June j, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRlCULTURXSf. 



'm 



Bernard and L. Ehrmann first used phosphoric acid 

 with the aid of which they obtained sugar that 

 rivalled in whiteness, the best refined sugar. 



II. If from this general exposition of the origin 



and developement of the colonial sugar enterprize 

 we pass on to what was its past history in our 

 colony, we shall see that it was not till towards 

 1735 during the time of Labeurdonnais that sugar 

 cane commenced to be of commercial importance 

 and that it was only in 1836 with the introduction 

 of Indian labourers in Mauritius that the sugar in- 

 dustry began to develope itself to such an extent 

 as to become in a few years the one great enterprize 

 which attained its apogceum in 1863, the year in 

 which the crop reached the figure of 316 millions 

 of pounds. 



The principal varieties of cane cultivated at JMauri- 

 tius have been 



let. The white cane of Ota'iti ; 



2nd. the bambu cane or Batavia care; 



3rd, the Gingham — or ribboned cane ; 



4th. Belouguet cane, or the violet cane of Java ; 



5th. Creole cane, small with very close joints ; 



6th. Mozambique cane, dark in colour, and leaves 

 tinged with deep brown. 



Of these different kinds, the white cane was most 

 generally cultivated, and until 1848 it formed at least 

 nine-tenths of the plantations. At this time a peculiar 

 disease, called the white disease, broke out on the 

 white cane, so that very soon after the planters 

 were obliged to abandon the cultivation of this 

 variety, which previously had been considered the 

 most advantageous. As there was then a prejudice 

 unfavourale to coloured cane, efforts were made to 

 obtain new species of white cane from Java, and two 

 kinds were received from that country, the Penang 

 and the Diard, which for many years were in great 

 esteem, but before long they were given up in favour 

 of the Belouguet previously despised, but which soon 

 became recognized as the most productive of all 

 the kinds introduced up to that time. 



Previous to this period, that is to say until to- 

 wards 1855 the cultivation of cane was confined to 

 the sea coast of the island. In these low grounds, 

 sufiiciently watered, the cane generally flourished with 

 exceptional vigour, in a rich deep soil, and, without 

 manure, gave numerous successive crops. In virgin 

 soil from 15 to 20 crops, and on second planting from 

 8 to 10 crops. Two or three years of change of 

 cultivation for peas or " embrevattes " (called in 

 Ceylon the Angola pea) were afterwards suflBcient 

 to renovate the soil. So soon as the cultivators went 

 further from the coast, the conditions became very 

 much changed. The soil which was neither so deep 

 nor so rich, yielded, without manure, but very in- 

 ferior returns to those from the coast lands. The 

 planted canes gave but two or three crops and the 

 manufacture presented great difficulties, consequent 

 on the frequent rains, which hindered the drying of 

 the sugar. 



Two new introductions, that of the turbine an'* 

 that of guano of Peru came to change this stat® 

 of things. Whilst on one hand, the employment o^ 

 the turbine obviated the necessity of drying in the 

 sun, and facilitated the manipulation in rainy districts; 

 the Peruvian manure tripled the returns obtained 

 Jn moist and elevated regions. The consequence was 

 that the forests which in 1S55 still clothed a large 

 portion of the centre of the island were gradually 

 felled to make room for cane plantations. 



The result of this agricultural revolution was the 

 displacement of the sugar industry. The island in 

 general was desiccated by the destruction of the 

 forests, the coast lands ceased to be sufficiently 

 watered to afford remunerative crops, and a great 

 tiumber of estates in this portion of the island were 

 successively abandoned. The aggregate produce of 

 the country, however, increased, as we have already 

 said up to 1863, the period of its apognoum. After 

 that commenced the era of trials. The Pnlouguet 

 cane after having produced so well, became effected 

 in its turn, as well as the kinds called Penang and 

 pifxCtf it became necessary to t'S'll back on the 



Bambu and Gingham kinds which were notoriously 

 inferior, and which, after a few years, were in their turn 

 .ittacked by the same mysterious disease, which un- 

 der forms varying with the kinds attacked, caused 

 such disastrous loss to our agriculture. To provide 

 against this eventuality, which had been foreseen, 

 means for introducing fresh canes had been organized 

 on a methodical system, and over two hundred new 

 species or varieties were successively introduced, 

 which rendered it possible to form fresh plantations. 



It is worthy of remark that among all the new 

 kinds of cane, a very few species were found fit to 

 be compared as regarded production to the old 

 kinds previously introduced and none were superior. 

 At the same time that our different kinds of cane 

 were successively attacked by disease, the planters 

 of Mauritius found themselves called upon to struggle 

 against new difficulties of another order. 



The deposits of guano on the Chincha Islands 

 became exhausted, and Peru only exported guano 

 of inferior quality — which gave rise to the form- 

 ation of establishments for making chemical manure, 

 much more costly and greatly inferior to the old guano 

 of Peru. 



It has been said that misfortunes never come 

 single. The truth of this aphorism has verified itself, 

 as far as our sugar industry is concerned. To the 

 diseases of the caue, and the increase in the cost 

 of manure has succeeded a crisis in the market 

 which has for several years struck at the sugar 

 industry in all producing countries; a crisis to which 

 it is impossible to assign a limit, and of which it is 

 equally impossible to foresee the ultimate con- 

 sequences. 



After having viewed the origin, the developement 

 and the present state of our sugar industry, it 

 remains for us to inquire as to what are its present 

 necessities, and the way towards which it is desir- 

 able to direct it, so that it may be placed in a 

 position to sustain the struggle for existence, which 

 is at the present moment imposed on all sugar 

 producing countries. 



0. B, 

 {To he Continued.) 



TPvOPICAL FEUITS IN THE KEW MUSEUM. 



In connection with the subject of tropical fruits 

 recently brought before the Koyal Colonial Institute 

 by Mr. Morris, and referred to in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle for February 26 last, it may be useful to 

 those interested in the matter to know that most 

 of the fruits under review, as well as others not 

 mentioned, but which might prove of equal value, are 

 to be found in the Kew Museum. The collection of 

 tropical fruits preserved in fluid has always been a 

 distinct feature of the Economic IMuseum at Kew. Those 

 sent home by Henshall and Kattau from the Malay 

 Archipelago some thirty years since were not only 

 remarkably good specimens, but, up to a certain point, 

 were very complete. The addition of fresh specimens, 

 acquired from various collectors and botanic gardens, 

 as well as from the several Exhibitions — notably the 

 Health Exhibition and the recent Colonial and Indian 

 Exhibition — has made the Kew collection unique in 

 this respect. It may, perhaps, be remembered that 

 at the Health Exhibition, Siam made a great display 

 of native fruits, extremely well preserved in a solu- 

 tion of salt and water, the whole of which collection 

 was made over by the Siamese Commission at the 

 close of the Exhibition to the Kew Museum. This 

 collection placed many of the fruits of the East in 

 an entirely new light; some notes on them and othera , 

 in the Kew Museum may therefore not be without 

 interest at the present time. 



The 8iam collection included some very fine speci* 

 mens of the commoner or better-known tropical fruits, 

 such as the Mango, Mangosteen, the Auonas, &c.; but 

 it is to those that are less known that we wish to 

 draw especial attention, and for this purpose it will 

 no doubt lie more generally useful to the readers of 

 the Gai'dciiers' Chronicle if we refer to the individual 

 fruitb under their several oatura] orders, 



