422 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [November i, i88r. 
the present cultivated land should yield. In addition 
to this, in the whole district, under exactly the same 
climatic influences, and with a soil similar to the laud 
now being worked, there are at least 500,000 acres 
more, withiu easy reach of navigable waters, which 
would produce, after every reasonable deduction, at 
least 125,000 tons more sugar per annum, which added 
to the capacity of the alienated lands would bring 
the entire district up to 200,000 tons per annum, at 
what is regarded as a very moderate estimate of its 
capacity ; and this in a district proved by 14 years' 
experience to be exceedingly well-adapted for the 
production of first-class sugars, at a cost, say, of £12 
per ton on board ship. 
The capacity, therefore, of this district for sugar 
production appears to be much greater than has hitherto 
been recognised. What hinders sugar progress at 
present is the want of one or more firms, who would 
meet the demand for milling power by erecting in the 
most suitable localities, mills which, commencing with 
a production of 200 or 250 tons per annum, might 
be increased by adding to their power, with the 
increase of crops, up to a production of 1,000 tons 
each per annum. One such mill, it is said, by the 
use of Mackenzie's ejecter pan, could be started at 
a moderate cost, and it is confidently asserted that 
such a mill could, after the first season's operations, 
be worked on such a scale and at such a cost as would 
ensure a return of from 20 to 40 per cent to share- 
holders. 
The sugar mills in the district gradually increased 
in number from the time (1S68) when Mr. Davidson 
erected his first mill, to 17 at the present time, all 
of which are in full work, and just able to cope with 
the cane grown. A very large mill, capable when 
finished, of producing 2,000 of sugar in a season, is 
now being erected at The Palms, under the super- 
intendence of Mr. Donaldson. It is owned by Messrs. 
Sloane, of Melbourne, who have other property in 
the neighbourhood, and will eventually be fitted with 
two vacuum pans, besides all the latest improvements 
in sugar making. Of the mills at work, the most com- 
plete and admirable in all respects that have as yet 
come under my notice are those at the River Estate 
and at Pleystovve, the former owned (along with the 
Pioneer) by Mr. Spiller, and ihe latter by Messrs. 
Hewitt and Co., over which 1 was courteously shown 
by their respective managers. At the River Estate 
mill, this month, an influential company of ladies 
and gentlemen assembled, at the invitation of Mr. 
H. Brandon, manager of the A. J. S. Bank, on behalf 
of Mr. J. Spiber, who is at present absent from ill- 
health, to witness the christening of a locomotive 
engine to be used on the railway constructed on the 
estate, as well as to see a trial made of Siemens'- 
electro-dynamic machine, recently put up in the mill 
for illumination with the electric light. The christening 
ceremony was performed by Mrs. H. Brandon. The 
railway excursion among the cane fields up the hills 
was highly interesting and successful ; and when the 
electric light was first put in action, the astonished 
kanakas excitedly exclaimed, "No more night — all 
now same as day !" At the close of the proceedings, 
the company were entertained at lunch at the house 
of the manager, Mr. Percy Crees. 
With regard to the amount of sugar manufactured 
in the district from the commencement to 1878, I 
find 33,700 tons given as an aggregate yield. Since 
then we have 6,928 tons up to the end of March 1879, 
and 9,470 tons to the end of March 1880. This 
quantity, added to the 11,000 tons expected as the 
return for 1881, makes a total of (31,098 tons of sugar 
produced in the Mackay district from 1868 to the end 
of the present year. In three years it is anticipated 
that 20,000 tons will be the annual product of the 
district from existing mills, and in manufacture this I 
sugar will require 240.000 tons of cane. But with 
an estimated capacity of producing 200,000 ions, (some 
say 250,000 tons) it will be seen what an immense room 
s' ill remains for further industry. 
1 am not yet in possession of estimates of value 
but those for 1878, during which year the export- 
value of sugar, molasses and treacle, golden syrup, 
and rum manufactured in the distriet of Mackay 
amounted to £168,036, of which £155,682 was for 
sugar. Other exports swell this sum to £193,491. 
As all the mills are now furnished with centrifugals, 
and generally with vacuum pans, the sugar manu- 
factured is of a very superior quality, and commands 
a price at the port of from £21 to £28 per ton ; it 
varies in character from fine household crystalled white 
to different shades of rich yellow. Three qualities are 
generally made at each mill, but the varieties pro- 
duced in the district are very numerous, it being 
found impracticable as yet to maintain perfect uni- 
formity of character for any length of time. As far 
as my own experience goes, the white sugar, or that 
which is first turned out of the centrifugals, is as 
good a household article as could be wished; though 
for certain purposes, such as preserving fruit, the 
highly refined sugar of the Colonial Sugar Company 
is indispensable, it is, however, remarkable that in 
the very place where it is made, its retail price should 
be from a halfpenny to a penny per pound more than 
in the Sydney market. 
With regard to the yield of sugar per acre, it is 
often very difficult to arrive at accurate results. Want 
of experience, the use of imperfect apparatus and a 
disastrous cane disease, have operated against ascert- 
aining what are the capabilities of the soil, and the 
comparative productiveness of the various kinds of 
cane in cultivation. For Queensland generally, the 
yield, estimated for the ten years ending 31st March, 
1879, was 25 cwt. 3qrs.; and for Mackay 27 cwt. 
0 qr. 23 lb. Considering the disadvantages above 
enumerated, this must be regarded as a prolific yield, 
being much higher than Jamaica and India, and but 
little below that of Java. But this estimate is much 
below the one I formed at the plantations, where 
32 cwt. per acre appeared to be nearer the truth. In 
some instances 2 and 2£ tons have been taken off, 
but this must be looked upon as too exceptional a 
yield to be held up as a fair sample; yet, in so admir- 
able a climate as this is made out to be, it is highly 
probable that with improved methods of culture the 
produce may be kept at near two tons. It must be 
remembered that at Mackay (and generally in Australia) 
no manures have yet been used to enrich the soil ; 
while in other countries this is an expensive item, 
and tells heavily in tne cost of production. 
So fertile is the soil at Mackay that the planter 
may go on for years reaping croi^s which seem in- 
exhaustible, but this fertility c.mnot last for ererjthe 
soil, to be kept in vigour, must have that restored 
to it which has ben taken away; and it would now 
be well for planters to store up manure for the evil 
day that is sure to com p. 
Tfje amount of rum produced in the three distilleries 
of Mackay during .1880 was 88,604 gallons. The re- 
spective plantations distilled as follows :— Alexandra, 
24,122 gallons ; Te Kowai, 24,428 gallons;; Pleystowe, 
24,054 gallons. The latter bears a high reputation 
in the market. 
A comparison of Mackay with other sugar-produc- 
ing districts of Queensland, gives it greatly the ad- 
vantage. A few figures will show what I mean. In 
1880, Cardwell yielded 525 tons of sugar ; Maryborough, 
4,157 tons; Bundaberg, 619 tons ; Brisbane, 850 tons ; 
Logan, 2, 150 tons ; while Mackay, probably owing 
to its superior climate, gave no less than 7,263 tons, 
its yield per acre being also higher. 
The small planters, of whom there are a good many 
