12 



FRliGHOPPER BLIGHT OF SUGAR-CANE. 



The chief sugar growing districts are the eastern ends of the two 

 more or less Hat stretches of land that are found between these ranges of 

 n;ountains (>>cf' Fii; '2i. Tliev may be divided for crnvenience into a 



:^ 







^.„.'v''"''^« 9 





Fig. 2. 



Fig. 2. — Maj) of the Island of Triniilad showing approximate position of the Mountain 

 Ranges and the three chief sugar growing districts. 



Northern section occupying the very flat low-lying areas on the banks 

 of the Elver Caroni; a central section occupying the coast lands North 

 and South of Couva, and in the Couva district running for some miles 

 inland along the tei'minal spurs of the central hills; and a Southern 

 section generally known as the "Naparimas," round San Fernando and 

 Princes Town, in which the land is more undulating than in either of 

 the two former areas, and the soil irregular but including some of the 

 most fertile in the island. 



The sugar cane is the second most important agricultural crop of the 

 island (cacao being the first) and the export has varied during the last 

 20 years from 38,000 tons (of 2,240 lbs.) in 1205 (grown in 1904) to 

 71,000 tons in 1917 (grown in 1916). The total area under sugar-cane 

 is roughly 50,000 acres or 78 square miles. 



Fifty years ago a large number of small independent privatel^'-owned 

 estates, each with a small mill, occupied this area. Amalgamation into 

 large estates and companies followed, as in other parts of the world, and 

 there are now only fourteen factories of any size in the island. The greater 

 part of the sugar cane cultivation is in the hands of these companies. 



Hand in hand, however, with the fusion of estates and factories has 

 gone, particularly' in the last thirty years, the rise of a class of small 

 cultivators, the " cane farmer," or peasant proprietor, wlio owns or 

 rents a few acres of land on which he grows cane (usually together with 

 ground provisions) and these canes are sold to the larger factories. 



