408 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 17, 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. 



Local A(j(ri}tn : ]\lepsrs. Boweii & Sons, Bridge- 

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

 mittee, 1.5, Seething Lane, E.C. A complete list of 

 Agents will be found at foot of page 399 of this volume. 



The Agricultd rid Xi'U's : Price 1*/. per number, 

 post free l.',(7. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

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gigriciiltural Dnufj 



Vol. III. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1904. No. 70. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



In the editorial to the present issue further infor- 

 mation is given as to the arrangements that are in 

 course of being made for the fifth West Indian 

 Agricultural Conference. The provisional list of 

 representatives and programme of proceedings will be 

 found on pp. 406-7, as well as a list of excursions and 

 visits that are being arranged. 



The present position of the sugar trade in 

 Germany is reviewed on p. 402. There has been 

 a considerable increase in the consumption of sugar. 

 A further note on the improved prospects of the 

 industry in Jamaica will be found on p. 403. 



Further notes on Arbor Day celebrations appear 

 on p. 403. These relate to Dominica and Jlontserrat. 



The prospects of the cotton crop in the West 

 Indies are briefly reviewed on p. 405 ; also the prospects 

 in Jamaica. A note on the consumption of cotton and 

 directions by Mr. Oliver as to how cotton should be 

 picked will also be found on this page. 



On p. 407 will be found an interesting note 

 from Tlia Field on the Barbados breed of Woolless or 

 Hairy Sheep. 



Notes on several recent Agricultural and School 

 Garden Shows are published on p. 413 : also a list of 

 shows to be held early next year under the auspices of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson's usual monthly report on the 

 London Drug and Spice Markets will be found on 

 p. 414. 



Lectures on Cotton in Antigua. 



The Hon. F. Watts has reported upon the series 

 of illustrated lectures on cotton cultivation in Antigiui. 

 Altogether twelve lectures have been delivered in that 

 island : two by Mr. W, H. Patterson, Curator of the 

 Botanic Station, and the others by clergymen of the 

 various denominations in their respective schoolrooms. 

 These gentlemen based their remarks largely upon tlie 

 information contained in the pamphlet, A. B. ('. of 

 Cotton Plontlng. The lantern .slides jn'ovided by the 

 Imperial l)ej)artment of Agriculture were used to 

 illustrate all the lectures. 



On the whole, considerable interest was taken by 

 cotton growers in these lectures, and it is likely that 

 they will bear fruit as cotton cultivation extends in 

 Antigua. 



Vanilla in the Seychelles. 



In the An n uol Report on the Seychelles consider- 

 able attention is devoted to the position of the trade in 

 vanilla, which is still, in value, the most important 

 article of cultivation for export. A table is published 

 giving figures as to the exports and prices of this 

 article, ' with a special view of illustrating the risks 

 which attend the cultivation of tropical products for 

 wliich there is only a limited market.' From 1898- 

 1900 prices were very high (30-33 rupees per kilo.) 

 owing to the expansion in demand ; there followed 

 a decline to 8i rupees in 1903, owing to the reaction 

 when manufacturers found the price too liigh and had 

 recourse to substitutes. Now planters have to face the 

 possible use of the substitute ' vanillin,' of which an 

 account has been given in the Aijriculfurul N^eics 

 (Vol. Ill, p. 103). As a result, planters are turning 

 their attention to the cultivation of other tropical 

 products. 



Exports of Martinique. 



The Consular Report on the trade of JIartinique 

 for 1903 has recently been issued. The value of the 

 exports shows a decrease of £65,231 compared with 

 that of the pre\ ious year. 



The exports of sugar show a decrease of 5,906 

 tons in quantit}', and of £61,679 in value. This 

 decrease is stated to be due to a variety of causes, the 

 chief being the low price of sugar. The crop of 1903-4 

 promises to be still smaller owing to the damage done 

 to the young plants by the cyclone of August 1903. In 

 1903, 53,982 gallons less rum were exported; better 

 prices, however, jirevailing, £26,518 more were realized 

 than in 1902. 



The cacao plantations suffered much trom the 

 volcanic eruptions of 1902 and the cyclone of 1903. 

 The exports of this product were 0,339 cwt., or 

 1,934 cwt. less than in 1902. Furthermore, as the 

 plantations are situated within the zone of possible 

 devastation from volcanic eruptions, it is not likely 

 that the cultivation of cacao will be extended for the 

 present. It is interesting to observe that the northern 

 parts of the island, which were not devastated, but 

 were evacuated as a measure of precaution, have been 

 gradually re-occupied. 



