Vol. XVI. No. 408. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



413 



SUGARCANE VARIETIES IN ST. KITTS. 



At a meeting of the Agricultural and Commercial Society, 

 St. Kitts, held on October 2, Mr. F. R. Shepherd, the Agri- 

 cultural Superintendent, read a paper setting out the results of 

 experiments with varieties of sugarcane during the past 

 season in St. Kitts. Some account of these will be of interest 

 doubtless to cane planters elsewhere. 



As in previous years, the e.xperiments have been carried 

 on at two principal stations. La Guerite and Molineux, which 

 are situated on opposite sides of the island, the former being 

 on the leeward side, and the latter on the windward, and on 

 six subsidiary stations in various parts of the island. At these 

 subsidiary stations twenty-four selected varieties were grown 

 for experimental purposes, viz., sixteen Barbados seedlings, 

 five Demerara seedlings, one Antigua seedling, Sealy Seed- 

 ling, and White Transparent. At the two principal stations 

 there were grown, in addition to these twenty-four, seven 

 other seedlings from Barbado.s, three others from Demerara, 

 and six others from Antigua, while at La Guerite a further 

 selection of twenty-four of the newer seedlings from Barbados, 

 Demerara, Antigua, and Mauritius was also planted. It 

 will thus be seen that there was a wide range of varieties 

 under ob.servation. 



The manurial treatment of the fields was in all cases 

 the same as that given to the other fields on the estates 

 where they were grown. They all received an application 

 of pen manure, except in one instance, where a green dressing 

 of pigeon peas was applied. 



From the results as tabulated, it appears that B. 6308 

 heads the list with a calculated weight of 332 tons of cane 

 per acre, and 7,.S20 tt). sucrose in the juice. B. 6388 comes 

 second, with a calculated yield of 30 8 tons per acre, and 

 7,670 B). .sucrose. Both of these varieties are recommended 

 for trial on a 1 irger scale. 



The third and fifth places are taken by 6.4596 and 

 B.208. The former actually takes the first place as to yield 

 of cane, 37 1 tons per acre, but has a low sucrose content, 

 and is suspected of showing signs of deterioration and 

 susceptibility to root disease, which is also tlie cise with the 

 latter, although this variety possesses a high sucrose content. 

 Neither of these varieties therefore is recommended. 



The cane, however, which comes fourth on the list, 

 B.376, with a calculated yield of 32' 1 tons of cine per acre, 

 and 7,260 lb. of sucrose, is highly recommended for trial. 



Among the other Barbados seedlings grown on all the 

 stations, the following are recommended for trial on a larger 

 scale: B.3859, B.1528, B.2.5-t, B.4934, and B.6346. 



Of the Demerara seedlings, D.116 and D. 109 are 

 varieties of promise in St. Kitts, the former being apparently 

 well suited to the northern part of the island. Planters are 

 advised not to grow D.62.5, it spite of its large calculated yield 

 ofjcane, 35-4 tons per acre, because of its bad milling 

 qualities, which cause it to be looked upon with disfavour 

 at the Bas.seterre Sugar Factory. 



The Antigua seedling, A. 2, has proved very successful 

 in the northern part of St. Kitts, and is a favourite among 

 the planters there, but in the station experiments on a small 

 scale it has not given such good results. 



The Sealy Seedling, which has given satisfactory results 

 in other places, particularly in Antigua, does not seem to be 

 suited to the conditions in St. Kitts, either on the experiment 

 stations, or when tried on estates on a large scale. 



Of the varieties grown only at La Guerite and Molineux, 

 there are singled out as showing great promise, D. 118, 

 D.419, and A 95, giving calculated yields per acre of 

 37 '4 tons, 35 tons, and 30 tons, respectively. 



Two newer Barbados seedlings, Ba.6032 and B.H. 10 (12) 

 are noticed as likely to be valuable. Some of the varieties 

 received from Mauritius also show signs of promise. 



A noteworthy feature of the experiments this season has 

 been the inclusion of sixty locally produced seedlings at 

 Brighton estate. These seedlings were grown by the Manager, 

 ilr. George Yearwood,and sixty out of some 600 were selected 

 by him and Mr. Shepherd as worthy of trial. Forty- two of 

 them are considered deserving of further attention; one 

 especially seems to promise excellent returns. It will be 

 most interesting to watch the results which may be obtained. 

 An indigenous seedling may perhaps be produced more 

 suitable to local conditions than any of those imported. 



Referring to the work of the Basseterre Central Factory 

 for the past season, Mr. Shepherd poiits out that 11,343 tons 

 of sugar were manufactured from 97,372 tons of cane, that is 

 at the rate of 1 ton of sugar to 8 22 tons of cane, showing 

 the high sucrose content of the canes, and the efficiency of 

 tht working of the factory. On the other hand, when the 

 acreage from which the canes were supplied is examined, it 

 appears that only an average of about 23 tons of plant canes 

 per acre, and 15 tons of ratoons were produced in a season 

 when the weather conditions were favourable. This ought 

 to be considerably improved by the planters. Mr. Shepherd 

 suggests that attention be paid to three points in this con- 

 nexion; 1. To increasing both the quantity and quality of 

 pen manure. 2. Selection of only healthy cuttings for 

 planting. 3. The question of liming the soils. He has no 

 doubt that considerable increase in the quantity of cane 

 grown per acre may easily be attained, granted favourable 

 weather. 



SQGAR CROP PROSPECTS FOR 1918. 



Seeing that the sugar plantations in the smaller West 

 Indian islands will soon begin the cutting of the canes 

 for the next crop, it seems of interest to give some forecast 

 of the crop in St. Kitts and Antigua, based on the reports 

 which come monthly to hand at the Head Office of this 

 Department 



In St. Kitts for the first six months of the year just 

 passed, it was reported monthly that the young canes were 

 .suffering much from want of rain; only 16'79 inches were 

 recorded at the Botanic Station during that period, as com- 

 pared with 21 14 inches in the corresponding period of last 

 year. In July there were some showers, but insufficient to 

 cause really satisfactory growth, and from then on to the 

 end of November the report has been that of a continuation 

 of dry weather, the total rainfall for the eleven months of 

 the year being only 35'89 inches compared with 63'17 inches 

 last year. As a result, the crop pro.spects are very poor in 

 St. Kitts, one authority thinking that the crop will be little 

 more than half of that reaped last year. 



The reports from Antigua for the first five months 'jf 

 the year were very much in the same tone as those from 

 St. Kitts, or perhaps more gloomy, want of rain severely 

 retarding the growth of the crop. In June, however, the 

 much needed rain fell in sufficient quantities to start vigorous 

 growth, and the reports became more cheerful. The rainfall 

 Wi»s 2526 inches for the first six months of the year, compared 

 with 19 47 inches for the coriesponding period of 1916. 

 Up to the end of November, the rainfall, though only 

 moderate, being 37 06 inches, compared with 631 3 for the 

 same period of 1916, has enabled the growth of the canes to 

 be maintained, the report being that the crop outlook was 

 fairly promising, though not perhaps as good as for the last 

 crop. 



