186 



SUGAR. 



The consumption of sugar in the island is estimated at about 

 6000 hogsheads. 



In Jamaica, in the Government botanic gardens, eighteen selected 

 varieties of new canes have been planted out, and as many more are 

 under trial, to ascertain which are the best for general cultivation. 

 Encouraging accounts have been received from different parts of the 

 island of the Salangore cane, which grows with great vigour, and the 

 number of shoots from each stool is remarkable. It requires to 

 be planted wider apart than the space allotted to other canes. 



Colonel Stewart's patent for desiccating cane juice by sulphurous 

 acid gas injected into the liquor has been adopted on Bushy Park 

 estate, St. Catherine. On Belmont estate, in the same parish, the 

 double retort system of distillation has been introduced. The high 

 price obtained for rum caused sugar to be sacrificed to a large extent, 

 and the manufacture of rum increased from an average of two-thirds 

 to almost a puncheon for a hogshead. 



At Nightingale Grove and Wales estates, in Trelawney, centrifugal 

 machines have been erected. In Westmoreland a few more centri- 

 fugal draining machines have been introduced, and Wetzell's pan 

 and centrifugal machines have been set up at Holland estate, in St. 

 Elizabeth. 



An astonishing extent of sugar cultivation is now carried on among 

 the peasantry, for a return presented to the Legislative Council, in 

 1871, showed no less than 5615 small sugar mills to be in use. The 

 average make of these is about two hogsheads per annum. In some 

 cases the sugar thus produced is sent down to the coast and exported, 

 but by far the largest part of it is consumed in the island. Cultiva- 

 tion among the large proprietors has been considerably extended in 

 many cases, and several abandoned properties have been reclaimed, 

 and irrigation adopted on a large scale with gratifying results. 



The enterprising proprietor of Albion estate, St. Thomas, has 

 established a vacuum pan and centrifugal apparatus. The sugar 

 produced by the machinery is of a very superior character, equalling 

 the best Demerara crystallized sugar, which is sold so largely for 

 consumption in the United States. 



This is quite a new feature in the history of Jamaica sugar manu- 

 facture, which has long been notorious for servile adherence to ancient 

 routine. 



Barbados. — This small island usually produces a large quantity of 

 sugar, but the crop is of com'se affected by seasons and other causes. 



The years 1859 and 1860 were bad crops, the next two years good, 

 followed by two bad. The four years, 1865 to 1868, were very good 

 crops ; 1869 was a poor one. There are about 35,000 acres under cane : 



Year. j Sugar. ] Rum. 



I 



185i 50,000 khds. \ 1,402 hhds. 



1864 37, 038 „ 37,156 gaUs. 



1874 47,355 „ ! 16,8Ul „ 



The new method of stirring the sugar, by the oscillating process, 

 after it has been poui'cd from the copper into the cooler until the 



