226 



THE AGRICULTUltAL NEWS. 



July 28, 1906. 



reported, show that ' the various varieties of sugar-cane 

 resemble the Bourboft in the dependence of their yield 

 upon this constituent.' The experiments with phos- 

 phatic manures, carried on over fourteen years, justify 

 a conclusion which is likely to lead to considerable 

 economy in the use of phosphates. Professor Harrison 

 advises the planter to submit for analysis a sample of 

 the soil to which he contemplates applying slag-phos- 

 phates, and so ascertain whether the soil contains more 

 or less than 0-008 per cent, of phosjlKoric acid soluble 

 in 1 per cent, citric acid. For if a British Guiana 

 Sugar-cane soil shows, on analysis, that amount of 

 phosphoric acid, ' manuring with phosphates in all 

 probability will not produce commensurately increased 

 yields of sugar-cane.' 



Interest attaches to the table showing the results 

 of growing nine varieties (including the White Trans- 

 parent) as fifth ratoons. The canes were not ' supplied,' 

 and hence the results are indications of the ratooning 

 powers of the varieties as compared with the White 

 Transparent. All the seedlings gave a higher yield 

 both of canes per acre and of indicated saccha- 

 rose than the standard variety. Taking the White 

 Transparent as 100, the highest yields of indicated 

 saccharose were as follows : D. 2,468, 192-3 ; D. 145, 

 162-0; D. 625, 155-3; D. 109, 1519; B. 147, 1.500. 

 Professor Harrison is of opinion that some of the 

 new varieties of canes, notably D. 109, D. 145, D. 625, 

 and B. 147, can be confidently recommended to cane 

 farmers for extended cultivation. As a practical result 

 of the experiments, it may be mentioned that 290 

 mule-cart loads of canes were distributed during the 

 last fortnight of December to the various plantations 

 ■which applied for them. 



The report on the acreage under cultivation of 

 sugar-canes other than the Bourbon has already been 

 reviewed in these columns (p. 216), where it was 

 mentioned that ' for the crop of 1906-7, 21,481 acres are 

 occupied in British Guiana with such varieties, as 

 against an area of 14,743 acres in 1905-6, or an increase 

 of 45-7 per cent.' As stated in the Demerara Argosy, 

 ' this means that over 20,000 acres of the once favourite 

 Bourbon have been replaced by seedling varieties, 

 which have proved better adapted for cultivation here, 

 and more capable of withstanding the adverse droughts 

 experienced of late years.' It may be added that the 

 favourite seedlings among the planters are: D. 109, 

 D. 625, B. 208, D. 145, and B. 147. 



In concluding both these reports, Professor Harrison 

 testifies to the advantage that has accrued to the 



colony from the Imperial grant-in-aid, which commenced 

 to be available in October lS9j§ ,)ipd ceased to be pay- 

 able on March 31, 1906. As shown by the fact that, 

 of the area devoted to seedling varieties, about 4,000 

 acres are occupied by seedling varieties raised in 

 Barbados and about 16,000 by those raised locally, the 

 colony ' has largely benefited from the expenditure on 

 sugar-cane experiments in Barbados as well as from 

 that in British Guiana.' 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Hawaii. 



The following review of the sugar industrj' in the 

 Hawaiian Islands during the year 1904-5 is extracted 

 from the Consular Report on the territory : — 



The total tonnage of the sugar crop for 1904-5 was 

 426,248 short tons (380,579 tons avoirdupois), which is the 

 largest crop in the history of the islands, with the exception 

 of that for 1903, which exceeded it by 11,743 .short tons 

 (10,485 tons avoirdupois). 



There are fifty-three sugar plantations in the Hawaiian 

 Islands, situated as follow.s : Hawaii, twenty-five ; Kauai, 

 eleven ; Oaliu, nine ; Maui, eight ; all having agencies in 

 Honolulu, on Oahu. Of these plantations all have their own 

 factories except eight, which have their cane ground and 

 manufactured at adjoining factories. 



Hawaiian sugar is all exported in the raw state, with the 

 exception of the output of one factory, the Honolulu Planta- 

 tion Company, which does not turn out anj- raw sugars. In 

 this factory white sugars in granulated and powdered styles 

 are manufactured and shipped to San Francisco, its output 

 being about 20,000 short tons (17,860 tons avoirdupois) 

 per annum. 



The raw sugars are sold under contract to the American 

 Sugar Piefinery Company, of New York, the Western Sugar 

 Refining Company, of San Francisco, and the Californian and 

 Hawaiian Sugar Refining Company, of San Francisco. The 

 last-mentioned company is controlled by certain Hawaiian 

 sugar-planting companies owning about 82 per cent, of the 

 whole output of the island. 



Raw sugars are sold to the refineries above named on the 

 basis of the prices of Cuban centrifugals in New York. 

 This basis, during the year 1905, rose from 4-90c. duty paid, 

 at which price it stood at the end of the year, to 5|c. per lb., 

 which price was touched on January 23. Beyond this it did 

 not go. The year's price.s, on the whole, were very satisfac- 

 tory, although there was a .serious decline in values during 

 the last three months of the year. By that time, however, 

 almost all the Hawaiian crop was marketed. 



It is estimated that the area from which the 1905 crop 

 was taken was about 110,000 acres and that the area now 

 under cultivation, from which the 1906 and 1907 crops are 

 to be harvested, is about double that in extent. 



SUGAE-OANE PESTS. 



The following is extracted from the report for 1905 of 

 the Governor of this territory to the United States Secretary 

 of the Interior ; — 



