THE AGPJC'ULTUEAL NEWS. 



May 24, 190-2. 



ordinary prices. There is another point. It has some- 

 times happened that samples are drawn on the other 

 .side from the two m- tltrec li.icrs containing a projior- 

 tioii of the well eiireci cacao. When the shijiment is 

 delivered, as it is not equal t'l saiuiilr, and the contrast 

 is sc. great, the merchant wliu lias, already, paid a 

 higher price for the good cacao is, in ad<Iiti<iM, liahh' tu 

 ))!• iiiuleted in 'alldwaiircs." 



Tlierr is no (lnulit as tip the i-xistcnri- of the (liHi- 

 cultii-s ;;iMi\c referred tu. 'Vhr\ are, admittedly, only 

 leiiijiiirary, Imt they are real eii'iugli in their effects 

 on the small cultivator to check him in his desire tu 

 iiii|iie\e the i(ualitv of Ills juiidiiee. W'l- ha\e drawn 

 iiltentinii to them in order that they in ly be removed. 

 So tliat the [latli of the industrious ami painstaking 

 cultivator may he rendered easier, and tlu' (piality of 

 West ln<lian ]iroduce may be gradually ar.d steadily 

 improved. The Boards of Agriculture and the Agri- 

 c-idfural Societies might take u]i the subject and give 

 raretid cfnisideration to it. The cu-eumstarices in each 

 Colony will probably retpure separate treatment. 

 Something might be done by encouraging organization 

 amongst the small proprietors and by assisting groups 

 <if them in certain districts U> ship their own produce. 

 Later, when the (piantitv of uell cured jiroduce has 

 ])ei-eeptiblv iucR'ased and regular slii|pmeuts of uniform 

 <pialit\ c;in be made, the loc.il hiereliants will tllili be 

 onlv loo glad to deal with tlieni. 



SUGAR-CANE EXPERIMENTS AT 

 BARBADOS. 



The follouuig progress I'eport has been ii'eeiM-d 

 li(vui I'rof. d .'VIbuciuerque and Mr. .1. K. Ho\cll, on the 

 work do.ie fr..m December 1!)()() to .\pril \'M)-1 :— 



There ;iri' 7,o|:> experiiui'iiN covering an area of 

 7()[ aer(.-s to lie ieporlc<l on. The following is a 

 ilet i.iird list of the stations giv iiig the niiml)ei- of plots 

 and area nndei' experiments. 



i;\fi:iMMi';\fs w tin m \m i;r:s. 

 Of the ()■((."> maiimial exj)eiMment plots, covering an 

 :\re.i itt se"cnt--en ami a hall acres, twenty-six wei-e iu 

 'Sununer\.ile ' field at I »..ilds, ".^oO in 'Alill' tield al 

 Four>ipiare, ihiitv in ' Nineteen .\eri' tield at the I'ine 

 and :{r.> in ' Ashtord Hill' and 'Hopper" fields .il 

 Hopewell. Of tliese latter, the I 7:J plots in 'Ashtbrd 

 Hill held were with pl.int c.iiies and the i +(> in 

 ' Hopper field, with lirst raloous. 



\\ Doildsthe (Millings planted in iK'cemlier l!Ht(l 

 Uermm.-ileil re<jularU and a (■ihhI stand of ciiieN w.is 



established at an early time. They continued to make 

 good growth and a heavy yield per a "re was obtaineil. 



At Foui-s(piare the cuttings first planted grew si> 

 badly that it was necessary to use the same variety for 

 replacing the cuttings that fnled to germinate. 



The canes of the manurial plots at Hopewell grew 

 well, but we regret to state that a considerable number 

 of the jilots were attacked with a fungus disease' which 

 is likely to affect seriously the coriectness of the ri'sults 

 obtained. 



EXfEKIMKXrs WriH SEI-KiTKI" SEi;i)I.IN'( ;-i A\h iPlllKlt 

 (\N"ES. 



()f this group of experiments, containing :2IIS plots 

 extending over an ari'a of sevent;-en and one third 

 a'/res, there wei'e at Henley thirty-one plots of plant 

 cuies iu 'Long' held and tweiity-oue of hi'st ratooirs 

 in 'I'pper' and 'Lov\er (iardeii' helds ; atCoveiley 

 thirty-two |)lots of plant canes in 'Old Well' held and 

 twenty-two of hrst r.itoons in ' Middle Caminus' tield ; 

 at Husbands thirty-o:ie plots of plant canes in ' Four 

 Acre' field : at Blackm uis thirty jilots of jilant canes in 

 'Big Betty' field, twenty -six ofiirst ratoons in ' (luava 

 Hole" field, and twenty ofsecond ratoons in 'Wish' fiehl. 

 and at Waterford thirty-three phits of plant canes in 

 '|)ixon' field and twenty of fiixt ratoons in 'Thri'e 

 Acre field. 



.V fiirlv good stand of c.i'.i ■> wa-i obtained on all 

 of the plots of this group with th • exception ot' the 

 phuit canes in ' Big Betty' fi'M at Hlackmuis. 



K.XI'KHIMK.N TS Wftll SKKlil.lNi; CANES (iirtlEll THAN" 

 I'lHST VEAl!) ANI> I U ITEi! EN t NAMED VAKlEPIEi. 



In this section of the experiments then' were -l.Oi I 

 ]ilots with an area of about thirty-two and .1 hall 

 acres. The Largest numb, a' of these plots viz;— l.tiOT 

 were ill ■ Foster' fi -Id at Waterf>rd, At Dodds there 

 were :U2 i)lots in the f lUowing fields, viz : — thirty-fonr 

 in ' Low.'r ("hap;l,' fifty-four in ' Well,' twenty-five in 

 ' House,' thil•ty-^e\,■n ii: 'Mill,' s'\enty-two in ' riijper 

 Padmore,' s •venr\ in ' I. i'a.'i- Nigatingah-,' and fifty 

 ill ■ I'astiire.' In '(iarden' fii/ld at the Pine tluM'e were 

 seventy-six plots, in 'South (iiiiger' field at Oiighter.son 

 ten, in ' f'p|ier Dodds' field .at Sunbury sixteen, and at 

 Hampton foiirti'cn plots of plant canes in 'Street' field 

 and six ploN of first ratoons in ' Twelve Acre ' field. 



On the whole the iMIles on these plots grew NO 

 well lli.it little supplying u,i, ne/essarv. Soi >t 



these new s. elllines sllell .Is Sport BiblloM. Sp..rt 



White, H. Nos. I2l'):{, \-2irK I -2(14, I '27(1, 1:^1!), 14(12. 

 I.")2!l, 2o(i:}, SO;")!. :{2()4, Q. No. S. T. Nos. 24,77 and 

 1 I I ha\e gixen promising results, so far as their,saccha- 

 riiie ri(-hne.ss is conciaiied. Their future growth, their 

 resistance to drought, their ratooning capaliilities and 

 the weight of canes per acre will b.' carefully noted, 

 .-ind. if subseipient results jiistitv il, their cultivation 

 W ill be r.'ipidlv extended. 



k\im;i!i\ien Is wirii seei'I.ini; cvves n;' the riitsr 



vevk's ciaivvrii. 



4,:5(i!t seedlings were raised and pl.mte:! in ' I'ear 



Tree' field at Waterford estate ill .Iiiiie illOi. Owing t.> 



the proLaigeil droughl tlu'V sntfeivd somewhat fnmr 



