Vol. XI. No. 259. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



99 



the same condition.s as cotton. For this purpose the 

 Indian sann (Hibiscus cannahinuy) [sunn hemp] or 

 H. Sabdarirr'a [sorrel] naturally suggest themselves.' 



The latter part of the Memoir gives attention to 

 several other matters of interest that are bound up 

 with the subject under discussion. It will be sufficient 

 here, however, to present the main conclusions that are 

 reached: ' Firstly, that a considerable degree of steril- 

 ity results from self-fertilization repeated through 

 a number of successive generations; and, secondly, that 

 cross-fertilizition takes place to a ccmsiderable extent, 

 though the greater portion of this is lithited to neigh- 

 bouring plants.' 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



OPENING OP THE ST. KITTS (BASSETERRE) 

 SUGAR FACTORY. 



The following account of the opening of the 

 St. Kitts Sugar Factory has been received from 

 Mr. H. A. Tempany, B.Sc, Superintendent of Agri- 

 culture for the Leeward Islands: — 



The new central sugar factory in St. Kitts was formally 

 opened on Tuesday, February 20, I!) 12. The undertaking 

 is the work of a company which owes its origin to Messrs. 

 Henckell du Buisson i Co., of 18, Laurence Pountney Lane, 

 E.C., who are largely interested in it, and to whom the ori- 

 gination of the central factory at Gunthorpes, Antigua, was 

 also due. The latter is the pioneer sugar central factory of 

 the smaller British West Indian islands. The St. Kitts 

 factory has originated as the result of its uninterrupted career 

 of successful operation. 



This is situated in the Bas-eterre valley, about 1 mile 

 from the town, and its cane-supply is at present derived from 

 the estates situated in the valley adjoining it, and on the 

 leeward coast of the island. It is contemplated th-it during 

 coming years the operations of the factory will be e.xtended 

 to include a considerable number of the estates on the wind- 

 ward side of the island. The plant is of modern design, 

 Messrs. Mirrlees, Watson A Co., Ltd., of Gla.sgow, being 

 responsible for its construction. 



The mill is of the fourteen roller pattern, comprising 

 a Krajewski crusher and a train of four three-roller mills. It 

 is estimated that the factory is at present capable of producing 

 8,000 tons of giey crystal sugar, but provision is made for 

 further e.xtension to 10,000 to 12,000 tons, as its maximum 

 output. 



The constptctional work has been in progress during the 

 past eight months, and has been carried out with remarkable 

 expedition and success. The engineer in charge has been 

 Mr. A. Love, from Messrs. Mirrlees, AVatson it Co. 



At the opening ceremony a large number of guests was 

 present, upward of 220 invitations having been issued by the 

 factory authorities. Among those present were His Honour 

 T. L. Roxburgh, C.M.G., Administrator of St. Kitts, the 

 Honourable Dr. F. Watts, C.M.G., Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, Mr. G. Moody Stuart, a director of the factory, 

 and the Hon. E. du Boulay (St. Lucia). 



His Excellency Sir E. B. Sweet-Escott, K.C.M.G., 

 Governor of the Colony, was unavoidably absent on the 

 occasion, on account of his impending early departure to 

 administer the Government of Fiji. 



At 12 o'clock, the mills were set in motion by Mrs. 

 Moody Stuart, and the first canes ground, amid loud applause. 

 Subsequently the guests inspected the factory and were after- 

 wards entertained at luncheon by the factory authorities 



During the proceedings, Mr. Moody Stuart, on behalf of 

 the constructing company, gave an account of the undertak- 

 ing. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Stuart, after wel- 

 coming those present, briefly reviewed the events which led 

 to the erection of the factory, and in passing paid a tribute 

 to the memory of the late Mr. P. A. Wade, one of the planters 

 most largely interested in the scheme, and from whom origin- 

 ated the proposals which had resulted in the erection of the 

 factory. 



Mr. Stuart then enunciated the principle on which the 

 factory was founded, which was cooperation between grower 

 and manufacturer. He pointed out that it was not by decreas- 

 ing the cost of production but by increasing the output of 

 sugar that central factories were able to efiect economies. 

 He gave an account of the benefits which had resulted from 

 the introduction of the central factory system into Antigua; 

 .■similar benefits should now ensue in St. Kitts Finally, he 

 referred to the question of labour supply, pointing out that 

 there was likely to be no reduction in the amount of labour 

 required in consequence of the introduction of the factory 

 system; what was looked for, rather, was more productive 

 work as the result of the introduction of labour-saving 

 appliances. 



In conclusion, he paid a tribute to the work of the staff 

 which had so efficiently carried out the labour of construction. 



Subsequently, numerous toasts were drun^, among the 

 speakers being His Honour T. I,. Roxburgh, Mr. Moody 

 Stuart, the Hon. Dr. F. Watts, the Hon. E. du Boulay, the 

 Hon. J. T. Manchester, Messr.s. Dobridge, Hardtman, Love, 

 and M. Moody Stuart. 



Afterwards, a considerable number of the guests .proceed- 

 ed on special cars for a short trip on the railway system 

 attached to the factory. 



The event must rank as one of the first importance ~in 

 the history of the Leeward Islands Colony, marking as it does 

 a further step in the transition from old-fashioned methods of 

 sugar manufacture to those that are modern and economical. 

 The new regime, inaugurated by the Gunthorpes Factory, 

 Antigua, in 1904, has now made a further step forward, and 

 one which undoubtedly must result in increased prosperity 

 to the Presidency of St. Kitts-Xevis, and to the Colony of the 

 Leeward Islands as a whole. There appears no reason to 

 doubt that the present occasion will constitute the forerunner 

 of further important developments in the same direction, in 

 the future. 



A note in the International Sugar Journal for Febj udij- 

 1912 gives attention to a claim that has been made by an 

 investigator that he has devised a method of determining the 

 quantity of sucrose in sugar factory products by observations 

 on the amount of carbon dioxide evolved when the sucrose is 

 oxidized with chromic and sulphuric acids. As basic lead acet- 

 ate cannot be used for defecation, in the process, lead nitrate 

 (Herles's reagent) is employed instead. It is said that the 

 results obtained are equal in accuracy to those found by 

 direct polarization. 



