Vol. XIII. No. 313, 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



131 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



CANE CULTIVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



Many persons may not be fully aware of the rapid 

 strides the sugar industry has made in Natal. The 

 extent of the development can be realized from the 

 fact that the output has risen from 19,3(i9 long tons in 

 1S94-, to 100,000 tons in 1912. 



The South African Agricultural News (February 

 1."), 1914-) shows that there is still further room for 

 development. 



UNDEVELOPED C.^NE LANDS. 



Between the Zululand border and the lower portions of 

 the Province of Mozambique, there is a vast stretch of 

 territory which has generally been regarded as of no practical 

 value, and truth to tell, it has certainly not been attractive to 

 the ordinary man, for the simple reason that it has been 

 judged from the standpoint of an ordinary agricultural 

 countrj', whereas a glance at the map will show that by its 

 locality alone, and proximity to shores washed by the 

 Mozambique current, it is really a sub-tropical country, 

 and must be considered as such. Up to quite a few years 

 ago the coast of Zululand was regarded as a wilderness, 

 entirely unsuited to development, but as soon as portions 

 were cut up for sugar-cane, it was found at once that the 

 land increased considerably in value, while the returns from 

 the cane fields were greater than the coast lands of Natal. 

 It is therefore only reasonable to suppose that in the next 

 few years, as development proceed.s northward, there will be 

 a large strip of country placed under cultiration, in what has 

 hitherto been recognized as a 'no man's land'. Already 

 some progressive spirits have taken up slices of territory 

 lying between the Swaziland border and the seashore, and 

 although malaria, and other diseases incidental to newly 

 developed tropical countries have to be faced at the outset, 

 those who are enterprising enough to secure land in these 

 out of-the-way places will one day find themselves in 

 possession of very valuable properties. No doubt, as time 

 goes on, large areas of this little-known country will be 

 planted with sugar-cane, and the time is within measurable 

 distance when the whole coast from the Umzimkulu to 

 Mozimbique, or even as far north as the .5th degree of 

 latitude, will be one unbroken line of sugar plantations. 



Regarding the position of South Africa in relation 

 to varieties of seedling canes, the same journal 

 publishes the following account: — 



HISTORY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF SEEDLINCs. 



The Green Natal cane, which is probably indigenous to 

 the country, furnished the planters' crop for two decades: 

 1850-70, though small quantities of Purple Mauritius, or 

 Paa-ole, a large red cane with faint black stripes, and of 

 Purple Barrel cane from the same source, were to be found 

 on some plantations. 



In 1870, a variety known as the China cane was intro- 

 duced and soon generally adopted. This cane resembled in 

 many respects the current Uba type, particularly in its yellow 

 colouration, deeply rooting habit and large content of fibre, 

 but differed in its density of foliage and the resulting heavi- 

 ness of trash. At the end of ten years, and almost without 

 warning, the China cane succumbed to a species of smut 

 (rffilaf/ii sarc/iaii) and had to be discarded. 



Happily, however, for the immediate future of the 



industry, other varieties had been introduced about the year 

 1873, and were available to replace the former staple. They 

 included three types from Mauritius: l^udre d'or, a yellow 

 cane of considerable value; Bois Rouge, a red cane; and 

 Iscambine, a claret coloured, long-jointed variety; Home, 

 a ribbon cane which has been re-introduced within the past 

 few years from the West Indies, the Purple Queen, and the 

 Giraffe, a huge cane with very low sugar content. 



About 1880 a further introduction was arranged, and 

 included the Louisier, Port Mackay, Gold Dust, Rose Bamboo, 

 White Queen and White Tanna, a bud variation from the 

 Striped Tanna or Red Ribbon cane of Mauritius. Some of 

 the latter, together with the Green Natal, still exist on 

 a small scale on certain plantations, but are likely to 

 disappear altogether in the near future in favour of the Uba 

 cane and some excellent new seedling types. 



The Louisier, or Golden Cuba cane now shows a marked 

 tendency to unprofitable tonnage returns, and itsjuice is high * 

 in solids not sugars. The leaves, moreover, are covered with 

 prickles, which render harvesting a matter of great discomfort 

 to the labourers. The Rose Bamboo, distinguished by parallel 

 streaks of a brownish colour on the older joints, is a fine large 

 erect cane, withstanding storms well and yielding a heavy 

 tonnage. The immense leaves fall ofi" in maturity of their 

 own weight, leaving a tall erect stalk of rose colour. Like 

 the White Queen it is, however, low in sugar, and both types 

 for this reason have been extirpated from several plantations 

 during the past few years. 



Of the earlier introductions of the Uba cane, none 

 continues to hold any important place in modern planting; 

 and they have almost everywhere been supplanted by a variety, 

 the correct name of which is unknown, but which is here 

 called the Uba — a name, it is said, formed of the only letters 

 remaining legible on a damaged label attached to the variety 

 on its first arrival in the country. 



About ten years ago several varieties were introduced 

 from the West Indies, British Guiana, Mauritius, Queens- 

 land and Honolulu, the Department of Agriculture haviag 

 co-operated with the planters for their importation. Members 

 of the Inanda Association have taken a leading part in this 

 movement, and .several of the canes have been propagated 

 for distribution on their behalf by Mr. H. W. James, of 

 Verulam. These new canes include Antigua* B. 95, B. 109, 

 Deraerara D.74, D. 95, D.109, D.145, D 625; Queensland 

 No. 2, No. 3; Honolulu Rose Bamboo, Honolulu Lahaina 

 and Home. 



In March 1900, three types of Java cane, viz , No. 105„ 

 No. 147, and Cheribon were obtained by the Government 

 from La Sojietc Gi'nerale de.s Suereries et de la Raffinerie 

 d'Egypte, as representing the most profitable and satisfactory 

 crops raised for milling in that country. Later in the 

 same year, the Director of the Andebon Sugar Experiment 

 Station, Louisiana, kindly acceded to a request for a small 

 supply of the Zvvinga or .fapanese cane, which had been 

 very favourably reported upon by the local sugar press im 

 that State. Finally, in .March 1911, nine types, selected 

 from the canes under cultivation in the United Provinces 

 ot Agra and Oudh, were received from the Inspector- 

 General of Agriculture in India, including Kewalu from 

 Benares, Medrasi from Lucknow, Matua from Cawnpore, 

 Mango from Shanganj, Dhaura from Azangarch, Chin from 

 Rudanti, Kuswar from Partabgarch, Saranti from Basti, and 

 Agaul from Sultanpur. 



*[Probaljly B, ?5, B. 109 cuttings imported from Antigua, 

 —Ed. A.N.] 



