Vol. III. No. 48. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



.57 



Jamaica Soils. 



An instructive lecture on 'The Cultivated Soils 

 of Jamaica ' was recently delivered to the teachers 

 undergoing the annual course of agricultural instruc- 

 tion in Jamaica by Mr. H. H. Cousins, M.A., F.C.S., 

 the Government Analytical and Agricultural Chemist. 

 The following is a brief summary :^ 



When Mr. Cousins first went to Jamaica the idea 

 was given him that most of the .soils were so exhausted 

 by long cultivation that his business was to prescribe 

 some medicine that would improve them. His work 

 at the laboratory very soon showed him that this was 

 far from being the case. In most instances the factor 

 that limited the growing of crops in Jamaica was not 

 so much the supply of plant food as the supply of 

 water. It must be recognized that if maxinuun crops 

 were to be obtained, every possible means of saving 

 water must be adopted. 



They must endeavour to get all the small 

 proprietors to feed their stock on their back lands, 

 collect manure and concentrate it on their cultivated 

 lands, and then they would fimi their soil becoming 

 richer and richer every year. 



Mr. Cousins then ui-ged the teachers to put the 

 knowledge they had gained during the course to the 

 test possible advantage. They must aim at teaching 

 the main points with regard to cultivation by illustra- 

 tion in the school garden. 



Crop Prospects in Dominica. 



The following is a brief summary of an interesting 

 and satisfactory report by Mr. J. Jones, the Curator of 

 the Botanic Station at Dominica, on a recent visit to 

 the windward district of that island:— 



As in other parts of Dominica, limes form the 

 most important crop in this district. The trees are 

 rapidly recovering from the attacks of scale insects, 

 which did considerable damage in the early part of 

 1903. This is probably due to the rapid increase of 

 their natural enemies, assisted, no doubt, by the heavy 

 rainfall of the latter half of the year. Planters shoidd 

 provide themselves with spraying outfits and be 

 prepared to deal with the pests immediately they 

 appear. It is satisfactory to note that greater 

 attention is now being paid to pruning in the wind- 

 ward district, with the result that there are fewer 

 fungus-infested trees. 



The cacao in this district is young and, on the 

 whole, doing well. The Curator lays stress on the 

 necessity for planting wind-breaks in exposed situa- 

 tions, and advocates close planting. The cacao experi- 

 ment plots appear to have served a good purpose. 



Cast'dloa rubber trees have been planted as shade 

 trees for cacao at Stowe estate, and as they resist the 

 wind well, seem to be specially suited to the purpose. 

 Experiments with Para rubber {Hevea hrasUlensts) 

 and Lagos silk rubber {Funtamla elastica) have not 

 given good results, being easily uprooted by the gales. 

 At Belvidere, at an elevation of 800 feet, several acres 

 oi Flint ainia have been planted. If the experiment 

 proves a success, the cultivation will be extended. 



Natural versus Artificial Indigo. 



A circular has recently been issued by the 

 Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of 

 India dealing with the present state of the trade 

 in indigo between India and Allepo. 



Between 600 and 700 chests of indigo are 

 imported into Allepo from India every yeai\ On 

 account, however, of the competition of German .synthetic 

 indigo, this is usually sold by the merchants at ;i. loss. 

 This synthetic indigo has two advantages over the 

 natural product, viz., that it is cheaper and that its 

 price does not vary. 



It was generally thought that owing to these 

 advantages natural indigo would be entirely replaced 

 by the synthetic. That this has not happened is due 

 to the fact that synthetic indigo has not the same smell 

 as that to which the native dyers are accustomed, who 

 are therefore prejudiced against it. Moreover, cloth 

 dyed with it alone fades in about two months. 

 The consequence is that the two forms are mixed in 

 about equal proportions, the resulting mixture being 

 more durable and also brighter in colour than the 

 natural indigo. 



On account, however, of the impetus that has been 

 given to the dyeing industry by the popularity of this 

 mixed dye, much more indigo is used than formerly, 

 and the reduction in the demand for natui-al indigo 

 has not been nearly as great as might have been 

 expected from the fiicts mentioned. 



Exports of Grenada. 



The recently issued Colonial Report on Grenada 

 for 1902 bears testimony to the satisfactory state of the 

 trade in local products. The exports were in excess of 

 those of 1901 as well as of the average for the five 

 years preceding 1901. 



The tables show that during the last five years 

 there has been a steady increase in the exports of these 

 products. The crop of cacao for 1902 was 61,28.5 bags 

 (valued at £268,211), as against an average, for the 

 five years ending September 1901, of 53,379 bags. 

 This satisfactory increase is attributed to improved 

 methods and extended cultivation as a result of the 

 efforts of the Agricultural Instructor and the lessons 

 taught by the experiment plots established by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



Nutmegs and spices were exported to the extent 

 of 6,839 cwt. (valued at £25,522). This is an increase 

 of more than 2,000 cwt. over the average for the 

 previous five years, but the prices were not as favour- 

 able as in 1901, and there is, therefore, a decrease in 

 the value of the spices exported. 



In the case of cotton an increase is also recorded. 

 The average export for the five years was 2,095 cwt. of 

 raw cotton and 4,537 cwt. of cotton seed of the average 

 annual value of £3,605 ; in 1902 the exports were 

 2,212 cwt. of raw cotton and 4,536 cwt. of cotton seed, 

 valued at £4,069. As stated in the last issue of the 

 Agricultural Neics (p. 44), the cotton and cotton seed 

 are exclusively the product of Carriacou, a dependency 

 of Grenada. 



