The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-13
An Address By The Director Of
the New Regime Corps.
CANE IS TO Be IMPROVED
Looking Ahead Ten Years-Experi-
ments at a Late Day FUNDS sup
plied-SchooI System Work.

DEMERARA, Nov. 23.-At recent /
meeting of the Trinidad Agricultural
Society, Dr. Morris gave an address on
the work of the new agricultural de-
partment which he has been charged
by the Imperial Government to estab-
lish in the West Indies. After few
preliminary remarks, DIR. Morris pro-
ceeded: We have this point estab-
Iished. and that is, that the sugar cane
is as capable of Improvement, that Is,
the sugar cane can give much larger
percentage of sugar than 1t does at
present, as the beet has done. Mr.. Vii
morel, who is one of the pioneers In
improving the saccharine richness OF
the beet, has assured me that both he
| and his father are quite satisfied that
| if only high scientific skill, If only con-
tinued effort is made and proper men
are appointed to carry ON these sugar
cane experiments, he is perfactly salts
| fed that the yield of the sugar cane
could be increased at least 20 per cent.
Of course, you can easily understand
that an isolated cane that may yield
16 per cent of sugar is of no use what
ever at this present moment to the
nlanter. The habit of the cane, the
characteristic of the cane, must DE
thoroughly fixed. That would require
continuous cultivation over various
lsoils and under various conditions; but
| -, ,nr,{c n rn
the lines that are proposed, if they are
continued for sufficient length of
time there is no reason why we should
not get cane with its character
istics fixed as are the CHARACTERISTICS
of the present Bourbon cane.
At the present moment, beginning
from the first of October of this year, L
nave at my disposal 1880 yearly to
be devoted entirely to the Improvement
of the sugar cane. That money Will De
expended in experiments IN BRUSH
Guiana Barbados, Antigua, st. kittS,
and if necessary any experiments Will
be assisted here also; but IN any case
we shall be able, within a very short
time after this to start these expert
ments There will be men whose time
and energy will be entirely devoted te
this work. For instance Mr.. Bowel, al
Barbados, his whole time will be de-
= voted to these experiments. He VII
be paid corresponding salary, ana III
will do nothing in the world but carr!
on these experiments in Barbados FRO
lessor Albuquerque will give nearl.
the whole of his time to the sugar can
experiments. In addition TO that tner
will be competent men-sc1entlnc me-
" of the highest class who Will De en-
gagged to carry on those experiments
No
~ as reliable as they possibly can be.
q addition to that there will be thor
er ouehIy scientific investigation into TN
diseases affecting the sugar cane. Ihef
will also be investigations as regard
the application of manureS IN orde
that we may be able to have as exa'
. a. knowledge of the nature and chal
acter of the manures applied to TT
sugar cane as they have at nome.
farmer at home, at the present MI
ment. knows very we'll if he spends
. extra five or ten shillings in manur
n per acre. he will get certain resul
without any doubt whatever IL III
y. been reduced now to a mere routine
many pounds of this or the other M
-, nure will mean an increased crop
hi' the value of so much. That is due
Sir John Lawes and Sir John Giibel
Their experiments have been carrl
w" on for years The same thing is ca
able of being done with regard TO [
- sugar cane. In addition to that ma
toA got G1OO placed at my disposal by I
Government Grant Committee, Of t
ROYAL Society, in order that l may pl
pare colored drawings of all the dine
ent cultivated varieties of the sug
cane in different parts of the wor
We shall then be able to know exac
a. cd in
land. There will be colored DRAWN
of them, and planters in different pa
oV of the world will be able to agree
to common name. The difficu
is now that every locality has got
own special name, and there IS gr
confusion in consequence as regal
what the canes really are. We sh
:, have those colored drawings prepa-
with a full description of those van
ties and their characteristics as far
we can fix them. Then book Will
published, at the expense OF the no
Society, or at the expense OF IA
1IK showing colored plates OF those ain
1LS, Aht susaf cahes. ~ 'n's on,n1ata &c
-EW permanent fecolu' ~ 49,. =,
YRS logue of the principal sugar cane Gu
WE'D waited IN dlnerent paris u me WI 80 ~
WE'D Is surprising that Indt hds NJ az
been done, but we hope TO be able
accomplish that during the course
.ou a few years. Now, / need not say a
thing more with regard to the 81
cane experiments, and l hope that
will accept what | have said not N!
: Nv as theories or things in the air.
are actually starting these experimt
at the present moment. This none
granted to us for something like
years. The men are employed, an
hi IN hn
VIC prove the saccharine quality OF
THE sugar cane l am confident, that dul
IT'S the next ten years, we shall be adj
mess show you some result. Now, in a
ton to those sugar cane experime
I'd. the Imperial Department of Agri