, 1896-01-25
SUGAR TRADE WITH The WEST
INDIES.


Sir Charles Bruce, in his annual report
Mom q enada to tho Seer Of State, OF
the trade with the Windward Islands, says
ON comparison with the financial position
and Immediate prospects Of colonies II ainIy
dependent OH the sugar came, Grenada has
been fortunate, In my report on the Blue
Book for 1893 I showed that sugar had
oeaSei to be an export of Significance, The
value Of sugar exported having fallen off
from 600. $50 in 1873 to 1871 in 1898. In
1894 the value Of sugar exported fell to
$50 The sugar industry is now chiefly
oonAned to the manufacture Of MuscovadO
and rum, for local consumption, and for
both Of these commodities hero is q su1i
Gent local demand at very rtmuneratiye
prices"
With regard to st. Lucia, the report says;
Tue great concern of the year in st. Lucia,
as Throughout the West Indies, was the
depreciation Of agricultural products, and
especially sugar. The statistics recently
Published in several colonies Prove conclu-
sivsly that for some time the selling price
Of sugar has been generally below tie cost
Of prediction. The continuance Of such a
state Of things has, Of course, only been pos
sibls owing TO the system Of Subsidies adopted
by fcreign governments. which guarantees
the producer s. margin of profit, though sell
ing below the cost Of production. Indepen-
IDENTIFY Of falling prices, the season Of 1894
WAS not favourable TO agriculture. A long
period of drought was succeeded hy a gale
and disastrous foods in October, ana al
though the consequences of these accidents
do not fall within the range OF the present
report, they should not be lost sight OF IN
reviewing the circumstances of 1891 in re-
lation to their probable OBJECT ON the cir
oumstances Of 1895. Tie effect, Of the
drought, which was widespread through
cut the West Indies, have been generally
felt in the reduction of the yield Of the
sugar cane.
Sir Charles Bruce adds "Nhat l have
said on the subject Of sugar IN my report on
St. Luciq, applies with equal forco to st.
Vincent, and, indeed, l can find no better
illustration of the position than the clrcum-
stance that the principal proprietor IN st.
Vincent assured me that his loss IN working
his estates during the year 1894 amounted
to over $4,000. St. Vincent. has. indeed,
suffered more seriously than many other
colonies, owing to the absence Of such I'M
proved machinery as has elsewhere malerl-
ally reduced the cost Of production. In
1898 the sugar cane was, in some districts,
severely attacked by the disease tricosphoria
sscohari.'
The Curator of the Botanic Gardens is Of
opinion that, however seriously the drought
may have affected the yield Of the sugar
cans, it has kept down this disease. The
bounty system is not responsible for the fall
in the price Of arrowroot, the cultivation
of which has been very largely increased in
st. Vincent. Presumably, the great fall in
the value Of inferior qualities is due to a
general improvement IN the method Of cul-
t~ivation and preparation adopted IN other
countries; the result being a very large pro
duction, or perhaps over-productioA, OF
arrowroot of superior quality.
Steady progress continues to be made IN
extending and improving the cultivation OF
cocoa, coffee, fruits and vegetables (8weet
potatoes, yame. tamias crc.) spices. kola and
other agricultural productions, in substitution
of, or al least IN supplement Of, sugar.
With reference to coffee, Mr.. Powell the
Curator of the Botanic Gardens, has frequent
" pointed out the suitability Of the mountain
lands of the island, for Arabian, and of the
rich. moist lowlands, for Liherian coffee; and
he reports that extraordinary planting opera
tons in this direction have l%atterIy been
Observation-Disclosures World.