186 



will not necessarily do so in the lower lands or black soils and vice versa 

 with regard to varieties that grow well in black soils. It will con- 

 sequently be necessary for planters to carefully record the results of a 

 variety in different places, and to select for their own plantations those 

 which thrive best under the conditions of soil and climate there 

 obtaining. 



A third and important factor determining the yield of different 

 varieties is the quality of soil they are grown in and the treatment 

 they receive. 



The Bourbon has been studied agriculturally for a very long period 

 and the treatment most conducive to its welfare is well known. This, 

 in Barbados, cannot be said to be the case with varieties, and we have 

 doubtless much to learn as to the best time to p'ant, the best age to 

 choose the plants, whether to plant tops or cane, which variety likes a 

 low lying field, liable to swamp, and which a porous well drained soil ; 

 the time to manure ; the best composition of manure and so on for each. 

 Of course the knowledge acquired by study of Bourbon will form a 

 basis from which to work on the variety, and there can be no doubt in 

 the light of recent results that when we thorougly know how to treat 

 the best varieties, and where to grow each, that results equalling or ex- 

 celling those given by the Bourbon will be obtained. 



Results obtained by successful an 1 experienced planters have shewn, 

 that where an appropriate variety has been grown on equal terms with 

 the Bourbon, it has at all events given equal results. White Trans- 

 parent and Caledonian Queen have 3'ielded as much as 3 tons to the 

 acre this year, and in one estate an average of 2J to 2J tons over the 

 whole estate and that when last year Bourbon cane in consequence of 

 disease gave only f hogshead per acre. In no estate in the Island has 

 the Bourbon cane this year done better than that, and after a drought 

 like that of 1895, and with a reaping season like that of 1896, it is 

 exceedingly improbable that the Bourbon would have yielded on the pre- 

 sent crop area any greater average yield than that obtained this year. 



It has been the custom the last two years to grow varieties in fields 

 where Bourbon would not grow at all, to select for them the poorest field 

 of the estate. "That is one of my thinnest fields, I am going to plant 

 that in raledonian Queen" a planter will tell you and so on. Of course 

 the result has not been favourable to the variety. 



We are told that the yield of some varieties is not up to its appear- 

 ance, that the yield is disappointing. A planter will tell you " if I had 

 a stand of Bourbon equal to that of my White Transparent or Burke, 

 I should make three or four hogsheads to the acre" and is disappointed 

 to get only two. This surely is not a strong contention : for as a rule, 

 either Bourbon would not grow in those fields at all, or if they did 

 they would be so small and diseased that the yield would be three 

 quarters or one ton per acre as against 2 tons yielded by the variety : 

 and moreover if a variety cane despite it bem<r planted in a poor field, 

 despite its suffering from months of drought and despite its being left 

 almost unsupplied with artificial manure and sparingly with pen man- 

 ure, still maintains a vigorous growth and green colour and yields a 

 moderate return of sugar surely it is not to be condemned, for what in 

 such circumstances would the Bourbon have looked like and have 

 yielded ? 



