Vol. XV. No. 380. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



37r 



constructing suitable inachine.s is being made under the 

 stimulus of war: in the second place their employment 

 is becoming more extensive from the same cause, and 

 in one instance at least, this has led to a successful 

 demonstration of co-operative ownership. The last fact 

 to be noted is that alcohol from molasses might be used 

 for fuel instead of petrol, thereby securing a cheap and 

 locally-produced article. 



CROP CONDITIONS IN BARBADOS. 



In the Agricultural Reporter of Barbados for November 

 4, a statement is given as to weather condition.s, and the 

 progres.s of sugar-cane cultivation in that island during the 

 month of October and up to the above-mentioned date. It 

 is shown that the total rainfall for the year to date exceeds 

 that of 1915, between 70 and 75 inches having been recorded 

 in the Scotland di.strict. In spite, however, of the very 

 heavy and continuous rains, there has not been any serious 

 flooding or damage to crop.?, and a remarkable feature noted, 

 has been a continued absence of thunder "and lightning, and, 

 since October 10, of high winds. 



The cane crop has made excellent progress, and, as far 

 as the Reporter s knowledge goes, is very fr(>e from disease of 

 any kind. The length of cane is all that could be de.sired at 

 this season of the year, and planters everywhere are e.t pres.s- 

 ing satisfaction with the condition of the crops. The plant 

 canes are both thick and well advanced. B.6450 particularly 

 is attracting attention. This cane is said to grow very 

 rapidly at this stage, and its vigour is conserved by its 

 almost absolute freedom from arrows. 



Opportunity is taken to correct an erroneous statement 

 in a previous report in regard to the variety Ba.6032 

 sending up spikey blades as though it meant to flower, but 

 actual flowering very seldom occurring. 'It is now quite 

 evident,' says the Reporter, 'that this cine will arrow freely 

 as a plant cane if planted early, and as a ratoon, when the 

 old crop is removed early in the reaping season.' This is 

 said to be the experience as regards both the black and the 

 red soils. The variety is spoken of by some planters as an 

 excellent and grateful cane. 



The rains have been exces.sive for some of the lowlying 

 fields of ratoons in the heavy soils. These had a late start 

 and were not strong enough to make headway against the 

 excessive moisture. 



As the result of the heavy rains, cultivation is in 

 a backward condition for next season's crop. On several 

 days during the month of October no work of any kind 

 could be done, and this has considerably increased the 

 difficulty of subduing the rapidly spreading devil's grass and 

 other weeds. It is said that one factor that has contributed 

 to backwardness in the preparation, is the shortage of labour 

 in the cane Selds, which made it necessary to utilize farm- 

 labourers in the reaping of the crops. This also is said 

 to have prevented a more extensive use of bush from the 

 gullies and hillsides in the making up of pen manure by 

 spreading on cattle pens, or turning in direct to the soil as 

 a green dressing. 



The new .seedling canes B.6450., J'.a.6032, and Ba.7924 

 are being adverti.sed for sale at ^Oc. per hole, and B.H. 10 (12) 

 at 50c. per hole or 75c. per 100. The last mentioned, it is 

 stated, is a cane that does not arrow; it bunches well and 

 .stands up firmly. 



THE SUGAR-CANE IN QUEENSLAND. 



The Annual Report of the Bureau of Sugar Experi- 

 ment Stations in Queensland is abstracted as follows in 

 the Experiment Station Record (\6[. ,35, No. 3.): — 

 This report reviews the progress of the cane-sugar 

 industry of Queensland and the production of cane and 

 .sugar in 1915. The experimental work carried on at the 

 Central Sugar Experiment Station at Mackay, the Southern 

 Sugar Experiment Station at Bundaberg, and in other parts 

 of the State, is briefly noted. 



Experiments were conducted to determine the best 

 system of treating ratoons. The different treatments included 

 leaving the trash on the ground and allowing the cane to 

 volunteer, burying the trash between the rows, shifting the 

 trash in every other space between the rows and cultivating 

 the cleared spaces, and burning the trash and opening the 

 middles with plough and subsoiler to a depth of from 16 to 

 IS inches. Under the conditions of a .severe drought, leavini{ 

 the trash gave the best results, but the preceding year, when 

 conditions were normal, burning the trash and giving deep 

 cultivation, which is the station method, proved most 

 profitable. It is concluded from the results that ploughing 

 under trash in the ratoons does not pay. 



The results of a variety test showed thatQ.813 ranked 

 first in sugar content followed by Q.990 and Q.137. 

 Experiments with canes from the Queensland Acclimatization 

 Society were continued, and the second ratoon crop was 

 harvested. Badila Seedling and Hybrid No. 1 gave the 

 highest percentage of pure obtainable cane sugar. 



Different cultural methods compared resulted in the 

 highest total yield of plant crop of 1914 and the first ratoon 

 crop of 1915 on the plat giving cultivation with broad hoes, 

 and on the one cultivated with a light drill harrow fitted 

 with straight sharp tines. In a test to determine whether 

 cane sets cut from arrowed canes have a prejudicial effect 

 on the germination and .subsequent yield, it was found that 

 the cane from arrowed cane sets not only produced a greater 

 stand of cane but also a greater yield 



Analytical tests to determine the commercial value of a 

 number of generally yrown varieties showed that HQ. 426 and 

 Badila gave much better yields of pure obtainable cane sugar 

 than Goru, Cheribon, Malabar, and Otamite. Eirly or late 

 planting apparently had no effect on the average sugar 

 content of Cheribon, Malabar, and Otamite, while in the 

 other three varieties, the late planting gave better average 

 analyses. In a .second test HQ. 426 and Badila also ranked 

 first. 



The Mackay station laboratory reported tables of 

 analyses showing the quantities of lime, potash, phosphoric 

 acid, and nitrogen removed in crops of cane of the weight 

 grown. It was shown that more potash is removed than 

 nitrogen, lime, and phosphoric acid. 



At the Southern Sugar Experiment Station at Bundaberg, 

 planting cane in rows 5, 6 or 7 feet apart showed that the 

 closer planting produced the better yields. It was further 

 found that planting tops only gave much better results than 

 planting middles or bottoms and middles. The results of 

 cultural tests were in favour of subsoiling, but the cost was 

 too high to be profitable. Cane volunteered through trash, 

 owing to a dry season, gave the largest margin of profit, but 

 this method is not advised, as under normal conditions culti- 

 vation usually gives much better results. Analyses of burnt 

 canes indicated that the cane did not depreciate to any extent 

 during the first forty-eight hours, after which the glucose 

 content began to increase rapidly until the tenth day, wiien 

 it had increased almost twenty times as much as ia the 

 original. The loss in weight of cane and in the purity of thfr 

 juice was also considerable. 



