The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-16 00:00:00

MILITIA.

-
The Northumberland Artillery Militia Regiment
is ordered to be embodied for permanent duty on
Monday, April 4, at the depot, Fort Clifford.

PRODUCTION OF SUGAR IN
A USTRALIA.

Some agricultural experiments which have very
recently been made in South Australia will afford
additional evidence of the almost lavish manner in
which the gifts of nature have been bestowed upon
the Australian colonies. The climate and soil of Aus-
tralia are suited, in one or other of the colonies, to the
production of nearly every description of vegetable
and cereal produce. The reputation of the grain
of Tasmania and South Australia was fully esta-
blished at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and every
year that has elapsed since that period has tended
to confirm the good opinion then formed of Austra-
lian wheat. Moreton Bay, it has been demonstrated,
will produce cotton of excellent quality, and many
other tropical and semi-tropical fruits. We now
learn that in South Australia one of the species of
sugar-producing plants has been cultivated with
considerable success. The agriculturist who has
turned his attention to this plant may hereafter be
regarded as one of the best friends of the colony.
It is said that a negro slave of Cortes was the first
who cultivated wheat in the Spanish colonies of
South America ; he sowed three seeds which he
found in some rice brought from Spain for the use
of the troops. At Quito the earthen vesselin which
the first wheat was sown by a Franciscan monk, a
native of Ghent, is preserved as one of the most
prized of relies. The introduction of wheat
into Spanish America was not more beneficial to
that continent than the sugar plant may prove to be
in Australia. We do not expect that in its present
state, or for some years to come, Australia will ever
be regarded as an extensive sugarproducing colony,
able to compete with the West India islands, or a
part of the southern States of America. The
scarcity and high price of labour constitute a
difficulty which will not be readily overcome ;
but the fact having been clearly demonstrated of
the suitableness of the soil and climate of the
country for the growth of sugar is, nevertheless,
one of considerable importance to the future of these
colonies. We learn from one of our contemporaries
at Adelaide that Mr. Duncan, who has had the
advantage of a West Indian experience:as a sugar-
, planter, is of opinion that the plant will not at
present pay for the purpose of sugar manufac-
turing, in consequence of the high price of labour.
The "holcus" is not, however, merely useful as a
plant from which to extract sugar, but it is of great
value as a food for cattle and horses. Cattle are
extremely fond of it, and they will eat plant, stalk,
leaves, and flower without any preparat ion , and the
plant is exceedingly nutritious and fattening to
stock of all kinds. The result of the experiments
which have been made show that the plant is about
that it grows
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ea sona
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moderately good
quality, and very little seed is required ; the grain
from fear heads is said to be sufficient to sow an
acre of land. The climate of Australia, which is at
certain seasons of the year hot and dry, is not well
suited to the production of heavy grass crops, or of
those rich pasturages which are to be met with in
many parts of this country. This peculiarity of
the climate does not, however, appear to exercise
any injurious effect upon the holcus, or sugar plant.
—Australian and New Zealand Gazette.

PRECEPT BUT NOT EXAMPLE.—A. Spanish priest,
once exhorting the soldiers to fight like lions, added, in the
ardour of enthusiasm :—" Reflect, my brethren, that who-
soever falls to-day in battle, sups to-night in Paradise."
Thunders of applause followed the sentiment The fight
began, the ranks wavered, the priest took to his heels, when
a soldier, stopping him, reproachfully referred to the pro-
mised supper in Paradise. " True, my son, true," said tho
priest, " but I never eat supper."