108 



THE AGEICULTUKAL NEWS. 



irAECH 26, 1904. 





Tlif J'urt-of-Sj<aiii O'au'ttc <■[ Ft-biuary :.'7, 1904, lia.s a 

 note ill reft'ience to the luaiiufaoture of buttons from the 

 fruits of a palm. The palm referred to is the Ivory luit 

 jialm {Plii/fch'jihas macrocarjia) ; its seeds become quite hard, 

 like ivory, ■when riiie, and the material is known as Vegetable 

 Ivory. 



GLEANINGS, 



A Conference of banana growci's at Barbados is proi'O.sed 

 to be held at the Planter'.s Hall, I'.ridgetown, on Tliursday 

 next, March 31, at 2.30 p.m. 



The iiresent sugar eroi^ at ftavbudns is e.xpected to be 

 a gorid one. It is hoped that -it may reach a total of 

 60,000 lihds., as compared with 3.'),000 hJids. last year. The 

 iHolas>es croi' will also be a correspondingly large one. 



The Hon. Francis Watts writes that fire-flies have l>een 

 seen in x\ntigua upon several occasions dnring the past few 

 months, which would suggest that these insects have recently 

 been intriiduccd into the island. 



Indian Flanting and Gaixhiiing of January 23, has 

 a reference to the invention of a cotton-picking machine. It 

 is claimed for it that it can pick seven bales a day on an 

 average where the yield is as much as a bale per acre. 



Lectures in Agriculture to teachers in charge of 

 Elementary Schools at Antigua are proposed to be given by 

 Mr. A. H. Kirby, B.A., on the first Saturday in each month. 

 The first of the new series for 1904 was given on !March 5 

 last. 



The Hon. Francis Watts writes : ' L)r. Gabriel says that 

 if cotton seed is slightly [lavched it can readily be crushed in 

 an ordinary corn crusher. Some of our jilanters are success- 

 fully crushing it in the " Little Giiint " corn and cob crushers 

 recently iniported.' 



In his opening speech to the Legislative Council of 

 Jamaica, his Excellency Sir Augustus Hemming, G.C.M.G., 

 gave the ffillowiiig estimate of the decrease in the exjiorts of 

 bananas and cocoa-nuts as the result of the hurricane : — 

 bananas (without allowing for any increase in 1903-4), 

 7,142,000 bunches : cocoa-nuts, 11,289,000. 



Mr. G. 8. Hudson, Agricultural Instructor at St. Lucia, 

 writes : ' When visiting the Fiiviere Dorec School Garden, 

 I was much struck by a new method of growing turnips, 

 viz., by cutting oft" the edible ront and replanting the 

 heads and leaves, as with tannias, when a new turnii 

 formed.' We might Uiention that similar result.- 



An Act (1904, Xc 0) has just been passed by the 

 Legislature at I'arbados otlering a reward of 3(/, per 

 head to encourage the destruction of the numgoose. It also 

 provides that any iierson who shall import, or attempt to 

 land, a mungoose, or head of a inungoose, shall be liable to 

 a penalty not exceeding £5 in each case. 



old 

 is 

 with 



The United States Consul General at Coburg, Gernjany, 

 reports : ' Mr. E. Callemberg, of Lank-ou-l!hine, has 

 succeeded in preparing, on a commercial basis, [lure chlor- 

 hydrate of terebinth, commonly known as "artificial camjihor," 

 and has found that this pure body has many valuable 

 propertie.s.' {V.S. Coii»ular Reports.) 



radishes have been reported from a school garden in Castries. 



An interesting exliil>it at the Agricultural Show recently 

 held at St. Vincent was the shell of a calabash fruit 

 converted into a terrestral globe for teaching purposes. This 

 was the work of an cild teacher who had drawn the lines of 

 latitude and longitude with great care and given an excellent 

 outline of the continents. The idea is a happy one. and we 

 conunend it for general adoption in West Indian schools. 



The recently formed Agricultural Society at Nevis 

 apiiears to be in a vigorous condition. It has lately received 

 addresses from the Governor, Sir Gerald Strickland, K.C.il.G.,. 

 the Hon. Francis Watts and Sir Daniel ^Morris, K.C.M.G., 

 all relating to the cotton industry which is being taken up 

 actively by all classes of the community. The Fresident of 

 the Society is the Hon. C. Arthur Shand, the Fvesident 

 Magistrate. 



The services of the pedigree Hereford bull, obtained b}- 

 the Imi)erial Department of Agriculture for St. Vincent in 

 1902, have proved of great value to stock kecijcrs in that 

 island. At the recent Agricultural Show held at Kingstown 

 several handsome calves were exhibited, many showing the 

 best characteristics of the Hereford breed. This l)reed is one 

 of the most suitable for producing beef cattle, which are in 

 great demand in the other islands. 



Mr. G. S. Hudson, Agricultural Instructor at St. Lucia,, 

 reports that consiilerable losses are being experienced on 

 some cacao estates from the 'Brown Hot.' Of one out- 

 break Mr. Hudson writes: 'I am afraid that the high 

 elevation (1,000 feet) and consequent low temperature and 

 humidity are responsible. I have known the thermometer 

 at .").j'F. on a cold morning in this locality, and 70° may be- 

 taken as an average early morning reading.' 



The total ainnial production of coft'ee amounts to more 

 than 21,.J00,0U0 bags, cif an average weight of 134 %. each, 

 or 2,881,000,000 lb. This production represents a total 

 value of more than $2.55,000,000 annually contributed by 

 the coffee industry to the world's trade and commerce. Such 

 a grand total is realized by the annual net j>roduct of more 

 than 1,800,000,000 coffee trees in full bearing. {U.S. Consular 

 Kcjiort.) 



A general meeting of the Dominica Agricultural Swiety 

 was held at the Court House, Roseau, on February 2G. Over 

 thirty members attended. The Secretary an<l Treasurer read 

 their reports for the year 1903, and the otfice bearers for the 

 year were elected. Out of three candidates, Dr. Nicholl* 

 was elected Vice-President, tlie other officers being re-elected. 

 There was a discussion upon a scheme for a Produce 

 Association with a view to regukrting the green lime trade, 

 and a committee was ajipointed to consider the matter in 

 detail. 



