Vol. 1. Xo. 4. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



55 



Hints on Planting Corn. 



Thr following iiiiits quoted by the Siij/nr I'l< titter's 

 Jovfittil may be of service in the West Indies: — 



An exi)eiieiK'ed fanner in Okhdionia lu»s adoiited a 

 metliod of planting maize or corn wliich will often iiroduce a 

 crop wlien liot winds liave ruined the corn as previously and 

 ordinarily i)lanted. His plan is to go over the fields two or 

 three weeks after the regular planting i.s done and plant new 

 hills fifteen rows apart each way. If the weather becomes 

 dry, or hot winds blow at the critical .season, and the tas.sels 

 of the corn are killed before there has been time for the silk 

 on the ears to become fertilized, the corn that i.s planted 

 later will develop tas.sels in time to furnish the necessary 

 fertilizing [lollen, and a crop will thus be often produced 

 when no grain whatever could be raised without the late 

 planting. He claims to have tried this method and to have 

 succeeded in raising a croji when his neighbors have failed. 

 He has another method, which is to soak seed corn in 

 kero.sene a short time before planting. This not only 

 quickens the germination and growth of the grain, but it is 

 claimed to be a safeguard against birtis, gojihers and insects 

 that usually attack the seed. 



A Record Banana Export. 



The Jaiiiaic"i (ilcdnci- reports that the exporta- 

 tion of bananas for the year ending March la.st i.s likelv 

 to amount to a total of over ten millions of biniches, 

 a record for Jamaica. The returns are compiled accord- 

 ing to the computation of the companies, so that 

 two small bunches are counted as one bunch. The 

 total number of actual bunches therefore greatly 

 exceeds ten millions. The prospects for the spring 

 crop of bananas are excellent, and there is likely to be 

 a great deal more competition between the companies 

 along the northern side this year than is usual. During 

 the financial year, ending March 190--5, this year's total 

 will probably be largely exceeded. A well-known 

 official, who is concerned in the compilation of the 

 statistics, has stated that In- expected the total at the 

 end of next March wovdd be o\er twelve millions of 

 bunches. 



Production and Consumption of Coffee. 



The French Consul in Brazil, in a report on the 

 state of trade in that country, states that there is an 

 over-production of coffee throughout the world, and 

 that in Brazil there is a tendency to restrict the area 

 of cultivation. He .says that in the year from Juiv 1, 

 1900, to June 30, IDOl, the total production of coff'eJ 

 throughout the world was 1.5,400,000 bags, of 13211). 

 each, and that of this quantity 11,500,000 bags were 

 grown in Brazil, 1,150,000 in Guatemala, Costa Rica, 

 Mexico, and Nicamgua, 1,050,000 in Venezuela, Colom- 

 bia, Ecuador, and Peru, 480,000 in the Dutch In<lies, 

 450,000 in Hayti, 315,000 British India and Ceylon! 

 200,000 in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, and 90,000 in 

 Padang. He estimates the con.sumption at 14,117,620 

 bags, leaving an excess of production at 1,342 3(S0 ba^s 

 (I i incs ). 



Arbor Day for the West Indies. 



It is suggested that Coronation day, June 26, 

 unuld be an a])])ropriate one to adoj)t in the West 

 Indies as an Arbor day. It woulil conmiemorate a 

 stiiking event in the history of the Emiiire and besides 

 it would fall exactly at the right sea.son for planting 

 purposes. In many localities the planting of orna- 

 mental shade trees would be of great public Ijenefit and 

 at the same time add to the comfort and amenities of 

 life in tht' tropics. Suitable trees and p.ilms are 

 always obtainable for the purpo.se at the Botanic 

 Oai-dens and it only requires the movement to be 

 started, under favourable auspices, to be taken up with 

 every hope of success. A few preliminary hints might 

 be useful. The holes for the trees, about 3 feet .square 

 and about 2A feet deep, should be prepared some days 

 beforehand and filled with good soil. The actual 

 l^lanting requires care but it is an operation that 

 affords j)leasure to many : preferably it should be 

 undertaken in the afternoon and the plant innnediate- 

 ly watered. If the trees are planted in open spaces or 

 along road-sides where they are liable to be injured 

 they should be protected by tree-guards. If desired, 

 permanent metal labels for Coronation trees would be 

 inqmrted and supplieil, at cost price, by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. 



Nature Study Exhibition. 



The interest taken in England in this subject is 

 evidenced by the exhibition which it is proposed to 

 hold at the tJardens of the Royal Botanic .Society 

 Regent's Park. It will be open to Colleges and Schools 

 of every grade, and the exhibition will include all that 

 bears upon Nature Study. To those who desire to 

 understand exactly what Nature Study means and how- 

 it may be carried out with interest and profit to both 

 old and young we cannot do better than commend 

 the handbook Nttfttre Tettching .specially prepared 

 for the Imperial Dei)aiinent of Agriculture by the 

 Hon. Francis Watts and others. This is obtainable 

 from the Agents of the Department in all jiarts of the 

 West Indies. 



The Manufacture of Papain. 



In the course of a notice on thr paper on this 

 subject which appeared on page 4 of the Ji/ricn/fttral 

 iWd'.s, the Moitiserrttt Herald .says: — 



This article is pretty well ex[)orted from here. There 

 are not less than three drying stoves in the island of Jlr. 

 Watts' descri[)tion, so the mode of pre])aration is not new to 

 those who are engaged in its manufacture. But we do not 

 think that it is generally known by those who sell the juice 

 that — 'It is essential that no iron knife or iron utensils 

 should be brought into contact with the milk. Wood and 

 bone .should l)e employed, and the milk should l)e collected in 

 earthenware basins or cui).s, or in glass vessels, and not in 

 tins, which are sure to blacken it. 



