2C8 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 13, 1904. 



K^^m 



GLEANINGS. 



Jlr. Barclay lia.s rejiorted that the great display of corn 

 and peas at the recent Mount James show was owing to 

 the seeds di-stributed in conuexion with hurricane relief. 

 (.Jamaica Leader, .July 22.) 



A lecture on cotton growing, illustrated by lantern 

 slides, was given by the Hon. F. Watts at the Anglican 

 School room, Roadtown, Tortola, on .July 11. There was a 

 large and appreciative audience. 



In his annual report the Government Analyst of British 

 Guiana, Professor Harrison, states that the variations in the 

 composition of mohiscuit show that the exercise of more skill 

 in preparation is very desiraT)le. 



A bunch of fruit of the date palm {I'hoeni.r duet ij if era) 

 was received by last mail from Trinidad. Jlr. Hart states 

 that this was one of twenty similar bunches on the san\e tree. 

 The dates, though rather small, were of good flavour. 



j\Ir. J. H. Hart, F.L.S., also forwarded to the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture specimens of the so-called 

 seedless limes. He states that though he has found a 

 seed in a fruit from the same tree, most of the fruits are 

 entirely free from seed. 



The grade of copra in this section [Tahiti] is excellent, 

 and the demand has recently increased from Europe and 

 Australia, while the Han Francisco market will shortly 

 require a large quantity f>f this high-grade product. (U.iS. 

 Consular Report.) 



A meeting of the council of the British Honduras 

 Society of Agriculture and Commerce was held on -June 17. 

 Among the matters discussed were the trade in cohune nuts, 

 the Society's Joui iiaf, and the bee-keeiiing industry. It was 

 decided to publisli the JouriiaJ quarterly, and to issue it free 

 to members. 



The chief news of the fortnight is the issuing of the new 

 contracts by the Central Factory Company, under which the 

 cane-deliverers are to have 6 It), sugar per 1001b. canes and a 

 proportionate share of the molasses as well as the continuation 

 of the former privileges in regard to megass and filter press 

 stuff. (St. Croix Avis.) 



The second biennial agricultural show, in connexion 

 with the Wakenaam Farmers' Association, was held at Good 

 Success, British Guiana, on August 1. According to the 

 report of the show in the Anjost/ of August 3, the exhibits 

 were, on the whole, disappointing. An Agricultural Show 

 was also held at West Bank on the same day. The exhibits 

 were considered creditable. 



_ During the fortnight ended July U, .520 bales of West 

 Indian cotton were imported into the United Kingdom, sales 

 being effected at the following prices : West Indian, .5-.38rf. 

 per Bj.; West Indian Sea Island, medium fine, l-tjc/.; fine, 

 \oil.\ extra fine, 1C(7. per lb. ( West India Co.nmittee Circular') 



At the annual general meeting of the St. Lucia Agri- 

 cultural Society held on July 8, it was agreed to offer a prize 

 of £5 for the best school garden attached to a primary school 

 of the island. The prize is to be divided as follows : £2 for 

 the teacher, £2 for Ihe .school, and £1 among the children. 



The Agricultural Superintendent at St. Vincent reports 

 that during the season, April 6 to July 2.3, the total amount 

 of cotton ginned at the factory was 43,654 11>., made up of 

 36,10.5 It), of Sea Island and 7,549 lb. of I'pland cotton. 

 The .shipments amounted to 114 bales of Sea Island and 26 

 of Unland cotton. 



The quantities of fruit inqiorted into the United 

 Kingdom from the British West Indies during the year 1903 

 were as follows : grapes, 253 cwt. ; lemons, 854 cwt. ; oranges, 

 63,834 cwt. ; pears, 45 cwt. ; banana.s, 682,883 bunches ; 

 unenumerated, 11,470 cwt. There were also imported 

 127,835 cwt. of nuts, and 218 cwt. of potatos. 



Tut)ers ci a ^\ild variety of arrowroot were recently 

 received from Messrs. Powell Bros., Suva, Fiji. On being 

 analysed at the Government Laboratory, Barl>ados, they were 

 found to contain 27-98 per cent of starch. The composition 

 of these tubers was very similar to that given for Jamaica 

 arrowroot in the Agricultural JVervs (Vol. 1, p. 75), excejit 

 that the percentage of fibre is much lower in the Fiji variety. 



In our last issue (p. 251) we gave particulars of 

 a scheme for the employment of approitices in connexion 

 with agricultural work in British Guiana. We learn from 

 the A7-</os?/ of August 3 that, in accordance with the pro- 

 visions of this scheme, six young men have been enrolled as 

 apprentices. Three are engaged in the cane experiment 

 fields and three in the nurserj-. 



According to the Consular Beport on Porto I!ico for 

 1903j exiieriments in growing tobacco under cover were 

 extended with marked success as regards both quantity and 

 quality. The .shade-grown acreage will be considerably 

 increased. Tobacco growing under the ordinary system is 

 also being extended. The value of the exports duriuf 

 1902-3 was: leaf, £38,371 ; cigar.s, £350,78.3. 



The Agricultural Instructor at St. Lucia reports : 'There 

 are now 250 colonies of bees in St Lucia in modern hives, all 

 being run for extracted honey. This is an increase of 100 

 per cent, within the past year. The past season has proved 

 an exceptionally poor one, but at the time of writing honey 

 shi[iments are now commencing to go forward. The industry 

 is now firmly established and may be expected to increase 

 steadily.' 



In a re\iew on Bulletin No. 98 of the ilaine Experi- 

 ment Station in the Experiment Station L'ecord, it is stated 

 that the results are given of tests in the efficiency of various 

 materials, including kainit, gypsum, acid phosphate, and 

 sawdust for preserving pen manure. ' Both kainit and acid 

 phosphate prevented practically all loss of nitrogen. The 

 gypsum was somewhat less efficient. The use of sawdust 

 materially improved the mechanical condition of the 

 manure.' 



