Notes on the Society's Work in 1897-1918. xlvii. 



The statement verities in a most striking manner the views of the 

 Royal Commission and of their able colleague and adviser Sir Daniel 

 Morris ; 32,000,000 lbs. imported in 1896 ; 32,000,000 lbs. exported in 

 1917! 



The area under rice cultivation in 1896-97 was about 6,500 British 

 acres yielding paddy equal to about 4,000 tons of cleaned rice in value 

 about £48,000 or $230,000, whilst in 1917 not less than 63,580 acres 

 were reaped, yielding paddy equal to about 45,000 tons of commercial 

 rice, having a value in normal tines of at least £5 10,000 or §2,600,000. 



The yields of rice in the colony vary very greatly ; for instance, on 

 empoldered lands with satisfactory facilities for irrigation and drainage the 

 crops may be from 20 to 28 bags (of 140-150 lbs.) of paddy, the average 

 yield on these lands being 25 bags per acre ; on non-empoldered lands 

 with fair irrigation the yields are from 16 to 20 bags of paddy per acre, 

 whilst on poor and unsuitable lands with defective irrigation or with 

 no means of irrigation and dependent solely on the rainfall th e 

 yields are only from 8 to 14 bags per acre. Over the whole colony the 

 average yields are from 18 to 23 bags per acre per crop, the yields being- 

 governed by the characteristics of the seasons. 



In some districts, more especially in North East Essequebo, where 

 facilities for irrigation and drainage are exceptionally favourable, two 

 crops per annum are usually reaped. On the best empoldered lands the 

 two crops yield a total of from 38 to 45 bags (140 lbs.) of paddy per 

 acre, whilst on non-empoldered lands the total annual yields are from 

 30 to 35 bags. 



Prior to 1897 several attempts were made with but little success 

 towards improving the quality and yield of rice in British Guiana by im- 

 porting seed-paddy from Calcutta. There were resumed in 1897 but failed 

 as at that time the Botanic Gardens proper were used almost exclusively 

 for ornamental and horticultural purposes whilst there was not any land 

 available in the experimental section devoted to sugar-cane. In 1902 

 with the assistance of the late Sir Alexander Ashmore some marsh-paddies 

 of choice varieties were obtained from Ceylon. An area of then practically 

 marsh-land in the north-eastern section of the Botanic Gardens was 

 cleared from bu3h and laid out in rice-beds under the direction of Mr. 

 B. Gainfort, whilst acting as Superintendent of the Gardens. A year 

 later supplies of hill-paddy were obtained but owing to " heating " on the 

 voyage from Ceylon to here, the seed-paddy proved almost entirely non- 

 fertile; but Mr. K. Ward succeeded in germinating nine grains of the pad- 

 dies and from them some good strains of hill-rice were obtained. Later 

 supplies of seed-paddy have been obtained from several different coun- 

 tries and colonies and over 300 varieties have been under experimental 

 field-trial. Few of them have been able to compete in yield and quality 

 of paddy with the Creole rice of British Guiana as improved by careful 

 and continuous seed and field seelction. On these fields the yields of the 

 Creole rice have increased from 35 cwts. per acre in 1905 to 42 cwts. in 



