Vol. I. Xo. 11. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



173 



JAJfAICJ: REPORT OX THE (;OVKHXMEXT 

 LABORATORY, WOl.l. By Mr. H. H. Cou.siiis, M.A., 

 F.C.S., Goveniiuent Analyst and Agricultural Chemist. 



The following extract is taken from ^Ir. Cousins' report, 

 for the year ending March .31, 190:i:— 



'The Laboratory has been considerately treated liy iho 

 various public Departments, and unnecessary appeals to the 

 Chemist have been avoided, thus enabling a larger propor- 

 tion of agricultural work to be carried out. The work on 

 .soils has been the chief item in the work of the Laboratory 

 during the last year. It is hoped that analyses of the 

 .soils of all the chief crop-producing areas will soon have 

 been comjileted and a preliminary account of the agricul- 

 tural state of Jamaica soils be made available to the 

 jmblic. So far, the soils exhibit a high standard of^fertility : 

 jihosiihoric acid is peculiarly rich in most cases. On the 

 whole, the reserves of fertility in Jamaica .soils .seem to 

 be very great and good cultivation alone should result 

 in maximum crojis for many years in many cases. 



It is to be regretted that the Sugar Industry docs not 

 make more use of the Government Laboratory. Analyses of 

 juice would have shown many estates during the first month 

 of the eroji s?a.son that the caues were still unripe and the 

 season at least a month later than usual. It .should also 

 be of value to an estate to know what its sugars polarize 

 before shipping to the States or L^nited Kingdom. 



Owing to the applications for assistance from planters 

 in respect to injurious in.sects and fungoid diseases, the 

 Imperial Commissioner at Barbados was recjuested to furnish 

 a list of books of service in this direction. He gave much 

 valuable advice and his officers have affordeil us material 

 assistance. 



Owing to the operation of his Excellency's Procla- 

 mation on (.)ctober 1, the Laljoratory staff have been 

 rosponsilile for the practical execution of the fumigation of 

 imported plants. Small consiginnents arc treated at the 

 Lxbaratory, while accommilition for large ini[iortations has 

 been provided at the wharf in East Street. A consignment 

 from South Africa badly infested with a scale new to 

 Jamaica was among the first fruits of the Proclamation. 



Owing to the serious consequences that frequently 

 arise from the planting of infested citrus trees and pine 

 suckers, growers throughout the island should fumigate such 

 .stock before SL-lling or planting it. The cost is insignificant. 



Loral Ayriculturdl Ejjuriments. — A grant of £1^0 

 Laving been made for fertilizers, experiments (at .30 different 

 centres throughout the island, involving 220 manurial plots) 

 on the chief crops of .Jamaica, viz : bananas, cane.s, pines, 

 cott'ee and tobacco have been started. The manures were 

 weighed and mixed, and bagged at the Laboratory. In many 

 •cases the ajiplication was personally supervised by the Labor- 

 atory staff. Painted iiosts to mark the plots were also 

 provided. Samples of soil and subsoil from all experiment 

 plots, as well as many representing agricultural areas of 

 interest have been taken for analysis. Detailed reports will 

 Ije made to the Board of Agriculture and be available to 

 the public in due course. 



AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS 

 THE "WEST INDIES. 



IN 



Jamaica Board of Agrioidtuve : t'linii-iniiii : Tlie Him'ble 

 Sydney Olivier, C.M.(j.: Smetary : W. R. Buttensliaw, M. A., 

 B.Sc. ; I'libUodtou — Occasional Bulletin. 



Jamaica Agricidhn-al Society (with thirty two affiliated 

 Branches). Kingston, Jamaica. Prcsidrnt : Sir Augustus W.L. 

 Hemming, G.C.M.G. licpnty Chairtiuin- : Hon'ltle \Vm. Faw- 

 cett, B.Sc, F.L.S. Sf<vdary : John Barclay. Fnhlicatiun : 

 "Journal of the .Jamaica .Agricultural Society." 



Royal Jamaica Society of Agriculture & Commerce & 

 Mcichants' Exchange, Kingston, Jamaica. P rfj>'i<lcnt : Hon'ble 

 Lieut-Colonel Ward, CM.G. tSccretnrij : J. L. Ashenheini. 

 Piibliaitioii : .Annual Reiiurt. 



The Institute of Jamaica : ICingston, Jamaica. l'!i<(iiiiuin : 

 Sir Fielding Clarke. Sixrcinry : Frank Cmulall, F.S.A., ('in;,f<,r 

 <if Museum : E.S. Panton PiMkations "Journal of the Institute 

 of Jamaica." "Jamaica iu 1!)01." 



Kingston & St. Andrew Horticultui-.d Society. Ivingston, 

 Jamaica. Pn-siilent : Hon'ble Wm. Fawcett, B.Sc. Scri'i:t<i}ij : 

 AVilliam Harris, F.Ij.S. 



British Guiana Board of Agriculture, Georgetown, Demera- 

 ra. Chainiiiiii : Hon'lile A.M. A.shmore, C.M.G. Dcjnitji Choir- 

 man : J. B. Harrison, M..\., C.M.G., ; Sccrdary: O.scar Weber : 

 Ayricnltiiral Iii.sfnictor : R. Ward : Assiaiant hid.-iirfor hi 

 Ayricultiire : J. E. Jjcckett (on probation); ]\tiriH(trtj 

 Surjeoii, : J. A. Raleigh. 



B.-itish Gui.ina Royal Agricultural & Cammercial Society 

 Georgetown, Deuitrira. Pn:sl<tcid : Luke M. HOI, B.A., 

 M.I.C.E. iSecrcfary . Thomas Daley. Xook/ yi'rrctdry : (Berbice,) 

 Dr. C. F. Castor. Assi'^tuiit ,Secretary awl Lihrariaii : J. Rod- 

 way, F.L.S.. Ciiratiir af ytuxeiim : Richard Evans, M.A., D.Sc, 

 PnUicatiuii, : " Journal of tha Royil Agriculture and Commer- 

 cial Society of Briti.sh Guiana." 



Trinidad .Agricultural Society, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. 

 President : Sir Alfred Moloney, K.C.M.G. Stcrctary : Edgar 

 Tripp. Pahlicittiou: "Proceedings of the Agricultural Society 

 of Trinidad." 



Grenada Agricultural Society, St George's, Grenada. Presi- 

 dcnt: Sir Robert B. Llewelyn, Iv.C.M.G. Seerdary: W. E. 

 Broadway. PahUaitkm : Minutes of Meetings. 



Barbados (Seneral Agricultural Society & Rcid School of 

 Practical Chemistry, Bridgetown, Barbados. President : Sir. 

 George C. Pile, K^t. ^eeretary : J. H. Poyer. Pnl,lk,dioii : 

 " Barbados Agi-icultural (!a/.ette and I'lantei-s' Journal." 



St. Lucia Agricultural Society, Castries, St. Lucia : Prcsi- 

 ilcut : f^iecretary : U. G. McHugh. 



Dominicjv Agricultural Society, Roseau, Dominica. Pres- 

 ident : The Hon'ble H. Hesketh Bell. &crctary : A. K. Agar. 



Antigua Agricultural Society. Presiilenf : His Excellency 

 the Governor; C/idij-m-)/'.- Hon'ble T. D. Foote ; Vica-Olutirmatt. 

 Hon'ble J. F. Foote ; SecretKry : W. N. Sands. 



St. Kitts-Nevis Agricultural S(x;iety. President : HoiKjur- 

 able E. G. Todd. Secretary: C. A Snuth. 



[Further particidars of Agricidtural and Horticultural 

 Institutions in the West Indies would 1)0 gladly received fur 

 tliis list. Also fixtures for Agricultund Ulunvs for 1902.] 



