360 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NOVEMBEE 5, 1904. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well 

 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Boweii & Sonw, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulaii & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 1.5, Seething Lane, E.G. A complete list of 

 agents will be found at fnot of page o(J7 of this issue. 



The Agrifidf (I fill Xtu-s : Price !</. j)er number, 

 post free Ihd. Annual subscription paj-able to Agents 

 2s. 2d. Po"st free, 'is. -.id. 



giigricultural |}nufi 



Vol. III. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER .5, 1904. No. (57. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in the present issue deals with the 

 proposed arrangements for holding the ne.xt Agri- 

 cultural Conference at Trinidiid. 



In connexion with the sugar industry a note on 

 the Naudet process of sugar extraction and a summary 

 of results of manurial experiments at Barbados are 

 published on pp. 8-54-.5. 



Further reports on the prospects of the cotton 

 crop in the West Indies are likely to be of interest. 

 Other notes relating to the cotton industry contain 

 important information with regard t(j the production 

 of long-stajjle cotton, (p. o57.) 



Extracts from the address delivered at Barbados 

 by Mr. E. Lomas Oliver, of the Deputation from the 

 British Cotton-growing Association, contain hints of 

 importance to West Inilian cotton growers, (p. 8.59.) 



Under the heading ' Insect Notes ' will be found 

 a brief account of the usefulness of the toad as 

 a destroyer of insects, (p. 362.) 



Two extracts relating to agricultural education 

 indicate that .satisfactory progress is being made in 

 this connexion at Tobago and St. Vincent, (p. 3(]3.) 



The report by Mr. J. R. Jaclison on West Indian 

 products in tlie London market for the month ot 

 September is published on p. 365. 



Sugar-cane Experiments at Barbados. 



The sunnnary of the results obtained in the 



manurial exi)eriments with the sugar-cane, carried on 



at Barbados during the past year, which is published 



on ]:ip. 354-5, shows that, on the whole, previous 



conclusions are confirmed. Nitrogenous manures were 



found to be the most important, and their application 



was nearly always profitable. Phosphatic manures led 



to profits in some cases and to losses in others. In most 



cases a profit accrued from the use of potash as sulphate 



of potash. 



^ I ^ 



Exports of Grenada. 



The following sunnnar}- of the principal items of 



export from the island of Grenada during the year 



1903 may be of interest: — 



Cacao, 5S,490 bags, valued at £229,463 6.'*. 2.7. : 



nutmegs and spices, 7,959 cwt., of the value of 



cotton, 2,687 cwt., valued at 



6,757 cwt., of the value of 



£31,583 l.s. 8.?.: raw 

 £4,205 : cotton seed, 

 £1,140 .5*>. 8./. 



Compari.son with 



the exports 



tor 



1902 shows 

 a falling off in the output of cacao, the crop in 1902 

 being (51,258 bags. In the case of nutmegs and spices, 

 thei-e was an increase of more than 1,000 cwt. over 

 the exjjort in the previous year, which was 6,839 cwt. 

 As regards cotton, in 1902 the exports were 2,212 cwt. 

 of raw cotton and 4,.536 cwt. of cotton seed. 



In regard to 'Agricultural Improvements' it is 

 stated : ' The application of manure to cacao cultiva- 

 tion is on the increase throughout the island, and the 

 drying of that product by aitifieial means, instead of 

 relying upon sunlight, is being gradually adopted.' 



■ I Ml 



West Indian Cotton. 



In his address to the members of the Barbados 

 Agricultural Society on West Indian cotton (see p. 359) 

 Mr. Oliver dealt with some of the faults of cotton that 

 has been sent from these islands. It is hoped that 

 cotton growers will give careful consideration to the 

 points raised in this address. 



One of the most serious faults has been the absence 

 of the spiral twist on the fibre so much desired by fine 

 spinner.s. This is due to much of the cotton having 

 been picked before it was thoroughly ripe. The absence 

 of this twist materially increases the cost of production 

 to the spinner. Next, care must be taken to a\"oid 

 the mixing of long-staple and short-staple cotton. 

 The cotton must be carefully graded, for the spinner 

 does not want mixed cotton : moreover, for mixed 

 cotton the shipper will obtain only the price of 

 the worst cotton in the lot. Mr. Oliver advises 

 growers to brand the packages with the name of 

 their estate and to have a distinguishing mark for 

 each grade. In this manner growers of really good- 

 quality cotton will be able to establish a reputation for 

 their product. 



Finally, Mr. Olivei' advised shippers to adopt 

 a standard weight and size of canvas for the whole of the 

 West Indies, and to avoid the use of iron bands which 

 are not used for the very best grades of Sea Island 

 cotton but only for Florida and Georgia cottons. 



