54 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 13, 1904. 



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BEE-KEEPING. 



West Indian Honey on Royal Mail Steamers. 



In a recent letter to the Siij)erintenilent of the 

 Royal Mail Steam Packet Company at Barbados, the 

 suggestion was made by the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture that a supply of ' comb honey ' might be 

 obtained from St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat and 

 other islands in the West Indies for the use of 

 passengers on the transatlantic and intercolonial 

 steamers. It is understood that Jamaica honey is 

 entirely used on the steamers of the Imperial Direct 

 West India JIail Service, and there is no doubt that its 

 use serves to bring this product to the notice of the public. 



The following communication, forwarded by Com- 

 mander Owen, R.N.R., will show that the suggestion 

 has been readily adopted, and it is to be hoped that 

 the interests of West Indian bee-keejiers will thereby 

 be enhanced : — 



Attached please find a copy of a circular to Pursers 

 of the intercolonial steamers directing them to obtain 

 honey at the Leeward Islands and liave it placed on the 

 saloon tables. It may be useful for suppliers to know that 

 the proper channel for obtaining supplies, according to the 

 latest regulations, is through the Company's Agents. If it 

 proves a success, I will ask our Provedore Manager at 

 Southampton to have it advertised on board the transatlantic 

 .ships. 



The following preserves and jiickles, made in Barbados, 

 are now advertised on board all the Company's West Indian 

 mail ships : — Guava jelly, guava cheese, pine-aiiple jam, 

 shaddock rind, limes in syrup, hot sauce, mountaiTi cabbage 

 and pepper essence. 

 [Circular.^ 



Honey forms one of the minor industries in the 

 Leeward Islands and it is considered by the Imperial Dei)art- 

 ment of Agriculture that the Company's ships could be the 

 means of advertising and so encouraging it. At the same 

 time it might be ajipreciated by passengers ; some of them are 

 certain to like it and perhaps prefer it to jam or marmalade. 

 While it is desired to have it placed on the saloon tables for 

 the above reasons, the Company is not to be put to any more 

 expense than would be incurred by adding another brand of 

 jam or i>ickles to our store list. The Barbados industries of 

 guava jelly, guava marmalade, pickles, shaddock rind, 

 mountain cabbage and preserved limes are now regularly 

 advertised on board all the Company's West India mad ships 

 and it is desired to do the same for the honey industry. It 

 is obtainable at St. Kitt's, Montserrat and at St. Lucia. 



Please give your attention to the aliove and rei)ort the 

 results to me after a fair trial, for the information of the 

 Company. 



It would be well if bee-keepers in the various 

 islands were to communicate with the Company's 

 Agents, as advised above, with a view to enabling this 

 experiment to be carried out successfully. 



THE SUNFLOWER AS A CROP. 



In the .January issue of the Jounnd of the 

 Jamaica Agricidtm'al Society, Dr. James Neish gives 

 his experiences in the cultivation of sunflowers as 

 follows : — 



To grow the sunflower beneficially as a crop, it should 

 be planted in the spring-time of the year. During the i)ast 

 year the writer has carried on exiioriments, which show that 

 when this seed is sown during the later and hot months of 

 the year, in our troiiical climate, the yield is dinunished as 

 compared with the yield obtained from a crop sown in 

 February or March. It would, indeed, appear that as this 

 plant is naturally a plant growing to advantage in 

 temiierate latitudes, we should adapt it to much similar 

 conditions, and plant at that i)eriod of the year when 

 vegetation first awakens, namely, in February or March. The 

 sunflower then grows into a tall stem and bears a large 

 flower at its sununit. This is the characteristic growth of 

 the Russian suntiower. The .seeds in the large, .single flower 

 are well develoi>ed under attentive cultivation, and such 

 seeds are well adapted for preservation, and may be 

 depended on for growing succeeding crops. As already 

 stated, the early crop not only gives a better yield, but the 

 quality of the early crop is improved. 



<-)n the contrary, our late-sown crops gave smaller plants, 

 and they rushetl into flower and seed before attaining a 

 l>ro|)er growth, the flowers being small, and the seeds being 

 comparatively woithless. It has been shown that late-sown 

 crojis are not advantageous. It would appear that the high 

 temiierature of the later months stimulates the jilants into 

 permature flowering and .seeding. 



The sunflower rccjuires a rich and well-worked soil : the 

 plough and Assam fork are the implements to employ, and the 

 soil should be made fine for a seed-bed. The modes of 

 seeding and cultivation should closely resemble those of 

 Indian corn. If the hoe be used, shallow excavations should 

 be made in straight lines, .'? feet apart, and net more than 

 three seeds should be dropped in the excavation.s, taking 

 some care to drop the seeds widelj' apart ; they should be 

 properly covered with fine moist soil and the .soil compacted 

 sufHciently to guard against birds, and also to ensure germi- 

 nation. During the growth of the jilatit it should receive 

 attentive hoeing. On the large scale this may bo done with 

 the cultivator, but some hand-hoeing will also be necessary 

 close to the stem in order that all weeds may be destroyed. 

 The plant quickly responds to attentive hoeing, and the 

 careful cultivator will find it to his interest to give a frcejuent 

 hoeing so as to keep the plant in active growth. During 

 growth the suntiower seems to have few enemies. Fowls 

 .should be kept away, otherwi.se they soon acquire the habit of 

 flying up to the seed-head and eating out the .seeds. After 

 the seed is harvested, however, the grower must beware of 

 rats ; the seed should be stored in rat-jiroof bins, after 

 thoroughly drying the heads. 



In Jamaica the value of the sunflower as a crop will be 

 found to consist in furnishing a plentiful supply of nectar to 

 bees, anil the seeds are most serviceable as a food for fowls, 

 which rapidly get fat on this food when they are fully grown. 

 The white seed is said to give a better (juality of oil, but in 

 our experience the grey-.seeded sort gives a greater yield of 

 seed. It is advisable to procure the grey Russian seed from 

 a dealer. A very good sort of this kind was obtained locally 

 from the agent of Burpee, of Philadeli)hia, the crop from this 

 giving the best return. 



The object of this communication has been to suggest 

 early planting as the best to command succes.s. 



