42 THE GUMMOSIS OF THE SUGAR-CANE, 



crops are not so healthy. This would lead one to expect favour- 

 able results with salt when applied to fields containing canes 

 liable to the disease. 



I have enquired if canes grown on the coast, and within reach 

 of the salt spray become diseased to the same extent as plants 

 oi'own inland, and have been informed by Mr. T. U. Walton, 

 B.8c., of the Colonial Sugar Ptefining Co., who made the necessary 

 enquiries, that the majority of the managers of the diiferent mills 

 consider that canes grown upon soils which are known to be 

 pretty w-ell impregnated with salt through being subject to the 

 influence of tidal waters, are not less liable to be affected with 

 gummosis than crops upon other soils. The opinion is that they 

 are more prone to develop the disease, but with regard to this it 

 must be borne in mind that such soils are generally badly drained, 

 and it is to the defective drainage that the prevalence of the 

 disease is ascribed. Cases can be quoted in which gummosis has 

 been remedied by the improvement of the land by draining and 

 the planting of new seed cane. 



In direct contradiction to the other (jflicers, one of the managers 

 thinks that it may be safely said that on lands adjacent to the 

 sea beach, where the soil is contaminated with salt, gummosis has 

 not been nearly so bad as in districts distant from the sea. He 

 instanced the case of a man, whose farm was on one of the 

 islands in the Lakes, Clarence River, being able to grow a com- 

 paratively sound crop of Mauritius Ribbon long after this variet)^ 

 of cane had been abandoned by ever3^one else on account of its 

 tendency to develop gummosis. A large portion of his farm was 

 submerged by King tides. 



The Colonial Sugar Refining Co. in the following season intend 

 to test the action of common salt upon perfectly drained soils. 



The presence of salt in the cane is preferable to gum, inasmuch 

 as the former collects in the molasses and does not otherwise 

 make its presence evident, wdiile the gum, besides diminishing the 

 crop, interferes w^ith the crystallisation of sugar. 



Although one might by experiment find a substance that 

 would inhibit the disease, the best practice is, undoubtedly, to 



