Vol. I. Xo. 8. 



THE AGltle'ULTL'RAL NEWS. 



1-25 



TRIXIDAD : A XXUA L nid'ORT OF THE CO T- 

 ERXMEXT AXALYST 1901-..'. l!y Profe-ssoi- 1'. CVnii.idv, 

 F.I.C., F.C.S. 



The ix'iiort deals iniueiiially v.ith the routine analytical 

 work of the Colony, many of the details of which are only 

 •of local interest. 2,210 analyses ciiicfly orticial, were made. 

 In conne.\iun with the reported discoveries of mineral 

 •oil in Trinidad, some samples of which were anal}sed 

 •at the laboratory with favourable re.sults, it is interesting 

 to note that nearly half a million gallons of petroleum 

 Are annually imported into the Colony. Ten saniides of 

 jierated waters were found to contain excessive quanti- 

 tities of lead, and two brands of iniiiorted beers were 

 found to contain yalicylie acid in small (juantities. Several 

 •analyses of local coals are given the majority of which 

 c'ompared with imported coals of the best quality contain 

 •an exces-iive amount of water and ash as well as a 

 high percentage of volatile matter. Although none of 

 the local coals are of first class ipiality, some of them can be 

 used with advantage. Of great interest to cacao and cotfee 

 planters are the analyses of the flowers of various shade 

 trees used in cacao culture in Trinidad. In 1900 as much 

 .as 6 per cent, of nitrogen was found in the ih ie<I flowers of 

 •some samples of the Imniortel : this year the highest 

 figure is 4-03 per cent., the lowest being apparently 2-G5 per 

 •cent. It was found that an average-sized tree yields about 

 1-30 lb of fresh Howei-s. Fifty trees per acre would yield 

 •800 lb of dry (lowers, which at 3 ]ier cent, of nitrogen only 

 would yield 2-1 lb of nitrogen. This is nearly double that 

 removed by 500 lb of cured cacao per acie. Speaking 

 •of these figure.s, Professor Carmody siiys : ' These figures 

 Are of consideraljle agricultural importance, for they suggest 

 that flowering trees may be utilized to keej) the nitrogen in 

 the .soil in circulation l]y bringing it from lower depths in 

 ■one form and periodically spreading it in another form on 

 the surface of the land.' 



A course of lectures in agricultural chejnistry was given 

 to a cla.ss of ,.56 schoolmasters. All the head teachers in 

 Triniilad have now received a short course of instruction 

 •and in every soliool in the Colony agriculture is being- 

 taught. There can be no doubt that the Government 

 Laboratory at Trinidad is of run^iderable service to the 

 ■Colony in many ways, H)id uiniily fulfils the purposes for 

 which it is maintained. During the year a considerable 

 •.sum of money was paid into the Treasury for fees for analyses, 

 And in addition still larger sums were obtained liy fines 

 under the Food and Drugs Ordinance. 



TRIXIDAD: RRPORTOX THE GOVERXMEXT 

 STOCK FARMS, I'MF.l. liy Mr. C. W. .MeAden, ilanager. 



The report deals with the work of the farm since its 

 transference from St. Clair to 'S'alsayn, St. .Joseph. Many 



•difficulties arose in converting the old sugar land now at the 

 di.sjiosiil of the farm into suitable jiasture. At present many 



•of these initial difficulties have been overcome and the farm 

 is being gradually established. Seven pure-bred Zebu 



heifers have liecn addetl to the herd and" a bull and two cows 

 are on their way from India. The milch lierd has been 

 increased to 147 breeding cows. Cross-bred Guernseys have 

 I'loved useful and a Hereford bull has been ad<le<l. The 

 annual stuck .sale was held on .January 21 and realised 

 1.2S2 dollars. Mo.st of the stock .shown at the Exhibition of 

 the Agricultural Society gained prizes in addition to the 

 I )i[iloma of the Department of Agriculture. Butter-making 

 has been stiirted ; 1,668 pounds were made which sold for 

 I'l.'iS. IS. 'J. The butter produced compared favourably 

 v> ith the imported article and much more could ha\'e been 

 disjMised of. 



Mule breeding has lieen started at the farm but the 

 manager docs not regard horse breeding as likely to yield 

 any inofit in Tri.nidad at the present time. The Tamwortli 

 jiigs introduced have adapted themselves to the climate and 

 the introduction is regarded as a very useful one. The 

 advantage of jiig keeping in Trinidad as an industry for 

 l)easant iirojirietors seems to be clearly realized. Andalusian 

 fowls and Pekin ducks are very iiromising. The sheej) at 

 the Tobago farm imi)orted from Halifax have not done well 

 and the manager is of the opinion that it is better to improve 

 the native Ijreed l)y importing rams from time to time. There 

 can be no doubt that the Trinidad stock farm is a highly 

 practical and useful institution and of considerable service to 

 the Colony. The failures at such a farm are often more 

 A'aluablc than the sueces.ses as the former prevent lo.sses to 

 individual planters who may wi.sh to experiment in animal 

 introduction. All interested in stock in the West Indies 

 would do well to secure coi'les of this and previous rejiorts. 



COSTA RICA : THE TRADE OF, FOR THE 

 YEAR nxn. Diplomatic and Consular Re2M)t, Xo. .1776, 

 April 1V02. 



The staple agricultm-al jirodncts of Costa Iliea are 

 coffee, bananas, tind.)er and rublier. 



The coffee croj) of 1901, although abundant in (|uantity 

 was poor in ([uality ; prices ruled 2.3 to 30 per cent, 

 lower than during the laevious year, and the value of produce 

 exported fell by some £200,000. Coffee has formerly borne 

 an export tax of 4.s. iier lOOIb. This has l)een found to be 

 too heavy a burden to allow the growers to maintain good 

 cultivation, and has been aboli.shed from September 1901. 



The banana trade continues to increase. The exjiort.s for 

 1901 are 13 per cent, more than in 1900, and 1,000 

 times greater than ten years ago. Nearly 4,000,000 

 bunches were sent to the United States. Bananas are 

 groAvii on the alhnial lands of the Atlantic Coa.st, carried 

 liy rail to Limoii and shi]>ped thence to America. The 

 I'nited Fruit Company maintain a tri-weekly service of 

 s[iecial banana boats. Five other lines of steamers also call 

 regularly. The Fruit Company have built a railway from 

 the banana district to the port, and a new wharf, costing 

 over £80,000, has l)een constructed at Port Limon. The 

 banana farms are mainly worked by coloured labour from 

 Jamaica, a man's wages being about 2.>:. IQd. jicr day. 



The exiiorts of timber and dye-woods have each. 

 decli)icd about 50 per cent, owing to the increased difficulty 

 in working the more remote districts. 



The export of about 450 cwt. of cacao is recorded. 

 This is more imjiortant than the mere quantity would 

 .suggest. The Government has been endeavouring to stimulate 

 this industry by ottering premiums for trees of three or 

 more years old. In 1901 the jdantations were inspected 

 and nearly 500,000 trees earned the reward. jVs these 

 plantations come into bearing, cacao may be expected to 

 take a leading place in the exports of Costa Kica. 



