92 



THE AGHICULTL'ltAL NEWS. 



JuLV 5, 1902. 



JAMAICA. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



Exports for 1901. 



Tlu' fiilluwiny [laiticuliU's of the exports of Jamaica 

 for the year ending Marcli 31, 1901, have lately been 

 published in tlie supplement to the ./cn/wf/cvi ihtzcfte: — 



Amiatto £0,800 ; Beeswax .£5,656 ; Honey £10,7.39 ; 

 Divi-cli\i ,£l,."i56 : Cacao £6-1,488; Cocoa-nuts £-tl,:U5 ; 

 Coffee £157,485; Bananas £018,636; Grapes £8,26-'; 

 Limes £-'i8S ; Mangos £298; Oranges £115,473; Pine- 

 apples £1,033; Ginger £66,324 ; Kola nuts £171 ; Lime 

 juice £."i, 408 ; Pimento £110,602; Bum £152,243; Sugar 

 jE1G.".,941 ; Tohaeco leaf £.5,068 ; Cigars £15,654 ; Cigarettes 

 j£l,958 ; Logwood £98,619; Logwood extract £.31,599: 

 Yams £1,201. 



The following notes on agricultural subjects are 

 recorded by the Collectors for their respective jiarishes : 



St. Andhew : Bee culture in this parish is still being 

 extended, and 1 am informed by some promiTient apiarists 

 that some of the honey producing districts are now over- 

 stocked. 



Sr. Ann : \Vitli the excejition of Coffee the crops of 

 all kinds have been good. The pimento crop in the Dry 

 Harbour .Mountains was considered the largest one for the 

 past twenty-tive or thirty years ; the price realized was 

 reuuuierative. Of course that was confined more to the large 

 landed [iroprietors. The Lime Factory at Orange A'alley is 

 still l)eing carried on with encouraging results. The yieUt 

 was essential oil, 25 cases = 117 gallons ; concentrated lime 

 juice, 13 puns. = 1,430 gallons; raw lime juice, 130 puns. 

 = 14,300 gallons; the labour bill in connexion with these 

 o])eratlons alone amounting to about £1,000 per annum. The 

 Kok:d Company at Bio Bueno which |iort is under this C'us- 

 toiiis survey conunenced making oil in October, 1900. To 

 March 31, last, thirty-five tons oil were shipi)ed to New York. 

 The ciMiiiiany have a contract to purchase 2,000,000 nuts 

 a \eai, liesides outside purchases, and intend t<i import nuts. 



\\ i-sTMOEEl,.\ND ; The Bice cultivation which received 

 such a severe chec;k from the floods of November 1899, his 

 fortunately had good weather this year and the cultivators 

 ha\e lieen hard at work for the past three months, rea|iing 

 and pre|)arMig the ])roduct for the market in the forms of 

 shelled and un.shelled rice and bran. The crop is expected 

 to be a good one. This cereal is fast becoming one of the 

 most ini[)ortant agricultural productions of 'he parish. 



The ISee keeping industry still increases, and is becom- 

 ing an important source of subsistence to many jiersons 

 besides forming a great auxiliary to the incomes of many 

 other-. .My only fear is that so many persons are going 

 into the business that shortly there will be the ditUculty c>f 

 getting the Howcrs to support so many apiaries. 



St. Cathkkink : The fruit industi-y and the cultiva- 

 tion ('\ cacao still continue lo increase, but cottee, the 

 mainstay of the majority of snrUl settlers ap[iears to be 

 somew hat neglected on account of the low prices. This is a 

 pity, liecause it is not a iierishable crop, and the settler can 

 kee(i it all during the year and sell when he most needs 

 moji'V, unlike fruit which nnist lie disposed of at once. 



Th.c Dye Factory at S]ianisli Town has l)een steadiU 

 at wen k during the year, and logwood buying reguhnU 

 carried on. The average prices paid give a fairly good maigin 

 to the growers if they choose to cut, but some i>roprietors 

 won't sell at current prices, preferring to wait for better 

 times, conscMpiently there will be abundant reserves to dniw 

 upon should the demand increase. 



Agricultural Efforts. 



The following summary of a report bv Mr. W. C. 

 Fishlock, the n/cently aj)pointed Agricultural Instructor 

 in the Virgin Islands, forms a continuation of the 

 remarks on page 10 of this Journal, with ngard ti> 

 Agricultural etforts in that Presidency : — • 



An interesting account is given of the present condition 

 of the Ex[ieriment Station and suggestions of a [iractical 

 character for extending the work and usefulness of the 

 institution. 



Notwithstanding the great .scarcity c>f water during the 

 recent severe dry season, fair progress has been made with 

 nursery work and the projiagatiou of plants generally. Already 

 there are upwards of 5,000 lime seedlings available for 

 distribution. These will .shortly be given ' free' to peasant 

 landholders desirous of taking up this industry. 



Experiment plots of i>ine-ap[ile, limes, cacao and other 

 products are being succes.sfully established at the Station. 



School garden plots, where boys from the neighbouring 

 .schools can be trained in the best methods of practical 

 agriculture under the supervision of the Agricultural Instruc- 

 tor have been laid out on the grounds c>f the Station, and 

 will .shortly be ready for the instruction of impils. 



A well has heen dug near the Instructor's house and has 

 resulted in olitaining a i>lentiful supjily of excellent water 

 for both drinking and nursery purjioses. The report generally 

 speaks hopefully of the outlook for Agriculture in the Virgin 

 Islands. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 Mr. Haloid ilaxwell-Lefroy, of King's College, 

 proceeded on the (ith ult. to the degree of Ma.ster"of 

 Arts of the University of Cambridge. 



Cocoa-nut with six branches. .V cocoa-nut 



tree with liiMnr|i;-> s uuids strange, Ijut such a [ihenomeuon 

 cUies exist. .\ friend in Penang, where the tree grows, ha.s 

 just forwarded us photographs of the curiosity, stating in a 

 note that it has six liranches, all of which are bearing. 

 There was a seventh branch, he believes, but it was blown 

 down two or three years ago. This tree is unii|Ue, being, at 

 least, a rare specimen of the kind we have heard of. The 

 branches appear large and strong and seem to boar well, as in 

 the photograph l>ebne us, they are loaded with nuts. There 

 are cocoa-nut trees with branches to be met with in Ceylon, 

 one such tree being at Dehiw.iia with two Urauches. (Cnz/cn 

 Ohfcrvi'i; Nov. 7, "1901.) 



The Black Witch. The largest moth recorded at 

 present in tiic We-I Indies is that known under the al)ove 

 name. It is familiar to many pei'sons as a very large, dark, 

 coloured moth with a slow flight like a bat. The wings are 

 deep brown, with black and purple markings. The moth is 

 frec|Uently finuid in or near hcm.ses or buildings, and when 

 disturUed liy day it tlies out and finds another dark [ilace in 

 which to remain till dusk. The moth occurs in the United 

 States, but is believeil not to lireed there : the in.sect is a 

 native of the West Indies. Jts life history should be of 

 interest, and any information as to the food and habitat of 

 the caterpillar would be valuable. 



