6o6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[January i, 1883. 



estates, but appearance must be sacrificed to utility. As 

 a result of this system of weeding, I may be allowed to 

 mention tUat the coffee is flourishing, and I have now a 

 fine friable mould from the decomposing weeds, instead 

 of a hard-baked soil. 



In conclusiou I may make mention of a system of 

 terracing I saw on Pallekelly. After observing the system 

 I have adopted it and entirtli/ stopped wash. It is only 

 practicable where the lining lias been done in squares, and 

 on moderately undulating land. Light weeding hoes are 

 used in weediug, and the weeds and soil heaped in line 

 from tree to tree. Squares are thus formed having the 

 trees at the angles. I have found from experience that 

 if the banks are about 6 inches high and well bound with 

 weeds, the .s^iuares retain all the moisture dropped bj 

 monsoon .showers. — B. iu " Oeylon Examiner." 



KECUPEKATIVE POAVEE OF OLD FRUIT TREES. 



About this season, cultivators thiuk of making changes 

 in_ their fruit houses and gardens, aud a comiuon plan 

 adopted by the inexperienced aud rash is to root out old 

 trees and substitute young ones. Iu the case of useless 

 varieties this is the best plan ; but with good sorts with 

 which no fault is found, except perhaps that they are in 

 a weak state or unfertile, such summary measures should 

 not be adopted without due consideration. We would 

 much rather any time begin with au aged tree by reno- 

 vatory measures, than with young trees which one must 

 wait upon a good while. Vegetables, unlike animals, can 

 have their youth renewed to a considerable extent by 

 judicious management, because, owing to their habit of 

 growth, they put on new tissue every year ; and, by pro- 

 moting vigorous growth through generous treatment, a 

 new layer of bark soon accumulates and restores vitality. 

 It is surprising what strides an old j^each tree, for ex- 

 ample, will make in the course of a few years, if well 

 nursed, root and top, aud allowed to develope aclditional 

 shoots aud leaves. The old bark-bound branches and limbs 

 take a fresh lea.se of life, aud .swell and crack with dis- 

 tension ; new bark will be seen to form in the rents, and 

 this is the first sign of renewed vitality. Every fresh 

 addition of tissue in this way acts as a further leverage 

 of growth in the future. Old vines, long restricted to one 

 short cane, if allowed to extend, will double their growth 

 in a short time, unless they are very old indeed; but the 

 ancient vine at Harewood House, which fills a whole large 

 vinery from end to end, responded iu this way to the 

 fresh start given it a number of years ago, when its roots 

 were Ufted and replanted ; and it is now, or was lately, 

 a fine fruitful vine. In the case of old trees, therefore, 

 we say renovate rather than replant, unless things are very 

 bad indeed ; and no fear need be felt of the result. A\'"e 

 have seen and heard of the good effects of renovation 

 so often, that we offer this advice confidently. A house 

 is sooner filled with bearing wood by restoring- old vines 

 or peaches than by plantiug new trees, provided the suicidal 

 plan of cutting down the trees to the bottom is not 

 adopted at the same time, iu which case new ones might 

 as well be planted. Eighteen years back, the \'igour and 

 fertility of vines here were renewed by the simple process 

 of draining the border afresh, top-dressing, aud giving 

 the branches more room ; and now no one would believe 

 the vines to be the same, so strong is the wood and heavy 

 the crops. In another case an amateur came into posses- 

 sion of an old vine that almost any gardener would have 

 cast on the rubbish heap at once, so weak and miserable 

 had it been for some twelve or fifteen years ; but it was 

 retained, partially lifted, and well seen to, aud the crops 

 it has borne for three out of the four years since it was 

 operated upon have been a marvel. Old peaches behave 

 just in the same way. The roots travel far, and get down 

 among the drainage and sub-soil; the border gets worn 

 out ; accimiulated top-dressings laid one npon another an- 

 nually, probably quite out of reach of the roots, soon 

 tell a tale, as indicated by the increasing debility of the 

 branches; but lift these same roots in autumn, lay them 

 near the siu-face in sharp good soil, thin out the shoots 

 and regulate the others, and give them the proper degree 

 of heat, and the result in one or two years will strike 

 the most cnsual observer. "With moderate eroppiug, one 

 season's growth under such couditioue will work wonders, 



and the tree will be saved and the house retained full of 

 fruitful brandies, tlie future health aud welfare of which 

 will depend on treatment alone. Old apples and pears 

 answer to such treatment iu just the same way. With 

 trees that are radically diseased — gummed or cankered — 

 it is another matter ; but for trees that are only poor 

 and weak, or unfruitful, there is every hope, and they 

 should not be discarded. The great point iu such cases 

 is generally to find the roots and treat them judiciously. 

 Strong doses of manure are of little use, unless the roots 

 are where they can make use of it. Feeble old roots need 

 lifting and laying in a generous light mixture of loam, 

 sand, and refuse, peat, or leaf mould iu equal <iuantities. 

 In this tliey soon root afresh, producing multitudes of 

 young fibres where there were none before, and afterwards 

 they can be nourished by stronger diet. — S. "W. — Field. 



SUGAR. 



The rapid progress of the Beet industry constitutes a 

 formidable danger to our Colonial Planters, especially now 

 that the yield in the advanced German factories has risen 

 to 10| per cent of the root. In the Journal des Fahri- 

 cant de Sacre^ of October llth, ,M. Georges Dureau 

 gives in detail calculations showing that the cost at the 

 factories of German Beet made in the best way is about 

 14s. 9d. per cwt., allowing for any export bounty, but 

 without adding anything for the manufacturer's profit. If 

 the first cost of Cane Sugar could be arrived at, the 

 Planters would be enabled to see what were their chances 

 of success in competing with Beet ; but it is a matter 

 of the utmost difficulty to arrive at any sort of average 

 of what' Cane Sugar costs to make. In India, millions 

 of tons appear from the official reports to be sold by 

 the ryots at 6s. to 8s. per cwt. in the fields, and Sugar 

 is their most profitable crop. Of course labour is very 

 cheap in India, aud Sugar-making is a sort of family 

 industry, while ouly the rudest machinery is employed. 

 There is good reason to believe that vacuum-pan Sugar 

 on the estates In the West Indies costs lOs. per cwt. to 

 produce, without profit to the j^lauter. In Demerara, 

 from difficulties of cultivation and labour, the cost is 

 probably rather higher. The inland and sea freight from 

 the factory iu the West Indies to England, including the 

 dock charges here, should not exceed 2s. 6d. per cwt., 

 aud the selling commission and other expenses ought not 

 to cost more than another 6d. This would make the 

 cost of vacuum-pan West Indian Sugar landed here 13s. 

 Adding 25 per cent for the planter's profit, it could 

 be sold here at 16s. 9d. per cwt. It probably costs quite 

 as much to bring Sugar here from a North German 

 factory as to bring it from the West Indies, and adding 

 3s. to the prime cost, German Sugar Landed here costs 

 17s. 9rl. per cwt., and, with 25 per cent profit to the Fabri- 

 cant, say; 22s. 3d. per cwt. The vacuum-pan sugar-maker 

 in the West Indies for the English market has thus still 

 5s. per cwt. in his favour, owing to his richer raw mate- 

 rial. Further, the Beet Sugar after coming here has to 

 be refined, at a cost of 3s. per cwt., bringing its price 

 uj) to 25s. to the Grocer on tUe average, wherers vacuum- 

 pan Oane Sugar made iu favourable positions could be 

 sold to the Grocer at I8s. per uwt. As the plauters get 

 from 7s. to lOs. more than this for their produce, it is 

 evident that they have not yet felt the pinch of hard 

 times, that is, if they have adopted scientific methods of 

 manufacture. No doubt the West Indian u.sors of imper- 

 fect machinery are in a far less favourable position than 

 their more enterprising neighbours, but this is hardly 

 surprising when they waste or spoil two-thirds of their 

 produce, pay double freights aud exorbitant charges, and 

 aft(T all have to sell their Sugar at ISs. or 2(*s. to a 

 refiner. Even the recent extraordinary progress of Beet 

 Sug;ir-making should have no terrors for advanced planters 

 in tht^ West Indies and elsewhere. Of coiu-se profits of 

 £3 or £4 per ton would mean absolute ruin to those planters, 

 whii have been accustomed to live comfortably on their 

 make of a few score of tons in the year ; but the owners 

 of large estates have no reason to fear. The changes will 

 nn doubt he slow, but the inevitable adoption of proper 

 machinery in the West Indies must lead iu time to the 

 amalgamation of small estates; or else to the central factory 

 system, with the plauters takiug the place of farmers, 



