A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



LiBRARV 



NEW YOU 



BOTANIC/ 



GARDEN 



Vol. V. No. 100. 



BARBADOS, FEBEUARY 17, 1906. 



Price Id. 



Antigua Central Sugar Factory. 



X presenting to the readers of the Agr't- 

 culhiral News the first Annual Report of 

 the Directors of the Antigua Central 

 £:2 Sugar Factory, reference is made to the article ^yhich 

 <^ appeared in the West Indian Bulletin (Vol. VI, pp. 

 "^ CO-4). This article giyes an account of the efforts 

 ^ ^vhich finally resulted in the foi-mation of a factory 

 Lj- comjjany, a brief explanation of the agreement bet\yeen 



the company and the estate proprietors of the plan for 

 the distribution of profits, and ot the machinery and 

 the capacity of the factory. 



The figures given show that the estimated cost 

 ^vas £40,000, and the actual cost, as indicated by the 

 expenditure at the end of the year 1905, \vas £42,408. 



The factory was finished in 1905, and the fii'sfc 

 year's working was completed at the end of the sugar 

 crop of that year. 



It will be seen from the report that follows, 

 that the severe drought seriously affected the amount 

 of canes supplied to the fiictory, and the profits are 

 thereby considerably reduced. 



In forwarding a copy of this report to the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Francis Watts, C.M.G., 

 writes as follows : — 



' It should, however, be pointed out that the first 

 yeai's working of a new concern such as this, situated 

 in a country where skilled labour is difficult to obtain, 

 and where all concerned are more or less unfamiliar 

 \vith \vork of the kind undertaken, there would be 

 many defects due to inexperience, minor accidents, and 

 the newness of the plant. In the I'eturns now put 

 forward no correction or adjustment has been made on 

 this account; the working, including all defects, has 

 been fully stated. During the coming season, it is 

 hoped and expected that there will be considerable 

 improvement ; but still, taking matters as they stand, 

 it is felt that the \vorkiug has been satisfactory and 

 encouraging to those who contemjilate undertaking 

 similar work. 



' It is very unfortunate that the drought resulted 

 in so small a crop, for the factory appears to be quite 

 capable of dealing with from 3,000 to 4,000 tons of 

 sugar in three to four months.' 



