103 



concerned, how little real attention is devoted to this all- 

 important question. 



"In temperate climes the interest in the subject is increas- 

 ing by leaps and bounds as the ever-growing demand for food- 

 stuffs makes it imperative that the soil should be made to pro- 

 dvice to its utmost capacity." 



Pointing out that the future supply of food for the world's 

 consumption will soon become a pressing one, as population 

 increases and new fields for cultivation become fewer nad 

 fewer, the article proceeds in part as follows : 



"In tropical countries, with a few exceptionss such as Java, 

 Ceylon and Hawaii, the importance of getting the maximum 

 yield from the soil does not seem to be realized, or, if it is, 

 little attempt is made towards accomplishing it. It is almost 

 impossible to calculate the annual loss to the cultivator, and 

 therefore to the whole community, wdiich arises from either 

 ignorance of fertilizing methods or careless disregard of them. 



"Take the case of India, or of Mexico, or the coffee lands of 

 Brazil and the Central American States. It would be safe to 

 say that the crops generally could be doubled and even trebled 

 in those countries, on the area now under cultivation. 



"In India, where the Government is now devoting much 

 time and money towards the improvement of agriculture, 

 nearly one million tons of sugar have to be imported yearly. 

 And yet probably over two million tons are produced in the 

 country. It is said that the average yield of sugar per acre 

 in India is less than half a ton, while the average is not much 

 better in Cuba, where also some two million tons of sugar are 

 produced per annum. Compare this with the average yield 

 in the Sandwich Islands, where the utmost care is given to 

 the question of fertilizing, with the result that an average 

 yield of nearly five tons of sugar per acre is secured. Quite 

 apart from good management and cultivation, which may do 

 much, it is admitted that this splendid result is mainly due to 

 carefully thought out fertilization. And jt must be remem- 

 bered that similar results are obtained, not in one year only 

 but every year, by systematically replacing the plant foods 

 which are removed by the crop. Making all allowances for 

 anv climatic advantages Hawaii may possess, there is surely 

 no reason why India and Cuba should not at least double 

 their sugar production on the land at present under cane. 

 Even so, the yield would only be one-fifth of that of the Sand- 

 wich Islands. 



"The sugar crop is onlv taken as an example because of the 

 extraordinary difference in yield shown between a highly fer- 

 tilized crop, as in Hawaii, and the practically unfertilized crops 

 in India and Cuba. The position is much the same with all 

 crops in the tropics. The wheat crop is, perhaps, the most 



