Vol. III. No. 70. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



409 



Arbor Day Celebrations. 



In the last issue of the Agricultural News 

 we published brief accounts of the celebration of 

 Arbor Day in several of the West India Islands on 

 the King's birthday, November 9. In the present 

 issue are two further notes, one upon the celebrations 

 in Montserrat where tree planting was carried out in 

 .several districts, and the other in reference to tree 

 planting in the country districts of Dominica. 



From these accounts it will be seen that this 

 matter has been taken up in these islands with consid- 

 erable enthusiasm. In all cases suitable addresses 

 were given with the object of explaining clearly the 

 purpose of the Arbor Day movement. 



Exports of Jamaica. 



The Annual Report of the Collector General, which 

 appears as a supplement to the Jamaica Gazette of 

 November 17, contains interesting information as to 

 the exports of the island's products during the year 

 ended March 31 last. As was only to be expected, 

 the returns show the disastrous effect of the hurricane 

 of August 1903. 



Cocoa-nuts show a decrease in value from £07,902 

 in 1903 to £49,899 in 1904 : bananas, from £1,134,7.50 

 to £.585,243; citrus fruits, from £110,742 to £81,269: 

 pimento, £91,997 to £88,847 ; sugar and rum, £324,242 

 to £218,7.50 : coftee, £130,775 to £112,085 ; and cacao, 

 £65,284 to £41,540. 



On the other hand, an imi)rovement is to be 

 noticed in the following articles: kola nuts, from £243 

 in 1903 to £781 in 1904; walking sticks, from £222 to 

 £1,111 ; logwood, from £97,106 to £110,928 ; logwood 

 extract, from £33,363 to £47,609 ; tobacco leaf from 

 £157 to £582 (although cigars and cigarettes show 

 a decrease); and lime juice, from £2,549 to £3,546. 



Honey shows an increase in value of £1,473, but 

 a decrease in quantity of 1,348 cwt. ; lime juice, 

 a decrease of 7,430 gallons, but an increase in value of 

 £996. 



As the Collector General states, this is a gloomy 

 record, but the island is recovering from the damage 

 .sustained by the hurricane and drought; with the 

 extension in the production of minor products, the 

 removal of the sugar bounties, the extension of irriga- 

 tion, and the better education of the people in agri- 

 cultural matters, there is ground for hope that 

 prosperity will not be long in returning. 



Petroleum Resources of the West Indies. 



A series of articles has appeared in the Btdletia 

 of the Imperial Institute on the 'Petroleum Resources 

 of the British Empire.' The third article, in the issue 

 of September 29, is devoted to West Indian supplies. 

 Peti'oleum and allied substances are met with in Cuba, 

 ■San Domingo, Barbados, and Trinidad. 



The commonest form of bitumen in Trinidad is 

 asphaltum, known locally as pitch. It is found in and 

 near the Pitch Lake close to the village of La Brea, as 

 well as in several other localities. The purer varieties 

 of bitumen are known as glance-pitch, asphalt-glance, 

 or manjak. This form occur.s in much less amount 



than asphalt. Liquid asjjhalt and petroleum occur in 

 Guayaguayare Bay. The total value of the exports of 

 asphalt and allied products from Trinidad in 1902-3 

 was £170,563. 



In Barbados bitumen and petroleum are associated 

 with the Scotland formation consisting, for the most 

 part, of red, shal}^ incoherent sandstone.?. Asphalt 

 does not appear to be present, but manjak has been 

 found at several points. Manjak was first worked in 

 January 1896, and the new industry has naet with 

 considerable success, but recently the export has 

 diminished, though the price has advanced. The 

 largest output was in 1897 when 1,880 tons were 

 exported : in 1903, 651 tons were exported, the price 

 per ton being £10. It is exported mainly to the 

 United States for use in the manufacture of Brunswick 

 black and as an instdating material for electric cables. 

 Petroleum is found in the valleys of the streams that 

 flow by Turner's Hall Wood, Haggatt's and Baxter. 

 It is also met Avith at Springfield and at Lloyd's Wells. 

 In 1901-2 the total output was about 7,200 gallons. It 

 is now used locally as a fuel and a lubricant, and sells 

 at from 2d. to M. per gallon. 



Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 1905. 



In most of the West Indian Colonies preparations 

 are being made for representation at the forthcoming 

 Colonial and Indian Exhibition to be held at the 

 Crystal Palace in 1905. 



It is hoped that we shall be in a position to insert 

 in the next issue of the Agricidtu.ral News apian of 

 the exhibition. From this it will be seen that the 

 space allotted to the West Indies is in a mo.st 

 advantageous position. 



A strong and influential committee has been 

 ajjpointed in Trinidad, with Professor Carmody as 

 Chairman and Mr. J. H. Hart as Secretary'. A vote 

 of £1,500 has been approved of for the purpose of 

 securing an adequate representation of the colony's 

 products. The colony is to have 1,500 square feet of 

 space. 



As regards Jamaica, £1,000 is likely to be voted 

 to meet the necessary expenses, and a space of 2,500 

 square feet has been applied for. 



The Barbados House of Assembly unanimously 

 voted on October 25 the sum of £400 to defray the 

 expenses of the representation of the island at this 

 exhibition. Preparations by a local committee, of 

 which his Honour F. J. Clarke is Chairman, are in 

 a forward state. 



A committee has been appointed in Grenada to 

 take charge of the arrangements for an exhibit, and the 

 Government has been approached for the purpose of 

 a grant to defray expenses. 



We understand that Dominica has also decided to 

 be represented. 



At a recent meeting of the Royal Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society of British Guiana it was intimated 

 by the Chairman that the state of the funds of the 

 society prevented it from assisting in the exhibition. It 

 was, however, suggested that the society should 

 forward exhibits collected by members and others. 



