Feb.  I,  i8g6.] 
THK  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
543 
(t;cu|rc!spondono0. 
To  the  Edilor. 
SUGAR  CULTIVGVTIUN  IN  CF.YLON. 
Fiji,  Nov.  lS9o. 
Sir, — For  about  eight  of  the  ten  years  I have  been 
in  the  sugar  industry,  the  question  has  been  con- 
stantly in  my  mind,  “ Why  are  there  no  sugar-mills 
in  Ceylon  ?”  As  I became  better  acquainted  with  the 
different  varieties  of  the  sugarcane,  their  habits 
and  their  needs,  I wondered  more  and  more,  re- 
membering, as  I do,  the  soil,  climate,  and  extent 
of  your  alluvial  fiats. 
i know — in  a vague  way — that  much  money  was 
spent,  a great  many  years  ago,  in  the  attempt  to 
grow  cane  and  make  sugar  in  Ceylon,  and  that 
failure  was  the  result. 
Precisely  the  same  failure  was  made  here  between 
twenty  and  thirty  years  ago,  when  the  site  of  the 
present  capital  of  Fiji  was  all  planted  with  cane 
and  a large  factory  built.  The  whole  of  the  money 
spent  was  lost,  though  sugar  was  then  five 
times  the  price  it  is  now,  and  the  cost  of 
labour  seventy-five  per  cent  less  than  at  present. 
In  those  days  really  nothing — comparatively  speak- 
ing— was  known  of  cane-growing  and  sugar-making. 
The  price  of  sugar  was  so  high  that  those  tropical 
countries  which  stumbled  into  more  or  less  right 
ways  of  doing  things  made  huge  fortunes,  in  spite 
of  the  now  well-known  fact  that  they  only  extracted 
about  one-third  of  the  sugar  from  their  cane.  Even 
so  late  as  ten  years  ago,  sugar  planters  were,  for 
the  most  part,  ridiculing  the  idea  of  chemical  assist- 
ance in  the  factory  I And  at  the  present  day  the 
majority  of  cane-sugar-mills  in  the  world  are  without 
chemists.  In  Fiji  the  sole  survivors  have  employed 
chemists  from  the  start,  and  do  still ; while  those 
Companies  who  did  not  do  so  have  all  gone  into 
liquidation. 
But  what  was  the  cause  of  the  failure 
with  you  ? It  was  not  the  climate,  that  is 
quite  certain,  for  the  climate  of  your  low- 
country  is  that  of  Demerara,  than  which  there  is 
no  better  for  sugar  in  the  world.  There  are  canes 
which  thrive  in  semi-tropical  lands  better  than  they 
do  in  tropical,  and  vice  versa.  There  are  canes  for 
sv/amps,  canes  for  dry  lands,  canes  for  wet  climates, 
canes  for  dry  climates.  In  the  state  of  our  know- 
ledge bf  20  years  ago,  there  were  any  number  of 
unknown  reasons  for  the  failure  of  sugar  in  any 
particular  place.  But  tell  a modern  scientific  sugar 
planter  that  sugar  cannot  be  grown  to  pay  in  your 
climate  on  your  alluvial  flats,  and  he  will  laugh  at 
you.  Your  latitude  is  the  same  as  that  of  Domcrara, 
and  your  labour  is  fully  .50  per  cent,  cheaper ; 
moreover  you  pay  in  silver  and  sell  for  gold. 
The  history  ot  sugarcanc-growing  in  Fiji  is  a curious 
one.  First  there  was  the  Jiasco  mentioned  above, 
then,  a few  years  later,  a small  Company  started 
on  the  Rewa  river,  and  made  sugar  in  a crude  way 
for  some  years,  and  paid  fairly  well.  Then  the  Colonial 
Sugar  Refining  Co.  came  down,  in  ISTO-bS.SO, 
and  put  up  a large  mill  on  the  Rewa.  At  the  same 
time  a number  of  small  Companies  erected  factories 
in  various  parts  of  the  grouj),  all  of  which  have 
since  failed  but  one,  the  Fiji  Sugar  Co.,  Ld.  The 
C.  S.  R.  Co.  have  now  two  other  mills  in  addition 
to  that  on  the  Rewa;  the  latter,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  the  very  conditions  rvhich  you  possess, 
viz. : bright  skies  and  great  heat  has  only  paid 
about  one  per  cent;  but  the  Ba  river  mill — when 
the  rainfall  in  only  from  fiO  to  jSO  inches  and  which 
is  favoured  with  bright  skies  and  great  heat  has 
been  an  unqualified  success  from  the  start  ; though 
the  cost  of  buildings,  is  double  what  it  is  in  Ceylon, 
and  labourers  cost  100  % more  than  with  you. 
This  is  a very  moderate  estimate  for  wages  at  is 
added  to  cost  of  introduction  and  losses  by  death. 
Ax.,  bring  the  cost  of  a day’s  labour  to  Is  8d. 
There  is  nothing  whatever— it  is  impossilde  that 
there  could  be — to  prevent  the  successful  cultivation 
pf  cane  and  naauufactuie  of  sugar  on  any  or  all  of 
69 
your  alluvial  lands.  Much  has  been  said  of  the 
wonderful  soil  in  Fiji;  but  chemical  analyses 
and  practical  experience  has  proved  this  to  ho  non- 
sense. Our  soil  is  deficient  in  lime,  nitrogen,  po- 
tash atul  phosphates,  and  these  wo  have  to  supply 
artificially  and  have  been  doing  so  for  year’.'.  I should 
niuch  like  to  have  the  analyses  of  some  samjtles  of 
your  alluvial  and  conip.aro  the  two.  I would  risk  a 
good  deal  that  yours  is  inlinitoly  the  better  of  the  two. 
Ceylon  is  still,  I have  no  doubt,  one  of  the  most  go- 
ahead  countries  in  the  world,  and  full  of  plucky  and 
enterprising  men.  It  has  a climate — I speak  of  the 
lowcountry— which  isasugar  planter’s  ideal:  the  cheap- 
ness and  abundance  of  labourers  coupled  with  the 
advantage  of  your  currency,  is  equal  to  a bounty  of 
several  pounds  per  ton  of  sugar  made.  To  think  that 
all  these  advantages  are  unused  because  30  years  ago— 
more  or  less — some  scores  or  hundreds  of  thousands 
sterling  were  lost  in  a futile  endeavour  to  make  su- 
gar is  at  once  ridiculous  and  exasperating.  Ceylon 
and  Southern  India  together  could  supply  the  ivorld 
with  sugar,  and  do  it  much  cheaper  than  it  is 
done  now,  and  when  they  make  a fair  start,  this 
and  other  sugar  countries  in  which  labour  is  scarce 
and  dear  will  have  to  close  their  shutters. 
Some  of  your  readers  may  perhaps  remember  me. 
I was  in  Ceylon  from  1875  to  1878,  and  most  of  the 
time  on  Kelvin  estate,  Uolosbage.  To  any  old  friends 
who  see  this  letter  I offer  my  salaams,  and  to  any 
of  your  readers  who  may  take  an  interest  in  the 
sugar  question  I shall  at  all  times  be  I'.appy  to  give 
any  information  in  my  power,  being  only  too  glad 
to  help  to  find  the  way  to  the  gold  mine  which  I 
believe  lies  at  your  doors. — Y'ours  faithfully, 
JAMES  D.  DIXON. 
EEAEUA  TEA  IN  CALIFORNIA. 
San  Franchsco,  California,  U.S.A.,  Nov.  18,  1895 
My  de.\r  “ Observer,” — As  the  present  year  of 
p-ace  will  have  about  run  its  course  by  the  time  a 
letter  can  reach  yon  in  Ceylon,  I must  write  to  wish 
you  all  in  Ceylon  a Merry  Christmas  and  a Haipv 
New  Year  ; I hope  189G  will  be  a very  prosperous 
year,  and  that  with  the  advent  of  your  new  Governor 
several  very  necessary  works,  advantageous  to  the 
general  community  will  be  undertaken.  I am  glad  to 
see  prices  for  most  products  keep  fairly  high  o'-- 
ppiMly  those  for  Tea  and  Coffee.  Tho  old  district 
of  Machilsini.i  keeps  in  the  front  with  the  formation 
of  good  companies,  all  of  which  will,  I am  sure  nav 
well . with  good  jat,  faie  soil,  careful  management 
salubrious  climate  and  cheap  transport,  this  favourite 
district  has  stid  to  see  its  best  days:  but  (there  is 
always  a “ hut  ’ ) roads,  roads,  roads,  are  wanted 
very  much  pr_ tho  out-lying  sections  of  this  scattered 
Government  and  i ■ 
r.W.D.  will  admit  that  tho  treatment  mrt-1  out  o 
long-sip-eriug  Moncragalla  has  been  in  the  matter 
of  roads,  simply  shameful. 
Yoiu-  “Overland”  issue  readies  me  with  won- 
derful punctuality.  riiJ,  if  delivered  within  30 
days  from  date,  does  not  lose  much  time  on  the 
way.  It  IS  m great  demand  by  .sovoral  tea  nion 
mid  lap  week  I was  asked  for  a few  back  nninbers 
by  a hanker,  who  wished  to  read  them  ! I have 
selected  a few  for  him,  containing  the  account  of  the 
opening  of  the  Legislative  Council,  Galle  Face  Hotel 
meeting  Governm- s Speech,  etc.,  etc.  The  weather 
IS  usually  cool  M'out  Gallo  Face,  but  there  muAt 
have  been  a hot  wave  ” on  the  afternoon  of  that 
meeting. 
I • 'y'^^.cci-taiuly  very  severe  on  the 
bright  httlc,  right  htilo,  tight  little  island.  Of 
pim.so,  Ceylon  IS  .absurdly  orcr-govorned,  cnnsidcriim 
Its  size  and  population:  no  one  for  a moment  wifi 
piiously  contend  the  opposite.  Can  you  give  us 
the  relative  percentage  per  capita  of  the  cost  of 
goveruing-say  kLrdras  and  Ceyloip-civ/v/ff/f,,,,  ii 
ciuded,  militmy,  judicial,  prisons  and  police,  ir  L 
gatiop  edimation,  etc.,  etc.?  I think  the  figures  will 
be  interesting  and  surprising  reading. 
fi ^ a visit  to  that  fine  irou  ship 
the  “ Thomasena  MacLellan  ” of  Glasgow  on  ti  e 
second  voyage  of  which  I was  a joassenge;’  tg  N«W 
