12 
34. Experiments to improve the sugar industry.—Of late years 
valuable oer ets directed to improve the sugar industry have 
arried on on land attached to the Botanic Gardens by the 
ied barts of Professor Harrison, the Government Analytical 
Chemist, and n, ihe Superintendent of the Botanic 
Gardens. The reports so far issued have proved of considerable 
sair to planters, and it is admitted that the results o 
uring experiments have already contributed both to improving 
the eli of sugar, and to reducing the cost of production. The 
cane most suitable for cultivation on heavy clay and loam ils 
is the Bourbon cane, while on lighter lands the White Transparent 
- and the Red Ribbon varieties are preferred. During the experiments 
conducted in British Guiana, Messrs. Harrison sg Jenman have 
carefully s and examined 120 varieties of canes obtained 
from various countries. These have been reduced to 42 distinct 
varieties, while numerous seedling canes have been raised and 
tested as compared with the Bourbon and other varieties. Each 
variety is cultivated with the object of determining the yield per 
acre aud the chemical composition of the juice. Those only that 
show palts of merit in both directions are retained, the others 
are destroyed. 
35. Already several new varieties have been raised pronis a 
higher percentage of sugar than any cane hitherto known. O 
or two on a purely experimental scale have yielded results from 
15 to 26 per cent. higher than the Bourbon cane on the same soil, 
and under the same conditions. 
“ For instance,” according to Professor Harrison, “ whilst the 
“ sucrose.” These results = expressed i in pounds of sucrose ‘her 
gallon of juice are as follows :— 
Pounds of Sugar per | Increased Percentage 
Cane. Gallon of Juice. over Bourbon Cane. 
Bourbon ts 5. aks 1°710 
No. 96 ... ave ie as 2°147 26 
i 74 sie ss ves aes 2°014 ll 
re a nae ee kei aa r963 15 
“Again, some seedling varieties ratoon, as a rule, better than 
the Bourbon does. On the experimental ground this has resulted in 
the following returns over four crops :— 
| Gane Yield of Bourbon Tons of First and | 
i : taken as 100. Second B gars per Acre.| 
f | 
E | Bourbon ae Bs ae 100 2°50 | 
| No. 78 na Le Say 144°8 3°62 | 
| EER a Be s% 134:8 3'37 | 
> 102 eee pee iie 1052 2-63 
pace? a D 1036 2-59 | 
