Vol. V. No. 109. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



195 



Sugar-cane Experiments in British Guiana. 



Tlie following is extracted from a report by the 

 Director of Science and Agriculture, British Guiana, on 

 progress in the sugar-cane experiments carried on 

 under his direction at the experiment fields attached to 

 the Botanic Gardens during the period July 1, 1905, 

 to March 31, 190G :— 



During the period under review the sugar-cane experi- 

 ments have been carried on under my control, assisted by 

 the advice of the members of the Sugar-cane Experiments 

 Committee of the Board of Agriculture. The actual conduct 

 of the work has devolved upon Mr. 11. Ward, Agricultural 

 Assistant to that Board. 



On July 1, 1905, 400 selected new kinds of seedlings 

 in addition to a large number of older varieties, were being 

 cultivated on small plots. 



Owing, probably, to the exceptional dryness of the 

 weather a large proportion of the arrows were abortive and 

 many remained arrested in their sheaths. The great scarcity 

 of fertile seeds produced this year was probably due to the 

 same cause. One hundred and forty-two sowings were made, 

 and only 4,177 seeds of four varieties germinated, a very low 

 rate. About 965 young seedlings have been secured. 



The most prolific variety was No. 1,087 followed by 

 No. 625 and by No. B. 147. 



The cross-fertilization experiments failed completel}', no 

 seeds obtained from them germinating. 



On North field the average yield of the third ratoon 

 canes was at the rate of 25'4 tons of canes per acre, that of 

 the second ratoons 22'1 tons ; No. 625 giving the biggest 

 yield with 34-7 tons, followed by No. 3,956 with 31'5 tons. 



The average yield of the varieties planted in South field 

 and reaped as second ratoons. twelve months old, was at the 

 rate of IS'O tons per acre. No. 115 gave 19'7 tons. The 

 average yield of plant canes was 23 tons of canes per acre. 



The manurial experiments have again produced singularly 

 clear proofs of the dependence of the yield of the sugar-cane 

 on the proportion of available nitrogen added in the manures 

 and, with others previously reported, show that the various 

 varieties of sugar-cane resemble the Bourbon in the depend- 

 ence of their yield upon this constituent. 



In the case of phosphatic manures, the results confirm 

 the opinion expressed in January 1904 that, if a British 

 Guiana sugar-cane soil shows on analysis a content of O'OOS 

 per cent, of phosphoric acid .soluble in 1 per cent, citric acid 

 solution or of 0'002 per cent, soluble in two-hundredth normal 

 hydrochloric acid, under conditions of constant shaking for 

 five hours, manuring with phosphate in all probability will 

 not produce commensurately increased yields of sugar-cane. 



The above conclusion, based on the results of fourteen 

 years' field experiments, is an ijiiportant one for the guidance 

 of planters in this colony. Until recently, large quantities 

 of slag-phosphates were yearly imported at an approximate 

 cost on the field of, say, .$20'00 per ton, and applied to the 

 soil at the rate of several hundredweights per acre. By 

 submitting a properly drawn sample of the soil, to which he 

 contemiilates applying slag-phosphates, for analysis (at a cost 

 of $2-50), the planter ascertains whether Lis soil contains 

 more or less than O-OOS per cent, of phosphoric acid soluble in 

 1 per cent, citric acid, and thus is guided as to the 

 advisability of applying phosphates. In my opinion, consider- 

 able economy has ensued from the adoption of this course. 



The following table, arranged in order of their yields of 

 indicated saccharose, shows the rates of yields of canes per 

 acre and the saccharose contents of the expressed juices of the 



varieties of canes which were reaped in December 1905, 

 fifth ratoons on the Brickdam field : — 



as 



These canes were not ' supplied,' and hence the results 

 are indications of the actual ratooning powers of the varieties 

 as compared with the White Transparent. 



The very low yield of B. 208, which is in strik- 

 ing contrast to the yields obtained from the variety 

 when cultivated on very large scales on estates on the 

 Demerara river, is due in my opinion to one of two causes — 

 either the unsuitability of B. 208 for cultivation on very 

 heavy clay soils, or that the cane sent to us from Barbados as 

 B. 208 is a different variety to the one grown at plantations 

 Diamond and Wales under that designation. In its general 

 character, mode of growth, and relative yield per acre, B. 208 

 as grown by us resembles, but is inferior to, D. 102, a variety 

 we have discarded. 



Two hundred and ninety mule-cart loads of canes were 

 distributed during the last fortnight of December to the 

 various plantations which applied for them. I am of opinion 

 that we now know sufficient about our new varieties of canes 

 to be able to recommend some of them, such as D. 109> 

 D. 145, D. 625, and B. 147, with confidence to cane farmers, 

 and I hope to receive ajiplications from them. 



As the Imperial Grant-in-aid, which commenced to be 

 available in 1899, ceased to be payable from March 31, 1906, 

 this is the final progress report dealing with its expenditure. 

 That grant has been expended solely in payment of the 

 salary of the Agricultural Assistant, in allowances to two 

 junior officers of the Government Laboratory, and in labourers' 

 wages. It has enabled us largely to increase the operations 

 of our sugar-cane experiments, and indirectly to extend 

 the experiments to products other than sugar, while some 

 measure of the success of the administration of the 

 Imperial Grant-in-aid for the AVest Indies may be found 

 in the extension of the area occupied by new seedling 

 varieties in the colony from about 550 acres in 1899 

 to 20,065 in 1906, and in that during the last five years 

 we have recorded that new varieties of seedling canes have 

 given, over large areas, mean results of 8, 10, 22, and 

 35 per cent, higher than the average of the returns obtained 

 from the Bourbon during the same period. 



