Vol. III. Xo. 43. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



11 



EDUCATIONAL 



•TT*^ 



Agricultural Scholarships. 



As notified in the Agricultural iVeit'-s (Vol. II, 

 p. 333) the Imperial Department of Agriculture recently 

 offered for competition two scholarships tenable at 

 Harri.son College, Barbados, of the annual value of £75, 

 one for the Leeward Islands and one for the Windward 

 Islands. The examinations for these were held at 

 Antigua, Grenada and St. Lucia on December 1, and 

 following days. 



The Scholarship for the Leeward Islands has been 

 won by A. H. Boon, of Antigua, and that for the 

 Windwanl Islands by G. 0. M. O'Reilly, of St. Lucia. 

 The following list of marks shows the position of the 

 various candidates at the examinations : — 



Grenada — 



C. Cornwall 



E X. Smith 



St. Lucia — 



H. E. Belinar 



G. O. M. O'Reilly 



Antlijua — 



A. H. Boon 



G. A. Gooilwin 



F. H. Malnne 



126 

 2.56 



4.j6 

 .505* 



406* 



154 



376 



A local Agricultural Scholarship, tenable at 

 Harrison College, Barbados, was recently offered for 

 competition. As a result of the examination R. C. 

 Hunt has been awarded a scholarship of the value of 

 £1(), and the scholarship held by C. A. Hinds has been 

 increased from £10 to £21 per annum. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



A conference of cotton growers was held at the 

 Court House, Kingstown, St. Vincent, on Thursday, 

 December 17, 1903, at which the Imperial Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture gave an address on the cotton 

 industry. 



Sir Daniel ]\Iorris spoke on the cultivation and 

 picking of cotton and its jjrej^aration before it is sent 

 to be ginned. He also explained the proposed working 

 of the Central Cotton Factorj' now in course of erection 

 at Kingstown. 



Sir Daniel Morris returned to Barbados b}' 

 R.5I.S. ' Eden' on Saturday, December 19. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agricidture left 

 Barbados in S.S. ' Orinoco' on the 29th. ultimo on an 

 official tour in the Northern Islands and to confer with 

 Sir Gerald Strickland in reference to the cotton 

 industry and other matters of immediate interest in 

 the Leeward Islands. It is probable that Sir Daniel 

 Morris will return on or about the 10th. instant. 



Mr. Henry A. Ballon, B.Sc, Entomologist on the 

 staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 proceeded to Montserrat on the 29th. ultimo to under- 

 take a further investigation of the disease affecting 

 cotton in that island. 



THE SOIL: All introduction to the scientific study of 

 the growth of crops. By A. D. Hall, iLA., Lomlon : John 

 Murray, Albemarle Street, 1903. Price 3s. 6d. 



This volume by Professor Hall, Director of the Rotliam- 

 sted Experimental Station, formerly Principal of the South- 

 eastern Agricultural College, Wye, is primarily intended, as 

 stated in the preface, ' for students of our agricultural 

 colleges and schools, and for the farmer who wishes to know 

 something about the materials he is handling day by day.' 



We unhesitatingly recommend this book to all who 

 desire to make themselves accpiainted with recent investiga- 

 tions connected with the scientific study of soils. The 

 subject is dealt with by Professor Hall in such a way as to 

 be perfectly intelligible to readers who may not have made 

 a special study of agricultural chemistry. 



The chemical, physical and biological problems in the 

 study of soils are here placed before the reader, who is 

 thereby enabled to api)reciate the amount of information 

 that has resulted from investigations carried out along these 

 lines. Throughout the whole of this book the close connexion 

 between science and practice is brought prominently forward. 

 The influence of the various tillage operations upon the 

 fertility of the soil, the relation of living organisms to soil 

 fertility, the causes of sterility, and the possibilities of soil 

 imiirovement are among the subjects upon which the reader 

 will find this book shedding light. 



We would draw special attention to the seventh chapter, 

 dealing with the living organisms of the soil. An interest- 

 ing account is given of the i)rogress of our knowledge during 

 recent years in this section of agricultural science. It is 

 shown how the soil, formerly regarded as a mass of inert 

 matter, is now regarded as being full of life, as containing 

 thousands of minute organisms, which are now- known to be 

 responsible for many of the changes which were until 

 recently thought to be of a purely chemical nature. Conse- 

 quently soil fertility is no longer considered to depend solely 

 upon the amount of plant food contained in the soil ; other 

 ijuestion.s, such as the healthy condition of the soil as regards 

 the life of soil bacteria and their ability to carry on their 

 important functions, have to be taken into consideration. 



DIE KULTUR DES KAKAOBAUMES UND 

 SEINE SCHlDLINQE: liy Ludwig Kindt. Hamlnmj : 

 C. Boysen, 190^. 



This is a recently issued text-book on the culture and 

 diseases of the cacao tree. It api)ears to be a complete and 

 concise guide for the cacao planter and to such as are able to 

 read German will be found very useful. 



A detailed description of the idant is gi\en as well as 

 information relating to its requirements, both cultural and 

 climatic. The author deals at considerable length with the 

 subject of shade and suitable plants for inter-cropping. A 

 section is also devoted to the gathering of the crop and its 

 preparation for market. In Part II an account is given of 

 the insect and fungoid pests of cacao, and here, as in Part I, 

 the text is very well illustrated. 



