Vol. I. Xo. 1. 



THH AGRICn/rrilAL NHWS. 



13 



RECENT REPORTS. 



J'tmaicn. Annual Report of tlw. FiMic Ganlens and 

 l'/,intafi'm.-<, I9O0-J901. By W. r,iwrett, Ji.Sr., F.L.S., 

 Dirti-tni: 



This Uel)ort contains valualile notes on cultivaU-d jilants. 

 'rhe Banana industry is steadily increasing. The exports for 

 the year ending :51st March 1901 were over eight million 

 Imnches, of the value of £618,63(5. E.xperiments at Hope 

 <iardens show that the Navel Orange, on rough lemon or sour 

 •<irange stock, and the (!rai)e fniit are suited to the dry hot 

 jilains of Jamaica. Aliout 70,000 plants and seeds of^ cacao 

 wore distributed. Tlio Ouaugo tree (Pit/icco/ohium Sdman) 

 is recommended as a good shade-tree for coBee in the iilaiiis. 

 Xutuvjgs are hjing grafted and 70 pla:its were established 

 <luring"l!l01. liice seed of various varieties was obtained 

 fi-oiu Calcutta. About three and a half acres containing ii'l 

 varieties of .sugar canes were maintained. Cane D. 9-") is 

 regardetl as very promising. .Mr. Fawcett reports that there 

 is a general awakening to the belief that Sugar should again 

 be )uade a staple crop in Jamaica. There is a large demand 

 for new canes and 15,617 plants were distributed in 1901. 

 An experiment with tobacco was tried with 2^ acres cut a 

 hea\y soil and 1] on a light soil. 'J'lie services of a Cuban 

 tobacco planter were engaged to cure the crop. The jiracti- 

 <'al instruction to pniiil apprentices, to boys at the Hoi)e 

 Industrial School, to teachers in Elementary Schools and 

 students at the Training Colleges was continued on extended 

 lines. Much good is being done by these means. Altogether 

 Mr. Fawcett shows in this report an excellent record of use- 

 fulness and Jamaica owes a great deal to the admirable 

 Department under his charge. 



these eminent investigators have devoted many years in tlio 

 endea\'our to assist the sugar planters in Barbados and it is 

 confidently anticipated that these, as well as the further 

 experiments now in hand, will jirove of permanent benefit to 

 the sugar cane industry. 



Biii-liiJiji: Etjyoi-l of the Agricu/turn/ vorl for ISOS- 

 JOOl riirrird on under the direction of the Imperial Depart- 

 in nt of Aqricu'tiire hi/ Pr.jfes-for J. P. d'Alhiirpien/ue, .V.A., 

 J'. I.e., lies, and J//-. ./. li. Bovrll, F.C.S., F.L.S., lUOl. 



This is a bulky volume of 178 pages entirely devoted to 

 i\n account of the raising of new seedling canes, in testing 

 these and other canes under estate conditions and in careful 

 research into the effects of artificial and other manures. .\lso 

 in estimating the value of certain leguminous cro}is as animal 

 fodder and green dressings. 



The information cimtaiued in this report has already 

 been summarised in Pamphlet No. ."5, Cultivation of Seedlnu/ 

 ■and other Canes at Barbados, 1900 and in the West 

 Indian Bulletin, Vol. ii, pp. 23-26. .Uso in Pamphlet No 

 10, F.rjierim-nts ii'ith Manures and Lerjuminous plants at 

 Barbados 1808-1901. 



The manurial experiments were carried on at DoJds 

 r.efonnatory (St. Philip), at Belle estate (St. Michael), and 

 Hopewell estate (St. Thomas). The Experiments with seed- 

 lings and other canes were made at local Stations in the jiaiiih- 

 es of St. Michael, St. Phili]), Christ Church, St. John, St 

 Joseph, and St. Lucy. The E.xperiments with Leguminous 

 jilauts were carried on at Waterford estate (St. Michael). 



The land reijuired for these Exi>erimeiits, containing in 

 the aggregate SO acres, was |)laced at the disi)Osal of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture by the planters, free of 

 <'0st, and the cultivation was carried on, in each case, under 

 normal estate conditions. 



It is imjiossible after a careful perusal of this lieport to 

 fail to ajipreciate the valuable services rendered liy the inde- 

 fatigable labours of Messrs. d'Albuipienpie and Bovell. Both 



WORKS OF REFERENCE. 



'I'he Ihilterfly Book bij Dr. W. J. Uotlaad. (Xew Yurk, 

 J),,id,led,ijj, Pa'ge\(; Co. lis. (id. net.) 



Dr. Holland is to lie congratulated upon having brought 

 out this beautiful book on the butterflies of North .\nierica, 

 thereby placing this part of the insect world wilhin the reach 

 of every one interested in Natural History. 



There are few books on insects which apjieal to the 

 uii.scientific i-eiider, without bewildering him with technical- 

 ities or lengthy latin names, but we certainly place this 

 among the foremost as a book that everyone can jiick up and 

 enjoyf A notable feature of the book is the numerous 

 coloiireil [ilates, which are exact photograi)hic reproductions 

 of the appearance of the insects, unmarred by the idiosyncra- 

 sies of the artist. 



There need be no dittieulty in recognizing the nuineious 

 butterHies common to the Southern States and the West; 

 Indies, and the book may serve equally as a help to the 

 i-ollector and a genuinely interesting account of this popular 

 order of insects. The book should find a place in iiublic 

 liliri'.ries throughout these islands, both as a reference book 

 for those in search of iufoiniation and as a book likely to 

 enc(UU-age a love for nature and a taste lor the beautiful. 

 Were there space we would quote some of the delightful 

 sketches and poems that close the chaj iters ; but we luu.st 

 rest content with commending this book to the notice of 

 the reading public generally. 



The Insert Book by Dr. L. 0. J/ofard. ( X, w York, 

 Doubleday, Page r(; Co. l.'.s. Od. net.) 



This book is a comiianion volume of the preceding. Ami 

 forms the second of a series of four which are designed to deal 

 popularly with the insect world as found in the United 

 States. Dr. Howard discusses the insects not included in 

 butterfiies, moths and beetles; he Uikes the reader through 

 those little known and difficult groups of in.sects includin<^ 

 the bees, wasps and ants, the files, the bugs, the dragontlies 

 and all the miscellaneous orders of insects which bewilder the 

 student of entomology. With each group are plates, |ilaiii 

 and coloured, forming accurate photographic re)jresentatioiis 

 of a large number of insects, comiirising many \V. st Indian 

 species found also in the Southern States. 



The subject is treated with a .simplicity that niiikcs the 

 book read iiiore like a novel than a scientific account of so 

 many complex groujis of insect,s. The curious habits and 

 customs of the insects, their manner of providing for their 

 youu"-, their ever varying and beautiful instincts, all are here 

 discus.sed in plain language such as all can understand. For 

 the student as for the unscientific reader, the book is one to 

 bo kept for reference and for enjoyment ; what has lieen said 

 of Dr. Holland's 'Butterfly Book' applies equally to this, and 

 we hope the high standard of these two volumes may be 

 maintained in the 'Moth Book' and the 'Beetle Book' which 

 are needed to complete the series. 



There are few books dealing popularly witli the insect 

 world and none combine in a better form simplicity, interest. 



