The times., 1899-03-15
New York Cotton Market.
AUSTRALIANS SUGAR GRADE.
Remarkable Growth of the Industry
in New South Wales

Sugar cultivation has become one of the
staple agricultural Industries of New South
Wales. although it practically dates only
from 1863. in which year couple of acres
in the northern part of the colony were
recorded as having produced $50 pounds of
sugar. The localities were however, found
unsuitable for the cultivation of sugar
cane on an extended scale. and for several
years very little progress was made, ex-
cept in the country nearer the Queensland
border, where the richest portions of the
lower valleys of the Clarence, the Rich
mond, the Tweed. and the Brunswick
rivers became occupied by settlers engaged
in planting and growing sugar cane
Mills were erected in the chief centers of
cane cultivation, and cane growing and
sugar manufacturing are now the principal
and best established Industries OF the
northeastern portions OF the colony The
cane is generally cut in the secoGd year Of
its growth, the fields being replan I'd after
they have given crops for three or four
seasons at the most and. as the planting
OF cane has been conducted at irregular
intervals, it has chanced that seasons OF
large production have been followed by
small crops in the succeeding year This
accounts for the alternately large and
small areas of productive cane during a
series of years.
the years crop of cane standing and cut
it at their own cost. From plantations in
fuli bearing the average weight of the
cane cut varies from twenty-five TO thirty
two tons, while the price paid ranges from
SIS. to lSs. per ton. The majority of farm
ers cultivate maize and other crops in ad-
dition TO sugar cane and many have adopt
ed dairy farming as a supplementary in
dustry, only few estates being devoted
lAlE IN gNHFFs IL
area under sugar was 25,S65 acres. of which
1896 acres were productive the yield OF
same being 269.06S tons of cane In pre-
Vious years the area was considera blv
larger but the marked success of the dairy
farming industry has caused many sugar
cultivators TO devote a larger area to
lucerne and other green folders.
With the development of sugar cane cul-
tivation there has been an increase in the
manufactured output, which, in 1897. con-
sisted of 57l. .1i0 cwt. of sugar. and -
520.5S0 gallons OF mOlasses. In 1897 the
quantities were: Sugar, 553. 900 cwt {:
molasses. 1.i21 .i06 gallons. Ten years ago
there were over sixty sugar mills in the
colony. They were mostly of limited size.
In 1897 the number had become reduced by
more than twO-thirds, but the output of
manufactured sugar had become doubled.
and that of molasses increased tivefold, by
VI lAit i1iiiioNONA ApliiiS'IIASS, llsIedS-
ed horsepower and augmented facilities at
the command of manufacturers.
About 1900 hands are employed in the
sugar mills. Sugar refining is carried on
in a large establishment in Sydney. en-
ploying about 400 hands. the quantity OF
sugar melted in 1897 being SOL, iO0 cwt.
The total consumption of sugar in New
South Wales during 1896 amounted to CO.
72i tons, of which s., l02 tons were the
product of the local plantations. The yield
of sugar per ton of cane varies. of course.
according to the viscidity of the juice. but
in ordinary seasons it may be set down
at somewhat over . per cent of the guam
tty treated.
# was intended by the New South Wales
government to remove the import duties
on sugar, but the manner in which the
sugar industries of other countries are as
sisted by State bonuses and other means
G3 per ton. With a fair field and no
favor, Australian sugar growers can hold
their own in the worlds competition
Sugar beet cultivation is still in an expert
mental stage in New South Wales. but the
results. so far. have been encouraging
The chemist of the Colonial Sugar Re-
finng Company. in Sydney. at the request
of a New South Wales beet-grower. made
series of tests, the yield per root from
those analyzed being respectively 1866.
1908, I7.S9 1851. 1890. 20.13. 20.33, 20.56,
% IL, 22, %, and 2I.75 per cent Experts pro-
nounce such yields to be unparalleled in