42 



THE AGEICl'LTUKAL KEWS. 



May 24, 1902. 



tlic Mi|ici iiii it \ (if iiitrati' (if'sodn. as a smirrc of riilin- 

 gcii, t(p siil[tliate of ammonui, it must be itiuc'1il1)ii<(I 

 that tli<' idiulitioTis which obtain in tcmjK.Tatc regions 

 arc !( fcni'il to. KxiK'J'iments in Barbados have 

 .shown that suljiliatc of anituonia judfliiccs better 

 results in sugar-cane cull i\ation than nitrate of soda. 

 fSul|iliate of ammonia is changed, by nitntication in th(' 

 soil, into nitiate of calcium. Nitiitication is very 

 active in tro|iic;d soils, .md this fact, together with the 

 liability til loss by leaching in the case of uitiate of 

 .soda, may explain the su|ieriority of snlpliate of auuiio- 

 nia in certain trojiicnl lands. 



BEE-KEEPING 



St. Vincent. 



The fillo'.ving notice descri[)ti\e of the steps taken 

 to establish the bee-ki'Cping iiifhistry at .St. Vincent is 

 taken fr.im the Sri,lr;/ of March -21,' last: — 



Siiiiie iiiciiitlis aL'e ttlieii tlie liii|iuri;il ('niiiliiissiinicv ef 

 Aglicilltiiiv iii:i<le liis Krst iitteiMpt t(i ciicuiHiigf tliL- develeji- 

 iniint ef l>co Ut'c|iing in this I'lileiiy, we lie.-irtily .siiiiiKirtcil tlic- 

 kloa, deeming it one wliicli. with a .sm;Jl oiiUjiy. and httle 

 sitteiitidii wiiiihl prove, nut iicrely an iiitere.-itiug avueatiim ti> 

 siiiy persiiii. liiit in a sliort time a nuiiicv-makiiig coHcyni. \^ C 

 are gratified in the fact that within the lirief pericnl of not even 

 a ye.ir, the growth of tlie little industry i.'^ clearly visilih- ; 

 iuid Mr. Pinvelk the local repre.sentative of the Imperial Depart 

 iiient (if Agrienlture ha.s been encouraged in parsning the idea 

 of deveh']iing the project. Iiy the many eager applications, from 

 l>ee-lveeiiei-s or from persons intending to go in for the enter- 

 prise, for information and siipjilies, some of the latter l)eing 

 on sale .at cost price at the Botanic .Station : a list may 

 Jx! had on ajiplieation. J\li-. l\iwell is of the opinion that 

 the bees around Kingstown are doing well and the out- 

 look at this season for a good crop of honey is very ])riimising. 

 It may net lie generally known that a ' Solai- wax extiactor.' 

 :i duplicate of wineh is easilj- made, may lie seen at the Itntanic 

 Station. A 'Cowan's honey extraetoi-' is expected shortlv 

 fr<im .\iiieriia. llidian colonies of bees can lie iniiiorted li\- the 

 l<x;al Agrienltnral I)e]iartment from .l.imaica at seven shillings 

 each, freight included, for any person desiring the same. I'ji to 

 d:«te, this year, we are infonued. seventeen such culnnies have 

 been impurtrd with cntirr s.itisfactiun. 



POULTRY. 



.Mr. W. I!, 'i'egel niiier, in Tin- Cunii/i-i/ Im- .\pril, 

 puts forward these hinis which ma\ be useful to those 

 who are desirous of keeping fowls, in i^^i^oA condition, 

 in small enclosures: — 



In no circninstaiu-es shonld tiic birds lie ovei-crowilfd. 

 A usefnl plan lias recently lieen suggested of niaiiitaining the 

 ground in a pure condition, where a nunilicr of liirds arc kepi 

 in a cnntincd space, by placing the poultry house in the 

 middle of a sipiarc plot of grouiuk and dividing this In lines 

 riinnhig diagonally to cai-li corner, tlie hou.se being so eon 

 structod that an opeuing may bo admitted as desired int.. 

 each plot. The fowls for a certain time arc kept in onr ot 

 tlie four yards, the other three being cnltivalnl wiih i|iiiik 

 growing vegetables, and, as the (a\.,.- arc cleared olf, the 

 fowls are transferred from one to the other, the plot thai 

 they liavc let! being iinnicdiatcly utilized by re-.sowing cither 

 with .some protitable crop or some seed wlii<-li will produce 

 licrbage ter (he birds. In this wa\, \,itli a little indgcmeiil , 



the fowls can be trani^ferred from one ]ilot to another witlmut 

 the ground becoming tainted, as the growing plants rapitlly 

 exhaust the injurious (jualities of the manure. We have 

 seen very good results tioin this sy.stem in the abundance of 

 eggs and in the growtli on [ilot after plot of really useful 

 vegetable jiroducts. Hut, keeping a number of fowls, as is 

 often done, in a small pen year after year, is object ionalile, 

 for tlie groiuid becomes foul and putrid, and tin- birds lo.sc 

 health and prolificacy. 



AGRICULTURAL EFFORTS AT 

 MONTSERRAT. 



Tile isl.ind of .^[ontserrat suffered sexerelyin the 

 hurric.ine of IMitf), and the oi'iginal plans t'uv the 

 est.iblishmeiil of ,-in Kxjieriment Station had to In- 

 abandoned. Karly in lllOt* sites were selected In the 

 Travelling Su]jerintendent of the Imperial Department 

 (if Agriculture, for Experiment .Stations, at the tirove, 

 Olveston, and Harris' Village. Great care was taken to 

 .select land, re|ii-esentative of the surrounding (Hstrict. 

 in each case, and the tlianks of the l)epartmeiit are 

 due to the Moiitserrat ("onipuiy for tlieir ready 

 co-operation. 



The Stations h.iM- been enclosed, ro.dls .and p.illis 

 made, and the land divided up intn plots on which 

 during the jiast year (experiments ha\e been conducted 

 with (Juinea corn, maize, potatos, ginger, arrow foot, 

 etc. Permanent econouiic jilants are also Ijcing estab- 

 lishiMl. Nurseries of economic plants ha\e been formed 

 and up to December l!)()l, .5:i,4l:> plants li.nl been 

 disti'ibnted free, and 7-i,lS2 sold, in addition le large 

 (juantities of seeds, yams, etc. The imrseries contain, 

 at ])resent, about 40,000 jilants. School plots are 

 maintjuned at 01\cst(ni and Haiti- \'illage Stations, 

 for the use of boys of the neiglibnuring schools. 



Twd courses of leetun.-s to teachers in ch.arge of 

 elementarx schools have I)een gi\eii by Mr, (i, W'hittield 

 Smith, tlie Travelling .Superintendent, These were 

 both well alleiidi'd and much a]ipi'eciated. The act- 

 ing Bee-experl visited the island and gave lectures 

 and practical di-monstrations on bee-keeping. As a 

 result of hi-, vi^it a considerable anionnt of intei'est 

 has been l.ikeii in the subject. .\n ,ipi,irv i-- beii g 

 est.ablished .It e.u-h .StalJoIl and .a stock of bee-keejiels' 

 siijiplies is now kejit at thedrove. 



Twe \gricuh nr,il Shows li,-i\e been held, oui' at 

 I'lvnioiilh. .indllie other at H.iiii'- N'illage. supported 

 bv grants lioni llie iniiieri.al I >e|i.iil nieiil of Agricul- 

 ture, Keen interest was displaved in iii.iiiy of tin- 

 clas.-es, and Knglish potatos and onnHis were .iniongsl 

 the more interesting exhibits. In order In inipii.ve llie 

 local breeds of stock, the De|iail iin'iil h.i- introduceil 

 three Berkshire boai-s. and three r.ini-. 



l^eceiilly an Agi'icull itr.al .Societv has been formed 

 Willi his Honour the ( "ommissioinr, .Mr. F. H. 

 Watkiiis. as President, and tlie Hev. (1. W. .lohnson as 

 ■Secrel.uv. .\ii .address of Mr. K. \[. Wal kins cut it led. 

 .1 rhnii T'tll: In Siiiiill (hr„rrs ill Mmit s, rrn I . lia.-< 

 recently been issued .is No. I.") of the I'aniiihlel series 

 of the Imperial I •e|);irtmenl of .\giicnll lire ,and ni.iy be 



obblilC'd flMlo ihe lor.d ,igellls [■ ,v i. I . I'mM \'yv.-'i\ll. 



