Vol. V. No. 107. 



THE AGR[CULTUEAL NEWS. 



163 



avul the ]iots jind Iioxes uero placed over pans of water 

 further to protect tliein I'rrmi being destroyed or carried ofiF 

 bj' ants and other insects. 



As a test to tlieir germinating power in various soils, 

 seeils were sown in red iron-claj' soils; black humus mixed 

 wiih fine chi)- ; decayed leaf mould and sand ; equal parts of 

 gaiden soil and sand ; pure sand ; paper blotters, etc. The 

 best results were obtained from the mixture of black humus 

 soil and clay. The seeds germinated freely in it and continued 

 to grow n'ce'y without the necessity of transplanting until 

 large enough to stand moving without injury, and the soil 

 remained moist and friable for a long period. 



The leaf humus proved first rate, and the seeds 

 germinated freely in it, but it dried out very quickly being 

 too porous, and when kept wet, algae formed on the surface 

 Avhicli proved destructive, and the plants had to be transferred 

 to a more solid mixture when very tiny. Leaf soil when 

 decomposing produced detrimental fungi. Glean sand proved 

 satisfactory as a germinating medium but slow, and the 

 .seedlings grew very weakly. Great care had to be taken in 

 watering to keep the young plants from 'damping off' in dull 

 weather. Results in red clay soil were pcor, as the soil baked 

 and became hard in drying off, and if kept wet the seeds 

 decayed. The other soil experiments and blotters proved 

 failures. In all cases the seeds were sown thickly and 

 covered lightly, samples buried deep (less than i inch) died. 



I have found great care essential in watering, especially 

 seeds of ' Crystillina ' and ' Cinta, ' ^vhich proved very 

 delicate under all conditions. The best results were from 

 soil kept continually moist. 



Quantities of seeds were sown in the open ground in 

 prepared beds, but without success. I have searched over 

 a great deal of territory in the fields in various soils and 

 under all conditions but have failed to locate a single 

 seedling of spontaneous origin. 



Many interesting points are set fortli in this 

 I'eport, es])ecially those rekiting to the experiments in 

 different kinds of soils, and they go to show how much 

 care must be taken to obtain the successful germination 

 of sugar-cane seeds. 



Cultivation of the Sugar Beet in England. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S., has forwarded the 

 following notes on the experimental cultivation of 

 beet-root for sugar in England, which are likely to be 

 of interest in the West Indies : — 



The subject of the cultivation of beet-root for sugar- 

 making puriioses in England, though hy no means new, has 

 been attracting a considerable amount of attention during the 

 past month, and as it is a question that would greatly affect 

 the West Indian sugar-cane cultivation, a i-esume of the 

 several points that have been brought forward in the London 

 press and in the House of Lords will probably be of interest 

 to the readers of the AgricuHural News. 



It is conceded by all those who have written or spoken 

 on the subject that there is no question with regard to the 

 possibility of successfully growing beet in England, and 

 a writer in the London Daily Telegraph follows this up with 

 the remark that ' it is certainly anomalous that while the 

 United Kingdom is the largest consumer of sugar in the 

 world, and the beet crop can be successfully grown, not an 

 ounce of the commodity is produced here, while in Germany 

 many acres are profitably employed, and work given to 

 thousands of people in order to supply us with one-half of 

 the quantity we require. No doubt a chief cause was to be 



found in the existence of stimulating bounties, which 

 resulted in that country and Austria securing the bulk 

 of the trade. It is the removal of these bounties under 

 the operation of the International Convention signed at 

 Brussels in 1902 that has led to the revival of the question in 

 the most promising aspect it has yet assumed, and which, it 

 is sincerely hoped, may result in a most desirable addition 

 to the industries of the country. 



' In the successful establishment of a home sugar indus- 

 try it is unquestionable that great advantages would accrue 

 to the whole community. In the first place, it would make 

 a most important addition to the crops that might be 

 remuneratively grown in Great Britain and Ireland, ensuring 

 the profitable employment of many acres of land that are now 

 lying useless ; occupation would be found for many more 

 labourers on the land, and the beet factories would engage 

 a large number of hands. The country would derive further 

 benefit by the increased production of sugar, and would not 

 be so dependent on the foreigner for a necessary article of 

 food.' 



The writer of the article, from which the above is an 

 extract, then proceeds to review the effects of a surtax and 

 excise duties on British produce, and concludes as follows; — 



' The cost of producing an acre of beet is usually put at 

 £10. Lender favourable circumstances the average crop is 

 12 tons per acre, and in Germany 18s. 6(Z. is the average price 

 paid for beet per ton delivered at the factory. Mr. Mason 

 (previously referred to as an authority on the subject) 

 puts the figures thus : Cultivation per acre and delivery to 

 the factory, £9 18.s. ; beet sold to factory, 12 tons at 18s. Gc?., 

 £11 2s. ; tops, 4 tons at 3s, 12s. ; total, £11 14.s., leaving 

 a profit of £1 16s. Mr. S. Stein, an expert in sugar 

 manufacture, gives a much more favourable result. Mr. W. C 

 Brown (also referred to as an expert) states that the 

 conditions of Germany for growing beet are the same as 

 here, only the Germans have the factories and we have not. At 

 present prices even they will not be able to make nmch or 

 any profit. Of course the former can, and do, put a duty 

 of 2s. 6(i. per cwt. against us, besides the internal duty of 7s.' 



It will be observed that no reference whatever is made 

 by the writer of this article to the close connexion of the 

 British West Indian product from the sugar-cane with that 

 of the beet, nor to the efforts of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture in iJerfecting the cane cultivation. 



THE IIVIPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRI- 

 CULTURE AND ST. VINCENT. 



The following is a copy of a resolution unani- 

 mously passed at a general meeting of the St. Vincent 

 Cotton Growers' Association and Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society, held at the Court House on 

 Wednesday, May 2, 1906 :— 



Resolved. — That this Association and Society gratefully 

 records its ap[)reciation of the great work which has been, and 

 is being done, in the West Indies by the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture, and the signal success that has attended it in 

 this colonj' — prominently exemplified by this island's cotton 

 having taken the premier place in quality. 



That the members of this Association and Society 

 believing that the continued success and further improvement 

 and extension of the cotton industry and agriculture 

 generally in this colony depend on the continuance of this 

 work. His Majesty's Government be respectfully asked to 

 maintain the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the 

 West Indies. 



