Vol. V. No. 118. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



339 



Java. 



Senator Staniforfch Smith, of the Australian 

 Parliament, recently visited the Federated Malay States 

 and Java for the purpose of studying the methods of 

 administration and economic development. He devoted 

 particular attention to those plantation industries 

 which were likely to be suitable to the territory of 

 Papua. 



In his report, to which reference was made in 

 the lust issue of tlie Agricultural News (p. 323), 

 Mr. Smith deals with the sugar industry of Java as 

 follows : — • 



As .Java is one of the largest producing coiuitries of cane 

 sugar in the world, some particulars of the method and cost 

 of production will be of interest to Australia, and may be of 

 use in the future to Papua. 



The whole of the sugar in Java is grown on irrigated 

 land and on soil owned by the natives and not by the white 

 people. The irrigated paddy, or rice fields, are the lands 

 utilized for this purpose. The natives are allowed to rent to 

 white people on short tenure not more than one-third of their 

 land, so that the remainder may be used for growing rice 

 (their staple food), or other crops, such as tapioca, indigo, etc. 

 In the case of a communal village, where the lands are jointly 

 held, the planter comes to terms with the villagers and rents 

 one-third of the area for eighteen months ; he also, if possible, 

 gets them to agree to rent him another third the following 

 year, and the remaining third the succeeding year. Having 

 arranged with the village, the planter and the village 

 headman go before a Government official, who records the 

 agreement and sees that the money is paid over to the native 

 for the first eighteen months' rental, and the deposit of 

 perhaps 5s. an acre on the remainder of the land to be rented 

 -during the second and third years. The Government official 

 generally seizes the opportunity for impounding the land, 

 poll, and labour taxes on the natives for the year, as other- 

 wise it is not always easy to obtain them. The natives,' with 

 that improvidence which is characteristic of the whole of the 

 'Malay race, generally squander the balance in a few days or 

 ■weeks. The same process is gone through in the case of 

 individual holdings. A sugar estate, with its own ' fabrik ' 

 or mill, generally has an area of from 1,200 to 1,500 acres. 

 The plantation is by no means compact, but spread all 

 through the paddy fields, an acre in one place, and 5 to 10 

 acres or more in another. In planting, the ' Reynoso ' system 

 Is generally adopted (deep parallel furrows with high ridges 

 between, on which the cane is planted) with the irrigation 

 channels running across at right angles. 



The total area under sugar-cane in .Java is 233,520 acres, 

 and there are 180 sugar mills, equal to 1,300 acres per 

 mill ; of these mills twenty are owned by Chinese, and 160 

 Jby Europeans. 



After providing for the very large local consumption of 

 sugar by 30,000,000 people, the balance is e.xported. Last 

 year sugar to the value of over £7,000,000 was shipped. The 

 manufactured sugar is classified by numbers from 12 to 18 

 according to purity. Nos. 12 to 14 are called ' muscovado ' 

 and contain 96 J per cent, of pure sugar. No. 18 is over 98 

 per cent. Not much sugar is refined to great purity in Java 

 and goes into local consumption in that state, but a consider- 

 able aiiiount is shipped, to Hong Kong refineries. Apart from 

 the fact that all sugar in, Java is grown on irrigated land, 

 there are other ' striking divergencies in the method of 

 production in Australia and Java. 



Instead of allowing the cane to grow up again after 

 cutting, and tlius make one planting do for several years, the 



cane in Java is freshly planted every year and seldom on the 

 same ground twice in succession, two crops of paddy usually 

 intervening. 



In Java the roots of the sugar-cane are crushed as well 

 as the stem, a considerable amount of sugar being obtained 

 from the former ; this, 1 believe, is never done in Australia, 

 and is a matter that might receive consideration when fresh 

 planting is contemplated. 



Though the price of sugar is not so high now as it was. 

 last year, planters are very confident that they can produce 

 sugar profitably against any competition, whether from beet 

 or cane, and a considerable amount of capital is being 

 invested in the industry. Previously the molasses, after all 

 the sugar possible had been extracted, was thrown away. The 

 growers have now found a market for this product in British 

 India, though the present price is only about 5s. 6d. a ton. 



Trinidad. 



The United States Consul in Trinidad has reported 

 as follows on the position of the island's sugar 

 industry : — 



The recent introduction of labour-saving appliances, and 

 particularly the steam plough, has resulted, on certain estates, 

 in an increase of yield of 50 per cent, with respect to plant 

 canes. It is no secret that Trinidad's prosperity depends, to 

 a great extent, on the sugar industry. Cacao has sprung 

 into and usurped the premier place among the products of 

 the island, but sugar affords employment to far greater 

 numbers than cacao, and the steadily increasing cane-farming 

 industry is positive proof that the extinction of the sugar 

 trade in the island would be a very serious .setback indeed 

 to the local economical situation. 



From time to time the planters have been urged to make 

 use of the steam plough as applied in the larger estates of 

 the north, thereby lessening the cost of production. The- 

 future of the industry absolutely depends on the cost being, 

 reduced to a minimum, and luckily thi.s has been disclosed by 

 the introduction of the steam plough and other labour-saving; 

 appliances wherever practical. The prevailing sugar prices 

 in England this year have been so low that many of the 

 estates will make no profit. However, with the increased 

 use of the steam plough and more modern machinery, the- 

 cost of production will in the future be materially reduced. 



Seedling Canes in St. Lucia. 



In reference to the note in the Agricultural News: 

 (Vol. V, p. 248) on seedling sugar-canes in St. Lucia, 

 where it was stated that their cultivation was being 

 rapidly extended, the Agricultural Instructor in 

 St. Lucia (Mr. George S. Hudson) reports further 

 information. He estimates that a total area of 120 

 acres is occupied by these canes as follows: — 



B. 208 — 60 acres, principally at Cul-de-Sac, but a few 



acres are to be found on all large estates. 

 B. 147 — 20 acres, well distributed all over the islands 

 D. 115 — 30 acres, confined to lands of the Dennery 



Factory Company. 

 D. 95 "1 10 acres, distributed among the lands of the 

 Rappoej four factories. 



Total— 120 acres. 

 The increase in this area has hitherto been limited by 

 scarcity of plants. In the future it is likely to be con.sider- 

 ably extended, as on both large and small estates not 

 a single seedling plant is being wasted. 



