Vol. XV. No. 375. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



291 



■which maj- be supplied by small settlers, as they now grow 

 32 per cent, of those under cultivation, it is certain that they 

 ■would greatly extend their operations as soon as a means of 

 disposing of the canes profitably is established. 



It is very desirable that sugar cultivation should be 

 extended on a large scale not only as a means of developing 

 the country and of enriching it> inhabitants, but for the 

 purpose of re-establishing trade with the mother countrj-, 

 and of developing it with Canada, instead of depending 

 almost entirely on trade with a foreign country. 



The extreme susceptibility of fruit to destruction by 

 hurricane or even by moderate gales renders the banana 

 industry subject to frequent and serious disasters, and the 

 extension of sugar cultivation one of the staple crops of the 

 ■world would exercise a stabilizing effect on the financial 

 affairs of the colony. 



In order to ensure tlie best results careful organisation 

 and the command of capital are essential, and in the face of 

 the hopeless struggle of planters in the past against the 

 conditions brought about by the fiscal measures of the 

 Mother country and the stimulation of beet production on the 

 Continent by bounties, unassisted individual effort would not 

 be capable of securing the capital required from Great 

 Britain. 



The present indications are that if anytaing considerable 

 is to be done by private enterprise it will be accomplished by 

 American capitalists who already control the banana and 

 coco-nut industries. 



In these circumstances the committee recommend press- 

 ing on the Government the advisability of controlling the 

 industry by erecting Government factories, debentures being 

 issued for the purpo.se, and arranging with cane farmers 

 (large and small) to sell canes to the factories on a ih or 

 5 per cent, basis plus 7-5 per cent, of the nett profits, after 

 paying the working expenses, interest on capital invested, 

 2 per cent sinking fund, and 5 per cent, for depreciation, 

 the remaining 2b per cent of the profits accruing to General 

 revenue (on a sale of canes on a .5 percent, basis the planter 

 would receive 12s. per ton for canes when the price of sugar 

 is £12 per ton.) 



That .such a scheme would pay with a £2 10.s. prefer- 

 ence as suggested by the West India Committee .seems assured 

 in view of the experiences of the Antigua factory where, 

 without preference, after manufacturing -50,474 tons of sugar 

 and having paid £19,673 in interest and £41 000 in redemp- 

 tion of debentures and as a sinking or reserve fund, 

 £34,113 was added by way of half profits to the prices paid 

 for canes and a like amount paid over to the shareholders of 

 the factory. 



In considering the question of a preference the Com- 

 mittee thinks it opportune to tender a few remarks. 



The average sugar crops of German and Austria Hun- 

 gary are: — Germany, 2| millions: Austria-Hungary, Ij mil- 

 lion tons. That is 4i million tons. 



Even although production may have been reduced 

 during the war, there will probably be a large accumulation 

 of unconsumed sugar ready to be dumped on the markets of 

 the world at the close of the war. 



If safeguards are not provided the effect of this wholesale 

 dumpmg will be serious. The .safeguards should be such as 

 not merely to protect British producers against the post-war 

 dumping, but to encourage the [ii eduction of sugar in the 

 Empire so as to render it independent of enemy production. 



Mr. Hughes, the Premier of Australia, suggests an 

 agreement by the British Government to purchase from each 

 colony up to a named quantity at a minimum price. 



The consumption in Great Britain is considerably over 

 one million, and of Canada about 300,000 tons per annum. 



THE JAVAN SUGAR CROP, 1915. 



Dr Prinsen Geerligs' European Xews Letter in the 

 Louisiana Planter (.luly 22, 1916) contains the following 

 information relative to the Javan sugar crop for the year 

 191.3: — 



'The area planted with cane for the year 1915 amounted 

 to 373,515 acres against 364,380 acres in 1914, thus .showing 

 an increase of 9,135 acres or 2 '5 per cent. The number of 

 active factories was 166, or the same number as in the year 

 before. 



'The total sugar production amounted to 1,298,307 long 

 tons, against 1,382,816 in 1914 and 1,442 884 tons in 

 1913. This shows a stead}' decrease in the total production, 

 notwithstanding the slightly increased sowed area. 



'This sad fact is due both to a poor tonnage and a poor 

 rendiment, as the output of cane on an average over the 

 ■svhole island in 1915 was only 95,386 kilos per hectare or 

 38'25 long tons per acre, against 40'2 tons of cane per acre 

 in 1914 and 41-42 in 1913. 



'The rendiment of sugar, calculated as refining crystals 

 of 96 5 polarization in 1915 was only 9-15 per cent, against 

 9-28 per cent, in 1914 and 9-56 per cent, in 1913. This 

 brings the total sugar production on an average over Java for 

 1915 to 8.729 kilos per hectare or 7,840 BE), per acre,, 

 against 8,512 lb. per acre in 1914, and 8,950 in 1913. 



Next to this amount of sugar the island exported no less, 

 than 129,585 tons of solidified molasses, while the figure for- 

 that exportation during 1914 was 96,281 tons, and 66,809 im 

 1913. This shows quite a doubling of the exportation of 

 that by-produce in two years' time. The assortment of the 

 sugar delivered was: white plantation sugar, 48 per cent.; 

 refining cry.stals, basis 98 polarization, 35 per cent.: refining 

 crystals, basis 99 polarization, 14 per cent.; seconds 

 4, thirds 21 and fourth sugars 05 per cent. Half of the 

 production of first sugar has, therefore, been made in planta- 

 tion whites destined for direct consumption, while the other 

 half had to undergo a refining process before entering into 

 consumption. The total percentage of first sugars was 97 

 per cent, and only 3 per cent, after-products, really a very fine 

 proportion, doing credit to the skill of the manufacturers.. 

 One factory has made more than 25,000 long tons of sugar, 

 three made between 15,000 and 20,000, twenty-six between 

 10,000 and 15,000 tons, the greater part of the establLsh- 

 ments, viz. 109, produced between 5,000 and 10,000 tons, 

 while the balance of forty-seven establishments made under 

 5,000 tons. 



The biggest output per hectare is mentioned from 

 Sempahvadak, viz. 12,941 kilos per hectare, while the next 

 best, which made wliite plantation sugar only, the Bantoo 

 estate, produced 12,802 kilos of that description per hectare, 

 equivalent with 5-10 long tons per acre. From other sources 

 we learn the following data about the quality of the cane 

 in that island during 1915. The percentage of sugar in the 

 cane was again lower th'-in in any former year, this time being 

 only ir63 per cent, while in the already reputedly bad year 

 1914 it had been 11'91. The quotient of purity of the raw 

 juice was, however, slightly better being, on an average, 82'0 

 against 804 in 1914. 



The fibre content of the cane was higher than in any other 

 year, but that may depend on the new method for determin- 

 ing that figure, giving better values than the former ones, 

 which were always too low. The quotient of purity of the 

 final molasses is .slightly over 32 points, a very good 

 result of the factory work. 



