176 



, -a mcs thus grow during winter and spring, when from 

 the dry cool weather they will grow least, and to ripen 

 dining the hot wet season, when they grow most and 

 ripen Least. This not only causes great loss to the 

 planter, hut also reduces the value of the exports of 

 the colony. Only when sugar mills become more 

 numerous in the colony will this state of matters he 

 remedied. 



The average density of the juice in Fiji is between 

 9° and 10° Baume. At the worst season of the year 

 for crushing, the density of the juice is about 5° and 

 at the best between 10° and 11°. These facts, in con- 

 junction with the prices given per ton of cane, at once 

 indicate the loss sustained by the planters. During 

 the summer, autumn, and early part of winter, it took, 

 in 1875-6, 22 tons 4 cwts. of cane to produce a ton of 

 sugar, and from the end of winter, during spring, to 

 the beginning of summer, a ton of sugar w r as yielded 

 by 15 tons 14 cwts. of cane, or 3 tons of sugar in 47 

 tons 2 cwts. of cane ; while in the former it took 

 44 tons 8 cwt. of cane to produce 2 tons of sugar, 

 representing money values respectively, of 40/. and 

 60/., sugar being valued at 20/. per ton on the spot, 

 making thus a loss of 20/., or one third. 



The expense of cultivation per acre, including cut- 

 fcing, is from 5/. for ratoons to 7/. for virgin or 

 plant canes. The weight of cane per acre averages 

 35 tons. From July 1876 to July 1877 the average 

 quantity of cane to the ton of sugar was 16 tons 1 

 cwt., or about 12 tons when the density was highest, 

 and 20 tons when lowest. There is no disease among 

 the canes in Fiji, nor arc they destroyed by insects. 



When the disposition of the lands is made, a large 

 portion of cane-growing land will most likely belong 

 bo the natives, to grow their food plants upon, and 



