18 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 28, 1905. 



•establishment of school garlons, and the practical 

 training of the older piii)ils in elementary schools in 

 garden work. 



It is no less true, also, in the case of practical 

 agriculturists whose previous training h.ad led them to 

 regard scientific methods ami new ideas with suspicion, 

 but who are now not only convinced of the value of 

 science as a means of increasing the returns from the 

 soil and of successfully treating plant diseases, but take 

 an active share in experiments initiated by the 

 Department with sugar-cane, cacao, cotton, lime, and 

 ■other crops, and keenly watch the results. 



Another aspect of the Trinidad Conference that 

 may be referred to is the growtli of appreciation in 

 the value of these gatherings as a means of drawing 

 together in a boml of common interest the various 

 people of these colonies. As mentioned by his Excel- 

 lency the Governor of Trinidad, an expression of 

 opinion from such a body, whether in suggesting the 

 removal of any disabilities that might exist or in the 

 jirovision of better systems, would command attention 

 which it would be impossible for any single colony to 

 •expect. In proposing a vote of thanks to Sir Daniel 

 llorris for his Presidential Address, the Hon. B. 

 Howell Jones, of British Guiana, spoke of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture as an extremely useful 

 — an ahnoht essential — part of the work of organization 

 in connexion with the government of the West Indies. 

 The principle of Imperialism had long existed, he 

 said, in the hearts of our colonists. It was not, 

 however, only an Imperialism of politics that was 

 wanted, but also an Imperialism of Agriculture. 



In replying to the toast of ' Success to the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture,' Sir Daniel Morris 

 spoke of the common object in which the Representa- 

 tives had come together, viz., the advancement of the 

 whole industrial interests of the West Indies, and 

 trusted thai the Conference of 1!)0.5 would still further 

 weld together the practical and scientific forces con- 

 nected with agriculture in tliese colonies. 



The Imperial idea was fvn-ther given expression to 

 by the Hon. Hugh Clifford (Colonial Secretary) who 

 spoke of a possibility of these Conferences as follows : 

 ' It was my privilege the other day to be present in the 

 Princes' Buildings when his Excellency the Governor 

 made a contribution to the debate on the subject of 

 cane-farming, and while I sat ... I felt dreamy, and 

 I went away wondering whether, when the future 

 historian comes to write the history of the West Indies, 

 he would say that Sir Daniel J\Iorris . . . had planted 



a seed which eventually is to come to great growth in 

 the West India Islands. Whether the Conference that 

 I was looking at, which was attended by membei's from 

 all the West India Islands, and which represented the 

 best talent and the best agricultural knowleilge of all 

 those islands, was perhaps the foreshadowing of 

 a greater Parliament which might possibly represent, 

 and adequately represent, all the interests of the.se 

 islands in one great federation.' 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Sugar in Hawaii. 



The Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association lias 

 recently publisiied a number of reports from its special 

 committees which arc appointed annually to investi- 

 gate matters relating to the condition of the sugar 

 industry. The following brief summary of these 

 reports is likely to be of interest to sugar planters : — 



The Committee on Fertilization addressed a cin nlar 

 letter to each manager in the islands with the ohject of 

 attaining as complete data on the subject of iiiaunres as 

 possible. Tlie oiiinious expres.sed naturally varied con- 

 siderably, and the plan has been adopted by the Committee 

 of tabulating the replies under the various headings. The 

 value of a larger amount of potash than has been usual is 

 insisted on in many of these replies. Xearly all tlie 

 jilantations use a mixed chemical ferLiliz2r containing 

 nitrogen, potash, and jihosphates. Nitrate of soda is also 

 usually applied separately. Green manuring with leguminous 

 crops is not jjractised on most estates with nuich success. 

 The amount of humus ]ireseiit in the soil would appear on 

 many estates to be very low, largely, no doubt, owing to tlie 

 usual practice of burning all trash. 



The report of the Committee on Utilization of 

 By-products deals mainly with the use of waste molasses. 

 This is strongly recommended as a feed for mules and stock. 

 Exi>erinients and figures are given wdiich support this 

 reconnnendation. The next most economical way of using 

 waste molasses is said to be to burn it in the furnaces. This 

 committee also reports that enough attention is not given on 

 most plantations to the proper preservation and curing of 

 stable manure and its application to soils sadly in need of 

 organic matter or humus. It is also said that in some soils 

 the chemical fertilizer is jiractically inert or lost owing to the 

 poor physical condition of the .soil on account of the lack of 

 humus. The burning of trash is said to be necessary in order 

 to destroy boring insects. 



The report of the Committee on Handling and 

 Transi)ortatiou of cane states that each district has about 

 settled to its satisfaction the system or combination of 

 systems best suited to its needs. Of the thirty-two planta- 

 tions that replied, eighteen use railroods, .seven flumes, and 

 .seven use combinations of .systems — flumes, railroads, trolleys, 

 traction engines, wagons. Two loailing macluncs are 

 described, namely, the 'Wilson-Webster' and the 'Gregg.' 

 Both these machines are favourably reported on and reduce 



