, 1880-03-24

manure market @ better condition of things
both for the buyer aud for the honest ven
dor-the former receiving more value for
his money, aud the latter running less
risk OF being under-sold by the fraudulent
maker of sophisticated mspures.
While we believe, and rejoice to believe,
that this desire to become acquainted with
the valuable lessons taught by mo-
dern science, and this resolution to apply
them in practice, are steadily making way
amongst our agriculturalists, and will, in
due course of time produce inestimable
benefits, there is yet another and o most
important question which is forced upon our
consideration by the recent history of the
sugar industry in Europe and other places
and which We should do wisely to endea-
your to solve at az early time and 10 q
satisfactory manner. This is the question
OF the employment of improved machinery
aud appliances in the manufacture OF
sugar. Here also we have only to look
around us and see that our rivals on every
side are engaged in q keen competition In
the production and use of the most per-
feet mechanical aids. 1t is no doubt, large.
II owing to their close attention to agri-
cultural Chemistry, and to their laying
down the most complete and admirably
arranged plans of machinery, as we'll as to
the sy stem of bounties, that the manufaG-
turers of Beet-sugar have been enabled to
do a profitable business, and to extend so
cons iderably the area Of their operations.
And co untries where cane-sugar is produc'
ed are not behind the beet-root grower
in the resolution to make the most OF
whatever assistance the scientific engineer
can render.
Amongst ourselves also we are glad to
be able to record progress in this direction.
or late years o considerable number of
Steam-works have been erected 10 Bar.
bsdos, and every year that passes sees
several additions made to the number.
Our readers may have been interested 10
perusing within the last few weeks on
account of the successful trial ofa power
full Steam-mill which has been construct
ed at Bristol for a plantation in this Island
and within the last few days two very
large boilers, of an improved kind, have
been landed for the use Of another planta'
ton. These cases are not unique, but
nevertheless it must be acknowledged that
although something has been done on this
score, much yet remains to be done. We
are still in this respect behind many of our
neighbours and rivals in The race of sugar
production We are still exposed to the
sarcasm OF the Journals devoted to the su-
gar interests, that our system 10 obsolete and
our processes wasteful, and that our sugar
is selling at low prices, OF can hardly find
q buyer, while the Demerara crystals aie
eagerly sought after.
The practical conclusion to be drawn
from all these circumstances is that we
must strenucusly presevere 10 treadiDg
the path OF progress on which we have
entered. No doubt there are peculiar
difficulties attendant 10 this colony upon
the introduction Of elaborate plants of
machinery. In some cases the money
cannot be procured with which to make
the purchase, while in other instances the
estates are too small to justify the cree.
ton OF such works, This latter case is
one which perhaps can be dealt with sue.
cessiully only by the erection of Central
Factories, or by the consolidation of sever
al small estates into q single large one, or
some similar way into which we have not
time to make an inquiry. But when all
the valid pleas that can be put forward
BY way Of excus have been admitted,
there remains . considerable number OF
nlnnkntinna NJ o3ao~eta s;eo and "a, u,L:nb