w 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Aim; 1 1. lT., \'MyI. 



are so stroiiy tluit to atteiiiiit tn priuie tliriii 

 liaitk to the ortliodox oii'' or two eyes woulil 

 simply ruin them ; in ssme cases they have been 

 left as long as 10 to 12 joints. Other gK>wths can lie 

 cut back to one eye, even in some cases removeil 

 altogether. The same ajiplies to Muscat. Then again 

 the iiruning is largi'ly dependent on the state of th'.- 

 vine : if tlie resting season has boen prolonged and 

 dry, the vines can be jiruned much closer than after 

 a resting season which has not been as fa\ourable. 

 Some varieties seem to rest more com]>letely under 

 similar conditions than others, for instance, Alicante 

 and Black Hamburgh. The .Muscat and Barbarossa 

 are nearly always growing slightly, but yet are the 

 gi'eatest cmpjiers of all. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS 



Agricultural Eflforts. 



Till- \'ii-giii Islands uiiM tlu-ir rc'Sijiirees liave- 

 liitlirrto received but little attention as compared with 

 other portions of the West Indies. In 1899 a grant 

 w.is made in their behalf bv Parliament. As a result 

 the lm|KTial Depaitment of Agrievdture directed its 

 (efforts to j)rovide an Experiment Station and a centre 

 of distribution for eeonomie plants with .-i [iraetiea! 

 Agrieidturist in charge. 



The Station was starti'd in .\(i\ .•iiib.-r 11)01) at the 

 "Lower Kstate" situatc^d in a \alley near to Uoad 

 'I'owii, ill Tortola, and within a lew minutes walk of the 

 landing place. The property consisting of l()5 acres, 

 was |iiiieliased by the Imperial Department of Agricul- 

 tiiie ;iiid an area of about 20 acres, adjoining the old 

 sugar vvorks, was set ajiart for e.xyjeriment plots, 

 iiui-seiies &e. The I't'mainder of the land was let to 

 the former tenants of the Estate on sjiecial terms. 

 The -nil III some ]iarts is fairly g(jo(l and a moderate 

 water siipjily is available, but only in the lowtr ]>avl of 

 the estiite. 



The Work duiing 1901 consisted of clearing the 

 land and preparing the e.xperinu'nt plots. Attention 

 "vvas also given to jilanting wind-belts, deepening the 

 water course which jiasses tlirough the Station, con- 

 structing roads and drains ;uid other umk of this 

 charaeter. .'\ niirsei\ was also started and al the close 

 of Deeembi'r li)()l it contained upwards of •_'()(),()()() 

 liioes an<l othei' t'conomic plants. 



A house f(>r the Agricultur;d Inst nietor lias since 

 IxH'ii pro\ided and a small Chatanooga. sugar-mill 

 wil.ii an (.'va|ioralor erected ; the lattei-. with llie 

 object of crushing the tenants' canes ,and enabling them 

 to maintain themsehcs while establishing their lands 

 ill oilier ami mori' peiiiiaiiout erojis. 



Ill order tii improve tile breed of |)onies and small 

 sloik ill the I'residency, a pony stallion and several 

 sheep and fowls have been introduced by the Imjieri.-il 

 Oepartmeiit of .Agriculture, These are kept at the 

 .l'jX])iTimenl Station w here suitabli' buildings ha\ob,'en 

 provided for (heir aeeonmiodatioii. 



In .add it ion lo the maiiiteiiance of I In- St.atiou, the 

 Agricultural Inslruetor is reipiired to \isit the holdings 



of small cultivators throua'iioiit the N'iruiii Islainl^ :iiid 

 to as.^ist ;uid advise people generally with n-gani to 

 till' best methods of cultivating their lands. 



Two courses ot Lectures in Agriculture to Teaihei"s 

 in Elemi-nt iiy Schools were delivereil by the '{"ravelling 

 Superintendent of the Department in September I'.KM 

 and Xovembi'r IDOI. These were siiccessfullv carried 

 out and greatly a]ipreciated. 



Two Agricultural Shows have been held ai Tortola 

 in July 1900 and September IDOl. 



The E\|)eriment Station and .-ill Agni-uhural 

 Agencies in the \'irgin Islands are supported out of 

 the Agricultur.il (irant-in-Aid, The Imperial Com- 

 mi.ssioncr of Agriculture and the Travelling Superin- 

 tendent regularly visit this remote dependency and 

 every effort is being made with the aid of the ("ommis- 

 sioner. (Dr. t'ookman) to assist the people to e.vtend 

 the cultivation of remunerative ci'ops. Recently Mr. 

 W. C. Fishlock. formerly ot the Royal (iardens, Kew, 

 has been ap|iointed Agricultural Instructor of the 

 Virgin Islands, and it is aiitieijiated that the Experi- 

 ment Station and other effort^ will thus be strengthened 

 and 'iniirovi'd. 



BOTANIC STATION TOBAGO. 



Thi> Station wa^ stailoil in .liiiie bs'.)!) at Dealtair, 

 a valli'V situated iippo-,ite the landing )ilace at Scar- 

 borough, The site was selected in bSltS by the 

 Imjierial Commissioner of Agriculture and the Siijier- 

 inteiideiit of the Royal Botanic (iardens of Trinidad. 

 The soil is fairly good and there is a regular supply of 

 water from a small springdn the laud. The first years 

 work consisted (.f clearing .lud preparing thi' land, 

 making roads, p,ith-> and drains and starting a nursery. 

 The latter in IN!)!) contained KiOO economic plants. In 

 1899 and 1!)00 the laying out of the Station was 

 greatly advanced. In the latter year the nursery vvas 

 increased to 7,.)00 economic plants, of whii-h 2,L^7 

 were sold, bringing in an income of tL"). 7. :>. A lai'ge 

 number of cacao and other plants were distributed freo 

 to settlers on Crown lands anfl others. Latterly, a 

 house for the Curator, an otfice ,uid ,i shelter for visit- 

 ors have been provided. Also a new eiil ranee render- 

 ing the (lardeii accessible from tlii' l.inding place. 



.Attached to I he .Sialion is a travelling Agricul- 

 tural lii'-lruet.or whose ehiordiitv it is to visit the 

 holdings on ('lown lauds and advise and assist tin- 

 settlers, .About .")()() acres are estimated to be now in 

 fcuirse of being planted, by settlers, in cacao trees. 

 The Agricultural instructor ,dso assists generally in 

 pionioting planting iIldustlie■^ in the island. 



The Station is mainly supported ti-om the funds of" 

 the Imperial Dejiartment of .Agriculture, but the grant 

 is siipplomeiited. to sonn' extent, by theiJovernmeiit of 

 Trinidad. The Ciir.alor and .Vgrieultura! Instructor 

 are departmentallv under the .Su]ieiintendent of the 

 Roval Botanic (Iardens al Trinidad. The Station is 

 oc(-.isionallv visited .uid in-peetod by the Imperial 

 t'ommisvioiiei' of .\;4iicult ure. 



