138 



SUGAR. 



better tlian the ordinary cane. This species needs renewal only every 

 second or third year, and ripens in seven months if planted early in 

 spring, but if planted in autumn and left standing for fully a year the 

 return of sugar is larger. 



Many other varieties are known. Excessive rains produce a rank 

 luxuriance of the canes at the expense of the saccharine principle. 

 Eich manuring is necessary to attain good crops, unless in the best of 

 virgin soil. The lower leaves of the stem must be successively 

 removed (a process called " trashing "), also superabundant suckers, 

 to promote the growth upwards and to provide ventilation and light. 

 Moderate vicinity to the sea is favoui'able to the growth of the cane. 

 The average yield of sugar varies from IJ ton to 3 tons per acre. 



British Guiana. — This is essentially a sugar- growing colony. The 

 value of its staple exports,_the produce of the sugar-cane, in 1871 

 was as follows : 



£ 



Sugar 2,190,510 



Euin 311,880 



Molasses 65,313 



Total 2,567,703 



Of the sugar, about half goes to the United States, and the re- 

 mainder to Great Britain and her colonies; the rum is nearly all 

 sent to the United Kingdom. 



The sugar exported in 1871 consisted of 104,310 hogsheads, being 

 the largest crop this colony has ever produced. The rum consisted 

 of 29,703 puncheons. 



The following will show the progress of sugar production, as 

 evidenced by the exports : 





Year. 



Sugar. 



Rum, 



!RIolasses. 





1851 

 1861 



lbs. 



66,667,776 

 115,755,200 



imp, galls. 

 1,458,016 

 2,728,913 



imp. galls. 

 905,016 

 319,884 



There are in the colony 124 sugar estates, and the average annual 

 produce of these in the two years ending 1874 was 90,888 hogs- 

 heads of sugar, 27,660 puncheons of rum, and 17,962 puncheons of 

 molasses. Looking at the comparative value of the exports, the pro- 

 duce of the sugar-cane, they were as follows at three decennial 

 periods : 





Year. 



Sugar, Molasses. 



Rum. 





1854 

 1864 

 1874 



£ 



762,778 

 1,319,625 

 1,980,494 



£ 



11,988 

 56,870 

 115,186 



£ 



447,280 

 247,508 

 486,849 



A sugar estate is divided into fields, of from 6 to 10 acres in 

 extent, by a series of cross canals, and the method of planting 



