Report of the Agricultural Committee. 7. 



» les embarras de leur situation pr^sente, ne leur eussent 

 » pas ouvert les yeux sur la n6cessit6 d'accroitre leurs res- 

 » sources, et de retirer de leurs cultures un plus large pro- 

 » fit, ils ne penseraient guere peut-6tre encore a sortir d'une 

 » orniere ou la routine voudrait les retenir, mais ou ils seu- 

 » tent bien qu'il serait dangereux de resler plus long- 

 » temps. » 



The system of cultivation pursued at Bourbon, and the 

 ell'orts made by our neighbours there, to improve their ma- 

 nufacture, are well known to us. The latter are now of 

 several years standing, and many from this place have had 

 an opportunity of witnessing them. During this period the 

 defecatiou of the cane juice in a separate clarifier, and the 

 substitution of copper for iron vessels, have been the prin- 

 cipal ameliorations, whilst the advantage of final concentra- 

 tion at a low temperature has not been lost sight of, and 

 Vacuum and Wetzel pans have been established for this pur- 

 pose on many estates. 



The eagerness of the Bourbon planters to profit by any 

 progress in the manufacture was exemplified on the occa- 

 sion of the annonncement of the success obtained at the 

 Phoenix works in 18i6. This news attracted, at a very 

 early date, several visitors from the sister Island, who care- 

 fully examined that Establishment and also thai on the 

 Queen Victoria Estate and turned to account the informa- 

 tion thus acquired on their return home. Amongst several 

 others may be mentioned the proprietors of a Vacuum ap- 

 paratus at Ste.-Marie ; the Director of Mr. Lemarchand's 

 works, on Roth's principle, at Lu Possession ; the Engineer 

 to the Nouvelle EspiTance central sugar works, on DerosnA 

 and Gail's !)lan, at Si e -Suzanne; and Mr. K/vegen, the weal- 

 thy proprietor, at Sl.-Pierre. This last named Gentlemsuu 



