Vol. X. No. 227 



THE AGRIOULTtTKAL NEWS. 



employed in them are often' leguminous, because 

 of their known propurhy of assisting in add ins; nitrogen 

 to the soil, and because the prunings from them are 

 likely to be richer in nitrogen than those from ordinary 

 plants. There should be the assurance that they are 

 not subject to the iliseases and pests that arc most 

 likely to attack the plants which they are designed to 

 protect, and in planting them, due regard must be had 

 to the conditions of the estate on which they are in use, 

 or it may be found that they have been placed in such 

 a position, in regard to the prevailing winds, as to ren- 

 der inadequate the protection from them. Care in these 

 matters will give the agriculturist an asset which at 

 once increases the living energy of his plants, protects 

 them from disease, and conserves the soil and the water 

 that are required for their needs. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



THE ANTIGUA SUGAR FACTORY. 



The following extracts are taken from the sixth 

 annual report of the Directors of the Antigua Sugar 

 Factory, Limited: — 



Normal weachei' prevailed in the island during the 

 season, the rainfall having been about 47 inches, but the cane 

 crop on many estates still suffered from the severe drought 

 of the previous year. This was not, however, felt by the 

 factory as, owing to the widening ot its connexions, its 

 supplies of canes were larger than in any previous year. 



The canes supplied have been as follows: — 



1907 190S 1909 1910 



tons. tons. tons. tons. 



(Jontracting planters 28,016 26.912 20..576 21,065 

 Outside estates 8,689 12,905 11,616 20,712 



Peasants 4,047 3,243 2,062 3,542 



40,782 43,060 37,284 48,319 



The sugar made and the yield per cent, of canes during 

 the jjast four years huve lieen as follows: — 



1910. 

 5,390 



Sugar made (tons) 



Yield per cent. (^ 



of canes ) 



1907. 

 4,230 



10-37 



1908. 

 4,695 



10-90 



1909. 

 3,995 



10-72 



11-16 



Owing to the short crop of the previous year, the writing 

 down of the additions to the factory and railw-ay (amounting 

 to nearly £15,000) was suspended for that year, but in view 

 of the very favourable results of the present year, as shown 

 in the accounts, the Directors have decided to charge 

 £3,000 to Revenue this year, against 'Additions and Exten- 

 sions' and, if results .should justify it, to continue to write off 

 £1,500 per annum until the whole has been extinguished. 

 After charging the above £3,000 and the usual £2,000 for 

 the regular Sinking Fund, and crediting the contracting 

 planters with £7,231 ~s. Id., bringing up the price of their 

 canes to about 18.s-. \'ld. per ton, there remains £7,231 7s. Id. 

 to be credited to the '.V shareholders, making a total at their 



credit, including interest, of £16,403 6s. Id. Out of this, it 

 is proposed to declare a dividend of 8s. per share, or £.5,000, 

 carrying forward for the present the balance of £1 1,403 ^s.ld. 



Five thousand pounds of 'A' debentures have been paid 

 oft" during the year, and a fifth 'B' debenture has, under the 

 terms of the agreement, been cancelled. 



The Report of the Royal Commissioners on Canada and 

 the West Indies refers to the work of the company in the 

 following gratifying terms: ~ 



' We urge that every possible means be taken to intro- 

 duce into the islands named improved methods of manufac- 

 ture. The Central Sugar Factory in Antigua furnishes 

 a striking argument in support of this recommendation. It 

 would be difficult to use exaggerated terms respecting the 

 benefits conferred by this factory on the peasant cultivators 

 of cane and the sugar industry generally, of Antigua; and 

 we could not fail to observe that recognition of these benefits 

 was universal throughout the Leeward Islands.' 



The Board have established a system of Ijonuses for 

 labourers, under which each man who has worked continu- 

 ously for not less than than two years is credited annually 

 with 5 per cent, on his year's earnings. Of this, one moiety 

 can be drawn out in ca.sh, while the other remains at his 

 credit and can only be drawn out (together with interest at 

 5 per cent, per annum) when he leaves the company's service, 

 and then subject to his conduct having been satisfactory. 

 It is hoped this will tend to make some provision for old age, 

 and to promote thrift and good, steady work. It is intended 

 to make an arrangement on somewhat similar lines, for the 

 memViers of the company's staff. 



The Board are making arrangements for further con- 

 siderable additions to the factory. These are expected 

 largely to increase the production of sugar from the existing 

 supplies of canes and will afso allow of taking in canes from 

 other estates that desire to participate in the advantages 

 offered by the factory. 



The average price per ton of canes paid to con- 

 tracting planters during the season -was I2s. I|t/.; that 

 to outside estates and peasants 14s. Q\d. The ex- 

 penditure on these items was £14,612 9s. 9c^. and 

 £17,602 15s. 8d, making a total of £82,215 5s. 5d 



The following details concerning the working of 

 the factory are given here, in addition, on account of 

 their interest: — 



Canes crushed, toes.. 



Sugar made ,, 



Tons of cane per ton of sugar 



' Indicated' sucrose in juice, tons ... 



Recovery on 'indicated' sugar 



Water in megass, per cent. 



Normal juice lost in megass per 100 of fibre 



Average composition of first mill juice: — 



Total solids, per cent. ... ... 



Sucrose, ,, ,, ••■ ~- 



Purity, „ „ 



Total juice, includmg maceration water: — 



Total solids, per cent. ... ... 



Sucrose, ,, „ 



Purity, „ „ 



Fuel (including locomotives and workshops):- 



Coal (tons) 



Wood (cords) ... 



48,319 

 5,390 



8-95 



6,060-4 



88-8 



46-3 



71-1 



2115 



19-14* 



90-49 



17-54 



15-22 



86-82 



180 



522 



* Or 2-074 ft), par gallon. 



