^ 205 — 



veyance of canes to the mill, a railway would be of ad- 

 mirable assistance in saving a waste of time. 



At the present time, anything which may tend to di- 

 minish the future cost of production of sugar should be 

 a matter of immediate interest to the colony, and we 

 notice with salisfactiou that the introduction of rail- 

 roads on estates would be a marked progress. 



For some years to come, the fluctuations of the su- 

 gar market may per chance be unfa%orable to the co- 

 louy. The sugars of the Madras Presidency, for in- 

 stance, may hereafter become our formidable rivals. 

 For if we consider that they can produce refined sugar 

 as cheap as we can produce raw sugar at Mauritius, 

 we cannot fail to reflect upon the result which would 

 follow an increase of production there. Now, the plan- 

 tation of sugar cane by Indians in Southern India, 

 does not extend beyond 7 or 8 years. It is increasing 

 by rapid strides. The Mirasdars fcultivators) finding 

 that the canes yield more than any other kind of culti- 

 vation, eagerly apply for advances and contract to sup- 

 ply the sugar manufacturers with canes brought to the 

 mill at a fixed price per acre. The quantity of land 

 available for the purpos<3 is enormous, and the means 

 of irrigation, perfectly understood, are improving every 

 day. We can therefore imagine with what prodigious 

 facility the cultivation of the Sugar cane is spreading 

 for and wide, and will end by monopolising the greater 

 part of the soil of the Presidency. Let us add that the 

 use of guano is yet unknown there, and that the rail- 

 road which now runs through this beautiful Presidency 

 will still more increase the facilities of conveying the 

 pro'luce of the interior. 



*' We therefore see with pleasure the question of con- 

 veying canes under discussion, and we hope that, later, 

 the question of fuel and that of the manufacture of the 

 Sugar, properly speaking, will each have its turn. We 

 do not mean that all that exists should be changed all 

 at once, but it is easy without involving estates, to fol- 

 low up by degrees new ideas, and to adopt the amelio- 

 rations which are now and then suggested. In one 

 word, to follow the progress of the age and to keep up 

 with its ideas. 



