392 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Decembee 3, 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 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Luval A(i<_'iit^ : Mc^.sis. Ijowcu & Sons, Bridge- 

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 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Coni- 

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giigricultiiral |,linu!i 



Vol. IIL SATURDAY, DECEMBER .3, 1904. No. (ii). 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue of the A(ji'icaltaritl 

 A^ews deals with the visit of the Deputation from the 

 British Cotton-growing Association. On p. 391 there 

 is published a summary of an article on the same 

 subject which appeared in the Barbados Advorutc. 



Various notes of interest to sugar planters will be 

 found on pp. 3S6-7. These deal with the industry in 

 Jamaica and Hawaii and with the use of molasses for 

 feeding purposes. 



In connexion with the cotton industry there are 

 published on p. 380 notes in regard to cotton 

 experiments in British Guiana and a table showing 

 approximate returns of areas planted in cotton in the 

 West Indies during the present season. 



Arbor Day was celebrated on the King's birthday 

 at Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitt's, Nevis, and Tortola. 

 (p. 390.) 



On p. 394 will be found notes on an orange pest of 

 the West Indies and the cotton leaf-blister mite. 



Agricultural Shows. 



Arrangements are already being made by local 

 committees f(jr holding agricultural shows in several 

 of the West India Islands. 



In the Niirthern Islands shows are to be held in 

 February next in Antigua, J)()niinica, llontserrat, and 

 No\is. 



The annual local exhibition fur peasant jircipriet- 

 ors, that was to have been held at Dunscoinb phmtation 

 on January 10, has been postponed till January "24, on 

 account oi the West Indian Agricultural Conference. 



It is proposed to hoM a show in St. Vincent in 

 March next. The Imperial Commissioner of Agri- 

 cultin-e will probably be jiresent at all these shows. 



Tobacco Culture in the Canaries. 



The United States Consul at Teneriffe reports 

 that the Spanish Government is offering cncouragenient 

 to the growers of tobacco in the Canary Islands, with 

 a view to making Spain, "at some future date, indepen- 

 dent of Cuba in regard ti) certain qualities of tobacco 

 now bought there. 



At present the crop amounts to 132,000 If). In the 

 island of Las Falmas, where nearly all the tobacco is 

 grown, 20 per cent, of the male population has been, at 

 one time or another, on Cuban plantations. It is 

 reported that the Canary tobacco is much better in 

 quality than the 'Reniedios' of Cuba, and a large 

 increase in the output is expected. For the year 1904 

 it will reduce the export of 'Remedios' tobacco from 

 Cuba to Spain about 1,600 to 2,000 bales. 



A short account of seeds used in the West Indies 

 for ornamental purposes is published on p. 395. 



Mr. J. Russell Murray's monthly report on West 

 Indian produce in the Canadian markets will be found 

 on p. 397 ; on the same page is an interesting note on 

 the banana trade in Canada. 



Jamaica Tobacco Industry. 



In view of the efforts that are being made to 

 improve the position of the Jamaica tobacco industry, 

 the following brief historical note is likely to bo of 

 interest :— 



In 1.S72 a tJovernment prize of £250 was awarded 

 to two gentlemen, each of whom produced over cS acres 

 of tobacco of a superior description. The export 

 of tobacco appears to date from the following year 

 when 890 lb. of leaf of the value of about £100 were 

 shipped. In the next year the value of the exports 

 rose to .£1,072. In nine years they had reached the 

 value of £1(),412. After this the exports fell con- 

 siderably, and it was not till the year 1897-8 that this 

 figure was again reached. In 1900-1 the highest 

 figure was reached, viz., £22,679. 



In his annual report for 1880, the Director of 

 Public Plantations stated : ' The Cubans seem quite 

 convinced that Jamaica tobacco is equal in every 

 respect to the best Havana jjroduce : and there are 

 satisfactory evidences that higher methods of culture, 

 and more systematic and careful .systems of manufac- 

 ture are being inaugurated, which must result in 

 giving greater permanence and value to this promising 

 industry.' 



At that time it was reported that the majority of 

 the workmen employed m the industry were Cuban.s, 

 but that the natives were gradually taking part in it. 



