3 



Government La boratory, May 29th, 1890. 

 Result of the Examination of a Seedling Sugar Cane grown at the Botanical Gardens. 



Actual longth of Cane ... ... 17 f ee t 5 iu. 



Length of Cane proper ... ... 9 f ee t. 



Actual weight ... ... \\ ] DS . 7f ozs. 



Weight of Uane proper ... ... 8 " 6 " 



Number of joints in Cane ... ... 56 



Average length on one joint ... ... 1-9 inches. 



Composition of the Juice extracted from the Cane. 





Cane, 

 ripe 

 joiuts. 



Cane, white 

 upper joints. 



Whole 

 Cane as 

 sent. 



Cane Top. 



Leaves. 



Percentage extracted 

 Specific gravity 



64- 3 

 10-57 



73- 6 

 10-35 



G6- 1 

 10-53 



61- 5 

 10-26 



12- 6 

 10-21 



Water 

 Sucrose 

 Glucose 

 Ash 



Organic matter 



8G-00 

 12-55 

 •38 

 •43 

 •64 



91 -20 

 5 13 

 2-74 

 •39 

 •54 



86-91 

 11-25 

 •79 



•42 

 •63 



93-30 

 1-49 

 3-04 

 •60 

 1-57 



94-60 

 •51 

 1-30 



1- 48 



2- 31 





100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



Coefficient of Purity 

 Glucose per 100 of Sucrose 



89-64 

 3-03 



58-29 

 53-41 



85-94 

 8-02 



22-24 

 240-27 



5-74 

 419-35 



The yield of sugar would be about four tons per acre, but the Bourbon cane, yielding the same 

 of cane would give from five or six tons per acre." 



Very many thousands of canes will have to be tested in this way in order to guide in the proper 

 selection of varieties, if any improvement is to be secured. 



THE GOLDEN WATTLE. 



The bark of the Wattle Trees of Australia is a valuable tauning material. There is a large number 

 of species, varying in the percentage of tannic acid contained in their bark, and varying also in their 

 suitability for different soils and climates. 



In Jamaica the probability is that all good soil, where other conditions are favourable, will in the 

 near future be devoted to the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, together with sugar and coffee. But 

 no opportunity should be lost of testing the capabilities of even our worst soils and our dryest situations 

 The Sisal Hemp plant is now in process of trial, but as it requires machinery for the extraction of the 

 fibre, it is quite possible that this fact may deter some from entering upon the cultivation. To these, 

 the " Golden Wattle" Tree may be commended, for while the cultivation is of an equally simple nature 

 with that of the Sisal Plant, no machinery is required. 



Seeds have just been received from Kew of the " Golden Wattle" of South Australia and Victoria 

 (Acacia pyenantha.) Mr. Morris in forwarding the seeds remarks that this tree "seems to afford the 

 richest tanning bark known. It contains sometimes even more than 40 per cent, of tannic acid." 



The seed was sent to the Director of the Boyal Gardens, Kew, by Mr. J. H. Maiden, Curator of 

 the Technological Museum, Sydney, who writes as follows : — " The seed is remarkably fine, owing to 

 the good season, is quite fresh, and has been gathered from selected, thick-barked trees. As you are 

 quite aware, this Acacia yields the richest tan bark in the world, and is eagerly sought after. I beg 

 to refer you for full particulars, to my pamphlet " Wattle and Wattle-barks." In Australia this Acacia 

 flourishes best in warm dry situations, with rainfall not much exceeding 20 inches. The tree flourishes 

 in the poorest soil " The pamphlet mentioned is " the practical outcome of many years of research and 

 observation" on the subject by Mr. Maiden. It has been prepared, at the request of the Department 

 of Public Instruction, New South Wales. The following extracts are taken from this valuable pamph- 

 let, which can be purchased from the Department, Sydney. A small quantity of seed can be obtained 

 for trial on application to the Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, and further supplies can be 

 forwarded from Australia. 



WATTLES AND WATTLE-BARKS. 



Extracts from a Pamphlet, by J. H. Maiden, P.L.S., I\C.S., SfC, Curator of the 



Technological Museum, Sydney. 

 Demand and Supply. 



As regards the importance of a supply of wattle-bark to European manufacturers, and the remote 

 possibility of the market being over- supplied, I quote the following, by a correspondent of Mr. J. E. 

 Brown, Conservator of Forests of South Australia: — " The matter of supply and demand can be com- 

 pressed into small compass. British and Continental tanners are languishing for ample and conti- 

 nuous supply and South Australia exports in such driblets that very many of the large firms in Great 

 Britain have given over using it, falling back on Valonia and other barks more jully and regularly 

 supplied. I may be allowed to remark here, reliable leather cannot be produced by intermittent and 

 inadequate supply of bark, on which the tanner relies when laying down his hide ; indeed; in large 



