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



" of British Guiana could be begun in earnest. There are, however, exten- 

 " sive areas of river lands already accessible, and these as has been 

 " already suggested might be first taken in hand." 



I trust that by the remarks I have made to-day it is clear that I 

 have not been guilty of the wholesale condemnation of the fertility of the 

 lands of the interior of the Colony which has oft been imputed to me. I 

 have taken this opportunity of placing before the Society the views I 

 have formed during long-continued study regarding tropical soils as a 

 reply to the many misrepresentations which have been made about my 

 views, among other places recently in an uncalled for and offensive man- 

 ner in the pages of thisthe Society's official organ. On the other hand 

 I have inculcated, and I still advise, caution in the acceptance of such 

 unguarded assertions as that " These undeveloped Guiana lands are 

 amongst the richest existing in any part of the tropics." 



PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 



Sugar-cane. 



The area under sugar-cane had decreased from its maximum of 

 84,477 British acres in 1884 to 78,250 in 1896-97 whilst the export of 

 sugar had shrunk from 134,870 tons its maximum, which was obtained 

 in 1887, to 105,270 in 1896 ; the total production for that year being 

 about 113,000 tons. In 1917 78,346 acres were under sugar-cane, the 

 export of sugar being 114,000 tons, representing a production of about 

 122,000 tons. For 1918 there are 77,830 acres planted. 



During the period 1897-1918 a very great change has taken place in 

 the varieties of sugar-cane cultivated in the Colony. My records 

 indicate that in 1897 there were about 69,000 acres planted in 

 Bourbon acres and about 1,350 planted in other varieties. For 1918 

 about 3,850 acres are planted with Bourbon canes alone, 4,500 with 

 Bourbon mixed with other varieties, and about 69,475 acres either with 

 new seedling canes locally produced or with varieties recently introduced. 



The leaders in the sugar industry to whom the initiation of this 

 remarkable change was due were Messrs. Fleming and Douglas of Planta- 

 tion Diamond and Scard of the Colonial Company ; the late Harry 

 Garnett of Nonpareil, the late Cecil Morris of Plantation Albion, and 

 the late Honourable B. Howell Jones, C.M.G., whilst later leaders have 

 been the late R. G. Duncan, and the late J. Wilson, with Messrs. 

 R. Strang, VV. M. B. Shields, R. E. Brassington and A. E. Bratt. 



Among sugar-estate proprietors who personally were not planters the 

 late Messrs. George and Thomas Garnett were pre-eminent in encourag- 

 ing research with the object of obtaining new and better varieties of 

 Bugar-cane. As far back as 1895 they established under my scientific 

 direction an extensive nursery for new varieties of sugar-canes at Planta- 



