Vol. IV. No. 82. 



THE AGllICULTUEAL NEWS. 



165 



Leeward Islands. 



The Leeward Islands Blue Bonk tor 1903-4 has the 

 following reference to the state of the .sugar industry 

 in the colony, under the head of ' agricultural improve- 

 ments': — 



Euei-getic steps were taken to secure for Antigua the 

 residue of the parliainontarj' grant for the assistance of the 

 sugar industry in the West Indies. These elibrts were 

 successful, and the grants were applied to encouraging the 

 introduction of inij)roved sugar-making machinery by offering 

 monetary grants on condition that the sums granted were 

 spent on improved machinery, together with proportionate 

 and specified amounts on the part of private persons. As 

 a result, the Bendals' sugar works liave been equipped with 

 new macliinery by way of improvement on, or addition to, 

 existing plant ; a new and imjn-oved mill and engine, a triple- 

 effect evaporator (the first introduced into Antigua), and 

 various other api)liances being installed. A still more 

 imi)ortant result was obtained by the aid of this grant in that 

 all the arrangements were completed for the erection of 

 a new, modern sugar factory to deal with the sugar produced 

 on eight estates ; this factorj- is in course of erection. By 

 this means the much-discussed central factory question will 

 be solved, so far as Antigua is concerned. 



The cultivation of new varieties of sugar-cane continues 

 to make progress throughout the colony ; as a consequence 

 diseases of sugar-cane have occasioned comparatively little 

 loss of Kite years. The experiments conducted with varieties 

 of sugar-cane by the Imperial Department of Agriculture are 

 still followed with great interest. 



The manurial exiieriments, also conducted by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, have afforded results of 

 importance calculated to lead to economies and precision in 

 ■working, and to substantial monetary savings. 



conditions, as far as they could be oljtrtined, with regard to- 

 climate, soil, cultivation, irrigation, and fertilization. 



Demerara Canes in Hawaii. 



A bulletin on ' Comparative analyses of varieties of cane ' 

 recently issued by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association 

 gives interesting information as to the quality of the juices, 

 the tonnage of canes, and the yields of sugar of seventeen 

 varieties of cane harvested in April 1904. 



Among the seventeen canes under experimental culti- 

 vation were three Demerara seedlings — Nos. 74, 95, and 117. 



In regard to tonnage of cane per acre, the first place 

 among the seventeen varieties is taken by D. 117 with 

 88 tons ; D. 74 came eighth on the list with 67 tons, and 

 D. 9.5, fifteenth with 48 tons. 



The largest yield of sugar per acre was also given by 

 D. 117, viz., nearly 12 tons. The other two Demerara canes 

 come somewhat low on the list : D. 74 (9th.), 8-6 tons • 

 D. 95 (14th.), 67 tons. 



In regard to quality of the juice the Demerara canes do 

 not appear to take quite as high a position. The analyses for 

 these three seedlings are as follows : — • 



Variety. 



D. 95 

 D. 117 

 D. 74 



Sucrose Purity 

 in juice. of 

 Per cent, juice. 



90-1 1 



88-5 - 

 86-2 ••= 



Glucose. 

 Per cent. 



•324 

 •459 

 •404 



1 Fourth on list. - Sixth on list. ^ Twelfth on list. 



It should be mentioned that the figures are based on the 

 chemical analyses of varieties grown under identical 



Molasses in Canada. 



The Maritime Merchant of May 4 has the 

 following note on the molasses market in Canada : — 



Since our last issue a rei)ort of 2c. a gallon reduction 

 came from Barbados, but this has had absolutely no effect 

 upon the prices here ; and the chances are that it will not. 

 Newfoundland has taken all her requirements, and it is said 

 there are less than 6,000 gallons left in the island, while 

 Montreal, which requires 12,000 gallons, has not yet taken 

 any to speak of. No doubt the downward tendency of the 

 sugar market has had something to do with the situation, 

 together with the holding otf of jMontreal buyers, who were 

 determined not to buy at the high prices. Prices had really 

 gone up too quickly. However, they are likely to continue 

 high. The very fact that remaining supiplies are low, and 

 that existing legislation is against American molasses, seems 

 to promise that. Besides, the supplies of other British 

 Islands molasses are very small. There is practically no 

 Trinidad left, and sugar-making has ceased in the island for 

 the season, and what little molasses is left is held for 

 reboiling and distilling. The crop is over .30 per cent, short 

 and not only that, but the percentage of molasses is smaller 

 than usual. There is no change in Porto Kico, where things 

 are quiet with a high and firm market. Nearly 50 per cent, 

 of the molasses imported at Halifax so far this season has 

 been of the last-named grade. The total importations of all 

 grades this season to the end of April amounted to 4,500^ 

 puncheons as against 2,500 puncheons in the same period in 

 1904 and 1903. The excess of imports so early is explained 

 by the early crop. In all likelihood the bulk of the twelve 

 or thirteen thousand puncheons, which now measures our 

 requirements, will be imported during the months of April, 

 Ma}', and -lune this year, instead of June, July, and August 

 as ordinarily. 



Halifax prices are as follows : — 



Choice Porto Piico 38c. to 40c. 



Extra-choice Porto Rico 40c. to 42c. 



Fancy Trinidad 42c. to 44c. 



Choice Trinidad 35c. to 36c. 



Barbados 40c. to 42c. 



GROUND NUTS. 



The Queensland Agricultural Journal has the 

 following note on pea nuts or ground nuts, to the 

 cultivation of which the West Indies are well adapted : — 



One of the easiest crops to grow, whether by itself or 

 Ijetween the rows of some croj) which takes from one to 

 three years to mature, such as pine-apples, sisal hemp, etc., is 

 the earth or pea nut. In the United States they are grown 

 by almost every farmer. The nuts always command a ready 

 sale for oil making. In America they are considered the 

 best pig food, and thousands of bushels are used for human 

 consumption. An American farmer in Florida sums up the 

 advantages of growing pea nuts as follows: — They have no 

 insect enemies ; you are always sure of the crop ; they will 

 withstand more dry weather than any other crop ; poor, 

 sandy land that will not grow any other crop to pay will 

 give a fine crop of pea nuts ; such lands will yield 50 bushels 

 per acre of nuts without any further fertilizer when they 

 would not yield 8 bushels of corn. The vines make the 

 finest of hay when properly cured. 



