we uia\ perhaps presume 

 to put forward views on the probable situation in three 

 years' tunc. So much depends on the progress of 

 militarj operations that little can be said which is 



dependable. Everj question is t bj another How 



long will the war lasl ' It is essential to remember 

 that any formal conclusion of hostilities will not 



end the |in sent ec om ii' d is) n rbai ices. A> an example, 



-ume thai for this year and next the German beet 

 sowings show a reduction of 20 per cent, and do 

 per cent., respectively, and thai peace is established in 

 1916. It will be obvious that there will be a serious 

 reduction in 1917 also, and that it will take manj years 



lor the industry to recover itself. This circumstance 

 ma\ assisl in arousing a strongei feeling in favour of 

 a preference tor colonial cane. It will at any rati 

 tend to stin in la t, the growing of that crop, tor a she 

 age of beet musl mean enhanced prices. 



Thi re c in be no doubt that w hi n < Continental 

 sugar becomes available again in large quantities, the 

 I >i itish manufacturers will turn to these supplies if they 

 possibly can. Indeed, il is scarcely to In- expected 



that the Government; will ever consider a c iplete 



departure from the Continental trade. They will 

 however take can to ensure a larger supply oi cam 

 sugar from the Colonies in the future than they have 

 done in the past. 



As regards an English beel industry, this subj© 

 exists at present in a state of controversy. Like colonial 

 cane growing, bed cultivation needs fostering bj the 

 Government, but little action is likely to be taken 

 until some practical estimate is pul forward to show 

 the limits of the 1 proposed area under cultivation. 

 With English beet, as with colonial cane, the intending 

 growers should take the initiative and prepare some 

 definite statement as to what They are ready to pro- 

 duce. It seems futile to sa\ that sugar-cane can be 

 grown in East and West Africa. Bui it would not be 

 futile if the respective Departments of Agriculture 

 took the matter up as a definite problem, and prepared 

 a local statement showing immediate possibilities. 

 These reports could then be considered bj the Imperial 



Government as a basis for decisi n the matter of 



providing preferential tariff-. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



COLONIAL CANE, OR HOME-GROWN 

 BEET? 



In The Nineteenth Century and After, for December till 1, 

 Mr. Scard replies to Mr. .1. VV. Robertson Scott's views on the 

 proposed development of a British beet industry. 



Mr. Robertson Scott quotes the farmer's profits al L'o per 

 acre, but the present writer points out this would mean the 

 production ot L3 tons of beel peracre, containing 15 to 16 per 

 cent, of sugar, which is r\m above the average for all conti- 

 nental countries. 



The writer raises the question as to whether it would 

 be wise to introduce beet into English systems oi agi ii ulture: 

 •This country needs all the corn and dairy product- it can 



SOW.' 



Reference is made to the Cantley venture, which, it 

 is believed, an nol pay under normal conditions without, 

 considerable protection. 



