232 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 16, 1904. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricul- 

 tural News' should be addressed to the Agents, 

 and not to the Departxnent. A complete list of 

 the London and Local agents will be found at 

 foot of page 223 of this volume. 



The 'Agricultural News': Price Id. per 

 number, post free l'/{.d. Annual subscription 

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



Agricultural |,linuii 



Vol. hi. SATURDAY, JULY 16, H)Ot. No. o'J. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



A short sunniiary of the re.snlt.s of mamirial 

 e.xperi merits with the sugar-cane in Jamaica is given 

 on p. 227 ; also a note by Professor Harrison, of British 

 Guiana, on the use of rum as an illuminant and 

 a source of power (p. 226). 



Our cotton notes include a report on exjieriments 

 with different varieties in British Guiana, and a short 

 accoiint of Sea Island cotton from the Vearbool- cf flic 

 Uniti'd Statc'i Drpdiiinnif of Agriculture. 



The first instahnent of Mr. Barclay's rabbit notes 

 is publislied on p. 2oO. 



On p. 231 we publish an extract on agriculture in 

 the Bahamas ; information relating to the exports of 

 those islands will be found on p. 233. A Curator is 

 required for the Botanic Station which is shortly to be 

 established. For particulars see p. 2o'S. 



In an interesting note on black blight in Grenada 

 (see p. 23-i) Jlr. Ballon discusses the cause of this pest, 

 the trees most frequently affected, and proposals for its 

 extermination. 



Manurial exj)erin)ents with cotton are to be carried 

 out in the Leeward Islands. A conqilete list of the 

 proposed experiments is given on p. 237. These ai-e to 

 be arranged along the lines of the sugar-cane experi- 

 ments in the Leeward Islands. 



Rabbit Keeping in the West Indies. 



We have published in these columns articles on 

 the management and rearing of poultry and ducks, 

 s])ecially written by Mr. John Barclay, the energetic 

 Secretary of the Jamaica Agricultural Societ}'. 



In this issue we commence a series of similar 

 useful articles dealing with rabbits. Rabbit keeping 

 is a remunerative industry, and (ine particularly' in 

 favour among small settlers in these islands. 



ilr. Barclay has had considerable practical 

 experience in rearing biids and rabbits and also 

 excellent op)wrtunities for becoming acquainted with 

 the special requirements for their successful manage- 

 ment in these islands. We are therefore confident 

 that his articles will be of great service to those of 

 our readers who are interested in this branch of 

 agriculture. 



Ml'. J. R. Jackson's usual monthly report will be 

 found on p. 238. A quiet tone is reported in the 

 London drug and spice markets. 



Sisal Hemp from Caicos Islands. 



An excellent sample of sisal hemp was recently 

 received from his Honour the Commissioner of the 

 Turks and Caicos Islands, who wrote, under date 

 March 22, 1 904 : ' The sample I send you is from 

 a jjlantation owned by an Amerii-'an firm. From the 

 two fibre plantations in the Caicos we exported last 

 year 443,.S70 ft., valued at .£(j,4.S,S.' 



The sample, which was a remarkabl}' good one, the 

 fibre being briglit and strong, was forwarded by the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture to ilessrs. Ide 

 and Chi'istie, who have furnished the following satis- 

 factory report : — 



' Your favour of the -Sth. inst. with sample of sisal 

 hemp from the Caicos Islands safely to hand. The 

 latter shows first-class material, better than any of the 

 Mexican and as good as the best from the Bahamas. 

 Value, £33 per ton, but less t(j sell quantitx". For the 

 past few years we have seen small lots on this market. 

 Manila hemp being on the downward m<)ve, all hard 

 hemps are likely to fall in value.' 



The Juniper Cedar. 



The Bulletin of flic Dcjxirtiaerit of Aijriculture, 

 Jamaica, for April 1904, has an article on the Juniper 

 cedar. 



Dr. M. T. Masters pointed out in an article in the 

 Bulletin of the Biifn nil-Ill Depart nient, Jamaica, for 

 April 1901, that the Juniper cedar of .Jamaica was 

 not, as had been supposed, identical with that of 

 Bermuda. This opinion has been confirmed by Prof- 

 essor C. S. Sargent, who states that it is identical 

 with the special rod cedar which is a native of Florida. 



Professor Sargent separates Janiperux virejini- 

 II nil, as described in his Silva of Xortlc America, into 

 three species : {I) Juniperus uirejiniiina, the red cedar 

 of the North, (2) the red cedar of Florida, which is not 

 distinguishable from Juniperus hurhailcnsi-s of the 

 West Indies, and (3) the red cedar of western America. 



This opinion, it is stated, is of importance com- 

 mercially, for 'the Florida tree is the pencil cedar of 

 connnerce.' The trees of Florida and Jamaica will now 

 be known as Juniperus harhailensis. 



