June i, 1866.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRlCUtTURIS'f. 



«59 



which prmUiccs the cetiar of the colonists, a very 

 iisiful timber but not so durable as the former. Tlieu 

 tliiru is i'oiloctipus Spicata vsteetacd for its valuable 

 tinilwr much used for briJges, sleipers, houses, an<l its 

 (htrability is said to be wonderful, and it is abiindant in 

 both islands. P. dac-iiUtiidfi is highly valued for the 

 inside work of houses owing to its lightness, eveness 

 and smoothness in working. JMciidiiim L'ujin.-^sinniii 

 is remarkable for ils beauty, its timber is excellent, 

 much esteemed by furniture makers, as the red color 

 of the wood takes many shades, and it is easily worked, 

 for all work when not exposed to wet, it is not to be 

 6urpa.wed. The Tanckaha tree Plij/lloctadus Tiicho- 

 iiiaitoUUs is a handsome conifer of medium height, its 

 wood is of first rate i|uaUty, very durable, pale red, 

 strong and clo'ie graintd. ' The bark of the tree is 

 prolific in tannin, containing nearly 25 per rent, a large 

 »mo\nit of the bark is sent to Grenoble in France, in 

 one year more than two lacs of Kupees of bark was 

 sent.— .So«W( of liidia Okvi-ier. 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



NEW :SCI!.4R C.tSES IX THK WEST IXDIKS. 



For some years efforts have been made to bring 

 together into one collection all the different varieties of 

 sugar canes which are known imder cultivation in the 

 siigHr-prodnciiig countries of the world. It would 

 appear now that this object has in a great measure 

 been accomplished in the extensive collections of sugar 

 canes under experimental cultivation by the Department 

 of rnblic Girdens and Plantations in .Jamaica. The 

 CO Mixtion, as awhole, embraces about eighty varieties 

 of canes, an 1 itr has been pronounced by a competent 

 authority connected with the Department of Agriculture, 

 W.ishington. " as probably the best collection of sugar 

 canes ever got ton together." 



As indicating the wide area from whence these canes 

 have been ob ained, it may be mentioned that the 

 ••Klephaut" cane, so called from the size it att.ains 

 under favourable circumstances, was obtained from 

 Saigon, Cochin ( hiua ; the Salangore cane is a native 

 of the Malay I'eninsula. where it is highly esteemed. 

 The Tiboo cane i-i aKo East Indian, and is a productive 

 cane of great ni' lit. From JIauritius there come the 

 Home, the JIavnitius, and the IJarkley canes. From 

 (^Uieensland, there are the Brisbane, the Green-Rose 

 Ribbon, the Queensland and the Hillii; while from the 

 I'aeilic Islands (probably the home of the .sugar cane) 

 there are the Laliaina, the Cuban, the Pna-ole and the 

 Ko-Kea. The I.ahaina cane is described in Hawaii 

 (Sandwich Islaeds) as being the most universally 

 esteemed of all cincs, and everywhere, excepting at 

 great elevations, it is planted to the almost toUl ex- 

 clu.sion of other varieties. This cane has yielded ,as 

 much as an average, of G tons of sugar per acre on areas 

 as extensive as Ifip acres, and 7A tons per acre on an 

 average over ^reas of :^0 acres. 



The I'ua-oi.i cane, another great favourite in Hawaii, 

 is called theflowerless cane, because it never tassels, or 

 throws out a llowering shoot. It is described as a soft, 

 rich cane, yiilling juice of high specific gravity, and 

 speciallyadapted for cultivation at high altitudes. The 

 Cuban, Ko.Pake, in Hawaii comes next to the Lahaina. 

 It is rich in j dee, rattoons well, grows rapidly, and is 

 entirely free f ,om " cane itcb." 



The Samuii cane is the favourite cane with the 

 engar planter.n of Fiji. It is hardv, grows rapidly, and 

 yields sugar freely. Of ilarkrind ianes, such as vi.ilet 

 purple, and bl..ck, there are nuniL-rous varieties. Many 

 of these, auch is the Egyptian and the llartinirjue, are 

 adnurably ad.ipted for dry. arid regions, and grow 

 luxuriantly where other ranes would fail. Others, 

 again, arc adapted only as fodder plantf, and are often 

 grown for that purpose when grass is scarce. The 

 Mamuri cane, of a dusky brown colour, is certainly a 

 strange-looking cane. It woidd appear to be covered 

 with a thin dry Iwrk. which iinrks it at once as a 

 distinct and spi cialised variety. This is a hardy slender 

 cane, which would grow in the driest sitnations. Of 

 striped canes there are very handsome specimens, such 

 as the Green-Rose RiblK.n and the Red Ribbon, whitli 

 attract attention, aud aru likely tu be great favourites 

 nith planters. 



In the ^\'cst Indies generally the faiourite canes are 

 the Otaheite. the transparent, Mont Rlanc, and the 

 Bourbon. These may be said to yield the bulk of 

 Cuban and "West Indian sugars, but several others are 

 being tried, with the wii'w of testing their capabilities 

 for tlilt'erent soils aiul climate. As the sugar c.uie has 

 lost the power of producing seed from whii^b plants may 

 be raised, it is now entirely propagated by shoots or 

 pieces of the stem which are furnished with eyes at 

 every joint. These eyes give ri.se to new plants, which 

 necessarily must be identical with the parei\t plant and 

 keep true for an indefinite period. The importance 

 of introducing new canes, and so testing the highest 

 producing powers of the land, in these days of low 

 prices und keen cunipetitiou, is self. evident. 



From the suplement to the Ju.ntxica Gtuvtte we 

 find that the collection of canes above mentioned sent 

 to the New Orleans Exposition has lately been carefully 

 tested by Dr. CramjjtoD, chemist, attached to the 

 Bureau of Chemi.stry Dcparinient, Washington, 1).0. 

 Planters in the "West Indies woidd do well to procure 

 these analysis and carefully consider whether some of 

 these new canes do not otTer them advantages in a 

 cultural aud economic sense superior to the old. Wo 

 may a Id that a full description of these canes was given 

 in the last report of the Director of the Rotanical 

 Dep.-irtment, .lamaiea, and Dr. Crampton's analysis 

 are intended to supplement these descriptions and 

 givi^ sugar planters every possible inforniation on thu 

 subject. — Colonies and India. 



CULTIVATION ON TEA ESTATES. 



The r|uestion of cultivation is one to which we think 

 sufficient attention is not paid on tea estates as a rule. 

 It appears to be more the object of every manager to 

 put out ft small extension, rather than consolidate and 

 improve his existing area. It is no wonder that now-a- 

 days more attention should be paid to measures of 

 various kinds by which a large outturn of good, sound 

 marketable tea may be produced. To a larger yield jier 

 acre is due in a large measure the dilference in cost at 

 which one planter can turn out his tea cheaper than 

 hi.'? neighbours. An outturn of four maunds per acre 

 at a local cost of four annas, if reduced to three m.iunds. 

 means 20 per cent more ; or an increased outturn of 

 five maunds, enhances the possilde profits, so that the 

 planter's .attention in these times should be given more 

 to emhavr)uring to turn out a larger quantity per acre 

 than to rushing out extensions, even on a small scale. 

 i\Iany planters are not (pnte satisfied vndess they '* put 

 out " a sm.ill bit every year; foregetting that had the 

 same labor been utili/.(^l in the cold weather to giving a 

 good deep hoeinj:, and filling in any vacancies in the 

 old garden, the outturn of tea per acre woubi have 

 increased more than the area put out will yield even iti 

 full bearing, that is provided no extra labor has been 

 imported. The system of cultivation adopted on the 

 esta'es is not as a ride good, for the .simple r'-ason, that 

 planters have not sufficient labor at their conmiand 

 to cultivate when they cnn.sider it most jndiciou,s, but 

 are driven into cultivating in all weathers, ju order to 

 keep on terras with thi' jungle that springs up so quickly 

 aud luxuriously in Assam. The traveller in Assam, go 

 where he will, invariably finds that, in the rains day 

 after <lay hoeing goes on. On one or two of the most 

 rainy days there maybe a little variation in .all hands 

 filling up vacancies, but this is rather au exception than 

 otherwise, and yet the planter cannot help himself, 

 owing to shortness of labor. It may not be recognized 

 generally, but still there are some planters who 

 thoroigldy believe, that cold weather cultivation is the 

 best, and agood many more gardens are now cultivatial 

 deeply in the cold weather * than was formerly the 

 ca.se. On teelahs or high plateaux a good deep hce 

 does more in the w.iy of jiulling out weeds, and its 

 preventing wastage of soil, th m .'eviral repealeil ones in 

 the begiuning of the rains; aud it invari.ablv gives au 

 eaily flush. The first hoeing should be finished snou 

 after the pruning ; advantage should be taken of any dry 

 weather, say in May, to give the soil a second good 



• Vty seasou io Coylou.— Kb. 



