Vol. IX. No. 203. 



THE AGIIICULTUKAL NEWS. 



3.5 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



SEEDLING CANES IN PORTO RICO. 



The following tiicts in connexion with the sugar- 

 cHiie varieties most commonly grown in Porto Rico are 

 taken from a recent paper b)' Dr. D. W. May, the 

 Special Agent in Charge of the Porto Rico Agricultural 

 Experiment Station : — 



The three most common varieties now grown in Porto 

 Rico are the Crystallina, the Otaheite, or White, and the 

 Rayaclo, or Striped. One variety will prove best in one 

 locylity, and prevail, while in other sections another will do 

 best. Again, it is often found advisable to change the 

 variety on a certain piece of land. It appears {hat not only 

 does the rotation of the crop prove advisable, but that often 

 a change in the variety will prove of advantage. 



Two lesser known varieties in Porto Rico are the I'enang, 

 and Conangerie, or French, cane. The former grows well in 

 very heavj' wet lands, and the latter is very free from disease. 

 The French cane is said to have been introduced from 

 Mauritius during a time when disease was rampant, in the 

 seventies. Neither of these two canes is in the first class as 

 sugar producers. 



The Experiment Station and Gaanica Central are grow- 

 ing new varieties of cane from the seed in the arrow. 

 Several thousand of these have already been produced, but 

 .sutticient time has not elapsed to test them thoroughly as 

 sugar producers. In the meantime, a number of .seedling 

 canes ))roduced and tested by the British stations have been 

 under trial. A few comments on the.«e will doubtless pro\e 

 interesting.' 



A great many cuttings from thes-" canes have been sent 

 to planters in different sections of Porto Rico, and have been 

 very favourably received. On the whole, they have proved 

 superior to the old varieties, not only in showing increased 

 sugar production, but in general hardiness and freedom 

 from disease. 



The laboratory tests, while of course, inconclusive, have 

 .shown a fair average increase in sucrose over the old 

 varieties. Some mill tests made by the Guanica Central also 

 showed very favourably for the seedling canes. 



At the Experiment Station the following canes have 

 given excellent results: D.9.5, D.117, B.347 and B. 1,3.5.5. 

 As resistant to drought, T.77, D.117, B.3t7 and B.3,289 

 have done well on the south side. 



On the east end of the island, the preliminary tests of 

 seedling canes have been very satisfactory. So far as tested, 

 they are ranked as follows: T.77, P..3,2b9, B.317, D.117, 

 1).95. 



In I.,ouisiana, D.7-t is highly considered. In Porto 

 I'lico, however, while very sweet, this cane does not grow 

 large enough, as it ripens early. 



It is well suited to a short-growing season like that in 

 Louisiana. Guanica Central, on the .south side of Porto Rico, 

 has now several hundred acres of seedling canes growing. 

 The following results obtained there are of interest and 

 value: — 



Ponce District, canes i)lanted 5h feet by 5i feet, 

 Oct., 1907; harvested Dec. 22 and 23, 1908. All varieties 

 fertilized, irrigated and cultivated alike. Weights taken at 

 mill:— 



Tons per Sucrose, 



Cane. acre. per cent. Purity. 



Otaheite 56 38 12-7 SO-9 



T.77 65-42 151 830 



D.117 56-45 15-4 832 



D.95 52-77 15-8 873 



B.1,753 52-99 12-8 785 



Crystallina 5208 134 79-3 



D.74 4901 17-6 884 



W. Bamboo 4752 13-2 78-1 



Tibboo Merd 43 46 13-6 83-3 



Hacienda Monserrate, canes planted 5J feet by 5A feet, 

 Sept. 25, 1907; harvested Dec. 29, 1908. All varieties 

 fertilized and cultivated alike : — 



Tons per 

 Cane. acre. 



White Bamboo 64-66 



D. 117 64-60 



B. 347 60-24 



TibbooMerd 5251 



D. 95 60-48 



D. 74 54-27 



F. 2 12-85 



IMPLEMENTAL TILLAGE IN 



ST. VINCENT. 



In the last number but oneof the AfjrtculturalXe.ivs, 

 an abstract of the report of the Agricultural Instructor 

 for St. Vincent, on his visit to Antigua in connexion with 

 implemental tillage was given. Since tnat report was 

 made, implements for the purpose have been imported 

 into the island, and trials have been made with them, 

 as appears from the following account, which is taken 

 from the St. Vincent Sevti-y of the 7th instant: — 



At the invitation of his Honour the Administrator, 

 a large party of planters, and others, were present at a most 

 interesting, and instructive, demonstration in implemental 

 tillage at Arnos Vale Estate on Wednesday last. Among 

 those present, besides the Administrator, and the local 

 Officers of the Agricultural Department, were his Honour 

 the Chief Justice, the llon'bles J. B. Kernaham, C. J. 

 Simmons and D. A. McDonald; Messrs. A. Smith, 

 W. C. Hutchinson, J. A. Robinson, Alex. Eraser, 

 G. Robertson, J. Punnett and F. Corea. 



The work already done on the 9-acre experiment plot 

 was inspected first of all. This field had been put in banked 

 cultivation solely by the different implements recently obtain- 

 ed by the Imperial Department of Agriculture. Tho.se pres- 

 ent expressed themselves very favourably on the results 

 obtained. After the plot had been examined, the following 

 implements were used on an adjoining plot ol land which had 

 been close-ploughed: — U-bar harrow, «^"uban double mould- 

 board fluke, Orleans disc cultivator, and union corn drill or 

 cotton planter. 



These implements clearly demonstrated the method of 

 preparing lands for cane and cotton, and showed how quickly 

 and thoroughly the work was done. 



Towards the close of the afternoon the Planet Junior 

 horse-hoe, and orchard harrow were used in a field of plant 

 canes, and here again, the value of implements for weeding 

 and moulding the young j)lants was clearly seen. 



We understood that already, as a result of the experi- 

 ment, several implements are being ordered at an early date 

 by planters for trial on their estates. 



