Vol. XV. No. 382. 



THE AGRTCULTUEAL NEWS. 



40.5 



BARBADOS SUGAR-CANE EXPERIMENTS, 

 1914-16. 



The report on the Barbados sugar-cane experi- 

 ments for the season 1914-](i records further progress 

 in regard to the establishment of seedlins: canes frivins: 

 increased returns per acre. The weather, on the whole, 

 was highly favourable for growth and arrowing, and 

 a large number of new seedlings were raised. Much 

 trouble, however, was occasioned, especially in the 

 manurial experiment plots by root grubs; so extensive 

 was the damage infiicted that it has prevented results 

 of a reliable kind being made available. 



The following are the comparative results obtained 

 with the different seedlings cultivated by the Depart- 

 ment during 1914-1(1: — 



In the black soil districts, the average yield of the White 

 Transparent from nineteen plots was 6,610 %. of muscovado 

 sugar* per acre. Of the varieties the seedling cane B. 4.578, 

 which came first, gave a yield of 10,5.31 Do. of muscovado 

 .sugar, an increase of 3,921 lb. over the White Transparent, 

 and an increased monetary gain of Sl-Hoo per acre. It may 

 however be mentioned that B.457S was only grown on one plot 

 at Hampton. W. No. 2 came next with 9,690 lb. of muscovado 

 sugar, an increase of 3,080 Do., worth 611119 per acre more 

 than the White Transparent. Ba. .'J97 came third with a yield 

 of 9,1 16 Db. of muscovado sugar, an increase of 2,506 ft. of the 

 value of •~?9 1 '47 per acre more than the White Transparent. 

 B. 16832 gave a yield of 9,0811b. of muscovado sugar, an in- 

 crease of 2,471 H)., equal to an increased monetary gainof •f89'20 

 per acre over the White Tran.sparent. Ba.6032 came next 

 with a yield of 8,938 B). of musfovado sugar, an increase of 

 2,328 lb. per acre worth .$84-04 more than the White Trans- 

 parent. Three other varieties, i!. 12619, B.6308 and B.6835 

 gave yields of 8,744 lb., 8,6701b., and 8,614 lb. of muscovado 

 sugar, and a monetary gain of •577-04 $74-37 and 872-35 over 

 the White Transparent. Ten other varieties mentioned in 

 the table gave increased yields over the White Transparent of 

 from 1,964 lb. to 176 Bb. of muscovado sugar valued at from 

 $70-90 to 86-35 per acre. 



On the red soils, as will be seen from Table VIII, the 

 average yield of the White Tran.sparent as plant canes was 

 5,814 8). of muscovado sugar per acre, while .some of the 

 better seedling canes gave much higher yields. For instance, 

 the seedling cane B.6450 gave a yield of 8,793 lb. of musco- 

 vado sugar per acre, an increased return compared with the 

 White Transparent of 2,979 D&., equal in value to 8107-53 

 per acre. Ba. 6032 came next with 8,073 lb. of muscovado 

 sugar per acre, an increase of 2,259 ib. of the value of 

 $81-55. With Ba. 2471 the increase is 1,836 Dt). of musco- 

 vado sugar per acre, of the value of $66-28. For B.3922 

 the increase is 1,692 ft)., and for B. 376, 1,096 lb. of 

 muscovado sugar, worth $61-08 and 839-56, respectively, 

 per acre more than the White Transparent. Three other 

 varieties, Ba. 3787, 1!. 6308, and B. 16832, gave increased 

 yields valued at from .$31-08 to $2277 per acre more than 

 the White Transparent. 



On the red soils as plants, first and second ratoons, 

 grown during the season under review, the White Transparent 

 gave 15,760 Bb. of muscovado sugar, worth at 83-61 per 

 100 ft., 8568-94 for the three crops. B. 6450 gave 20,976 ft. 

 of muscovado sugar, an increase of 5,216 ft., worth for the 

 three crops $188-30 more than the White Transparent. 



*100 ft. saccharose is taken as eiiiial to 80 It. of muscovado 

 siiijar with its molasses. 



B. 3922 came next with a yield of 19,286 ft. of muscovado 

 sugar, an increa.5e of 3,526 ft., worth 8127-29 more than the 

 White Transparent. With B 16832 and B. 6308 the 

 increases are 1,699 ft. and 1,393 ft. of muscovado sugar 

 per acre over the White Transparent, worth respectively 

 $61-33 and $-50-28 for three crops. B. 376 and Ba. 3787 

 gave 670 ft. and 84 ft. more than the White Transparent, 

 worth respectively 824- 18 and $3 03 for the three crops. 



Referring to Table X giving the average results of some 

 of the better varieties for the past five years, it will be 

 observed that on the black soils the White Transparent, 

 which came out thirtieth amongst all the varieties cultivated 

 in the black .soils, gave an average yield of 4,920 ft. of 

 muscovado sugar per acre on the average for the five years 

 1912-16. Ba. 6032, which heads the list, gave a yield 

 of 7,728 ft. of mu.scovado sugar, an increa.se of 2,808 ft. 

 per acre, worth at 8241, the average price at which muscovado 

 sold for that period, 867-67 more per acre per annum than 

 the White Transparent. Ba. 5930 came nest with a yield 

 of 7,080 ft. of muscovado sugar per acre, worth $5 2 06 on 

 the average for the five years more than the White Trans- 

 parent. B. 12619 gave a yield of 6,920 ft. of muscovado 

 sugar, an increase of 2,000 ft., worth 84820 per acre per 

 annum more than the White Transparent. Ba. 597, B.630S, 

 and B.6450 gave increased yields of 1,780 ft., 1,581 ft., and 

 1,482 ft. of mu.scovado sugar worth respectively 842-90, 

 $38-10, and 835-72 more per acre per annum than the 

 White Transparent. 



In the red .soils, the White Transparent as plant canes ■ 

 for the five years gave an average of 5,321 ft. of muscovado 

 sugar per acre. B. 6450, which heads the list, gave a yield 

 of 7,791 ft. of muscovado sugar per acre, an increa.se of 

 2,470 ft. worth 85953 more per acre per annum than the 

 White Transparent. B. 3922 came next with a yield of 

 6,538 ft., an increase of ],217 ft. of muscovado sugar, worth 

 82933 per acre per annum more than the White Tran.sparent. 



In order to .see how the newer seedling canes 

 actually in cultivation compare throughout the i^land 

 with White Transparent, the standard cane, forms were 

 sent out to a large nutnber of estates and were returned 

 with the necessary information. 



In the black soil districts the mean average yields of the 

 plant canes were as follows, viz., the B.6450 from 1.949-58 

 acres, 33-02 tons of canes per acre; the B.376 from 362-75 

 acres, 29-48 tons of canes per acre; the B.147 from 157-49 

 acres, 2804 tons of canes per acre; and the White Tran.spar- 

 ent from 149-60 acres 27-71 tons of canes per acre,difterences 

 in yield over the White Transparent of 531, 1-77 and 0-33 

 tons per acre, respectively. 



Attention is called to new seedlings worthy of 

 being introduced into cultivation. 



At the present time there are three seedlings which 

 appear to be worthy of being tried under ordinary planta- 

 tion conditions, we give the results obtained with them so 

 that planters may, if they think fit, cultivate them tentatively 

 on their estates. These varieties are — Ba. 6032, Ba. 7924 

 and B.H. 10 (12). Ba.6032 has given, as the average for 

 three seasons, from thirty-four plots, 1-429 ft. of .saccharo.se 

 per acre more than the B.(i450, and 3,177 ft. of saccharose- 

 per acre more than the White Transparent; Ba. 7921 has 

 given in the same fields, on the average for three seasons, 

 1,634ft. of saccharose more than the B.6450, and 3,103 ft-, 

 per acre more than the White Transparent, while B.H 10 

 (12) has given 3,496 ft of saccharose more than B. 6450 an..l 

 5,422 ft. more than the White Transparent. 



