24 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 16, 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. 



Communications are invited, written on one 

 side of the paper only. It should be understood 

 that no contributions or specimens can, in any 

 case, be returned. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricul- 

 tural News' should be addressed to the Agents, 

 and not to the Department. A complete list of 

 the London and Local agents will be found at 

 foot of page 1 5 of this volume. 



The 'Agricultural News': Price Id. per 

 number, post free I'^d. Annual subscription 

 payable to Agents 2s. 2d., post free 3s. 3d. 



gigricultunit fleiujj 



Vol. in. SATURDAY, .JANUARY Hi, 1904. No. 46. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Agricultural Education. 



At the recent Assizes held at Barbados, the Grand 

 Jury, in their leply to the address of the Chief Justice, 

 referred in the following terms to the efforts now being 

 made to extend agricultural educati<jn and bring the 

 rising generation into sympathy with .agricultural 

 pursuits : — 



We eiiiljrace this niiiKirtuiiity to exju'ess ciur aiiiireoiation 

 of the etibrts of the Iiiiiierial Department of Agriculture in 

 trying to imbue the niincls of the young that to follow the 

 calling of an agricultural labourer is not derogatory, and we 

 venture to assert that, if the Dei>artnient is successful in this 

 direction, in a few years there will be further ground for 

 congratulation. 



Barbados Local Exhibition. 



The fourtii annual Local Industrial Exhibition 

 and Show of Stock for Peasant Proprietors, under tile 

 auspices of the Imperial Dep.artment of Agriculture, 

 was held at Lower Estate, St. Michael's, on Tuesday, 

 January 12. 



These local shows are organized mainly for 

 peasant })roprietors, for the purpose of encouraging 

 the better selection and cultivation of fruit, vegetables, 

 etc. With this object over 200 moiu'y prizes were 

 offered for competition by the Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture. Five diplomas of merit of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture were awarded in vaiious 

 competitions. 



A more detailed rejjort of tJie exhibition will be 

 given in the next issue of the A(jriru(fuml AVics. 



Ontario Crop Report. 



The Criip Bidhfin just issued by the Ontario 

 Department of Agricultuif, gives statistics and general 

 information relating to the crops of Ontario for 190:i 



The condition of the tobacco crop at harvesting 

 was reported as from fair to good ; the cool, wet 

 summer kept growth back, but the tine, early autumn 

 was most favourable. Beets, of which a good yield was 

 reported, appear to be growing in favour as a food for 

 live stock. The honey ci-op was good except in a few 

 districts where the weather was unfavourable. 



Fibre of Agave americana. 



Reference was made in the Aijrivultural. Xeivs, 

 Vol. II, p. 393, to the uses of the agaves, and to the 

 production of a drink, known as 'Pulque,' from the 

 century jjlant (A(j(irc a mera-arni). Fibre is also 

 obtained from this plant and a sanijile, obtained from 

 Assam, was recently examined at the Imperial Institute. 

 A report ou this fibre is given in the Iiitiu'rial Insfiiutc 

 Ballctln, No. 3. The report of the brokers to whoui the 

 samples were submitted was as follows: 'Of good quality 

 but rather too dry and brittle : its strength, colour and 

 length are all described as fairly satistact<iry. Portions 

 of the samples are of good quality, being equal to 

 ordinary si.sal hemp from the West Indies and would 

 realize about the same price, which i-anges at the 

 present time from £3.5 to £38 per ton.' While it is 

 pointed out that this price is exceptionally high, 

 a trial shipment of a few tons was recommended. 



Cotton Pests at Antigua. 



In a recent rejiort Mr. W. N. Sands, Curator of 

 the Antigua Botanic Station, gives an interesting 

 account of efforts directed against the cotton caterpillar 

 and other pests that have apjjcared in the cotton 

 cultivations during the past sea.son. 



Expei-iuients were conducted t<:) ascertain the most 

 effective projiortioiis in which Paris green should be 

 used. Spraying with Paris green in water was Hiund 

 of little avail and dusting was then resorted to. When 

 mixed with lime, 1 lb. of Paris green to G It), of lime 

 gave the best results. IMiis insecticide was also tried 

 mixed with Hour and with plaster of Paris, but in 

 neither case were the results as good as when the Paris 

 green was mixed with lime. The Hour caused the 



to the leaves better but was 



A mixture of 1 lb. of Paris 



was usually sufficient to dust 



Paris green to adhere 

 very difficult to apply. 



green and (i lb. of lime 

 i to 1 acie. 



Hand-picking of the caterpillars does not appear 

 to be practical on a large scale, although good results 

 are recorded where hand-picking of the jjupac was 

 j)ractised. 



On one estate the cotton cultivation had been 

 kept free from insects by the use of Hocks of turkeys 

 and chickens. 



It would appear from this report that the cotton 

 worm can effectively be kept in check when Paris 

 green is used with care and judgement immr(/iaffli/ 

 on appearance of the pest. 



