January i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



5<5i 



roots of the plant, but no matter how much water maybe 

 applied, the plant can take up no more than what it 

 requires through the spongioles of the roots. Secondly, 

 the main principle in allowing the water to remain at a 

 certain depth in a semi-stagnant condition, on the surface 

 of the ground is because, in consequence, of its being a bad 

 conductor of heat, it prevents the radiation of heat caused 

 by the sun's rays arising from the surface of the ground, and 

 keeps the atmosphere for about two feet above the plant 

 comparatively moist and cool, thus preventing the plant 

 from being withered up owing to the property it possesses 

 of evaporating its moisture from the leaves and stem faster 

 than it can take iu an equivalent quantity by the roots. 

 Thirdly, the water being allowed to remain in a semi-stagnant 

 condition on the surface must afford a valuable specific 

 manure for paddy, for, wherever there is great evaporation 

 over such a large surface as that of a paddy field, there is 

 always the presence of electricity in quantities, or intensity 

 varying in proportion to the extent of evaporation. This 

 mysterious agent, iu its action on I lie water and on decompos- 

 ing vegetable or animal matter in the soil, splits them up 

 into their constituent atoms, and thus supplies the plant 

 with its carbo-hydrous elements. 



From a series of experiments which I have conducted in 

 the field in order to ascertain the least quantity of water 

 required to be artificially applied to overcome the force of 

 radiated heat and bring the paddy plant to perfect maturity, 

 I find that that quantity is sufficient which just allows 

 for filtration and daily evaporation. 



This quantity, of course, must vary according to the 

 general amount of moisture iu the atmosphere of other 

 districts, the color of the soil (the darker this is, there will 

 be less radiated heat), and the way in which the soil has 

 been worked up, pulverized and manured ; but in Uva, one 

 inch in depth of water per day, sjjread over the surface of 

 the field, was quite sufficient, and a greater depth had no 

 more appreciable effect. But during rainy weather and no 

 dark cloudy days, with a moist atmosphere, no artificial 

 irrigation was required, the plant deriving sufficient nourish- 

 ment from the moisture held iu the soil by capillary attrac- 

 tion only. — Taprouane. — Local "Times." [The statements 

 that native rice cultivators use too much seed paddy, and 

 injure instead of benefit in their crops by keeping them 

 constantly flooded with water, are doubtless correct, but 

 surely the Sinhalese and other natives are not so grossly 

 ignorant as to confound seed time and harvest in the 

 manner represented. There is only the assertion, but no 

 indication of the change of seasons for sowing which the 

 writer seems to advocate. — En.] 



SUGAR CULTURE IN THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. 



In the Tropical Planter, a publication lately started in 

 the interests of the sugar industry, the following instruct- 

 ive comparative statement of land under cane, acres of 

 cane crushed, and sugar j>roduced in Queensland is given : — 



The total sugar production for New South Wales for 

 last season was 15,723 tons of sugar. 



According to the Argus, the consumption of the Aus- 

 tralian colonies, including New Zealand, does not exceed 

 130,000 tons a year. 



From the figures given above it will be seen that toward 

 the consumption of 130,000 tons the sugar plantations of 

 Queensland and New South Wales contribute 51,871 tons. 

 To this has to be added the sugar production of Fiji, and 

 refining sugar sent to colonial refineries from Java, Cuba, 

 China, &c, not included in the above. To again quote 

 the Argus:—" About 100,000 tons out of our requirements 

 for the year are in view, leaving a small portion to be 

 supplied from other sources. Besides Mauritius, an in- 

 creasing trade is now being done with Bourbon, while 

 China is sending down regular shipments, and is evidently 

 looking for an outlet in these colonies for their surplus. 

 Should exports continue on tho same scale as heretofore 

 from these countries, it does not seem improbable that, 

 with our increased production, our market may be seriously 

 affected by being overstocked." 



From these facts it is evident that to hold their own 

 the planters and manufacturers of sugar in the colonies 

 will have a hard battle to fight in the struggle of com- 

 petition. Practically shut out from the European market, 

 the competition must necessarily centre more keenly in 

 what hitherto may have been regarded as outside market. 

 True, the demand— that is to say the consumption of sugar — 

 is yearly increasing, consequent as much upon the reduced 

 cost of the article as upon increase of population, but this 

 increase is not in anything like the same rate as the in- 

 crease of supply within the past few years, at all events. 

 Some statistics with regard to the consumption of sugar 

 per head of the population may, in passing, be of interest. 

 In 25 years it has increased from 15 11>. to 651b. per head 

 of the general population. This would give each indivi- 

 dual a ration of nearly three ounces of sugar per day. 

 In America, England, and Australia the amount per head 

 is .estimated at 70 lb. a head per annum, making tho 

 ration in these particular cases over three ounces a day. 

 It is said that Mr. Gladstone remarked that the consump- 

 tion per bead would reach 1651b. per head as society ad- 

 vanced. Why the consumption of 163 1b. of sugar a verr 

 per head, or nearly half-a-pouml per dav, should be ft 

 corollory of the advancement of society, is one of those 

 enigmatical things that men, whose wisdom is supposed 

 to be beyond question, occasionally utter for the bewilder- 

 ment of their fellow-creatures. 



THE MAEYBOBOUGH DISTRICT. 



Maryborough, one of the oldest sugar district in Queens- 

 land, is situated on the River Mary, which, rising ou the 

 northern slopes of the main range, flows northward about 

 150 miles, through agricultural and mineral country, into 

 Hervey Hay. 



The following tabulated statement gives the acreage of 

 the land under sugar in the district, vield, &c, from the season 

 1876 to 1877 to last season:— 



71 



The president of the Planters' and Farmers' Association 

 of Maryborough, at a late meeting, read a paper in which 

 he stated: — 



"I regret that, owing to the difficulty of procuring a 

 regular supply of suitable labour, the future of the sugar 

 industry is not so cheering as it was this time last year. 

 Every year during the last four the supply of kanaka labour 

 has been more and more limited and expensive. The seasons, 

 also, during that period have not been so favourable for 

 agriculture as those that usually prevail in the Wide Bay 



