ToL. I. No. 13. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



201 



VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES IN 



ST. VINCENT. i 



EEPORT OX DAMAGE TO IT.lir.S, ETC. 



At the reijue.st of liis Honoui- the Aduiini.stnitor, ilr. H. 

 Powell the Curator, and Mr. Thos. C.sment, the Aj,'ricultural 

 Instructor, of theBotauic Station, St. Vincent, visited the 

 -allotments on the Liidey estates on Seiitendicr (i, for the 

 purpo-se of ascertaining tlie extent of the damage to 

 j)rovision crops there l.iy the eruption of the Soufriere on the 

 night of September 3. Leaving Kingstown by boat early on 

 the morning of the Gth. the etiects of the eruption were 

 first visible a little south of Cumberland, vegetation 

 presenting a greyish ajJiiearance due to a coating of volcanic 

 .ash which was found of increasing de|ith as they proceeded 

 from Cund)erland to Troumaca. The party landed at 

 I'osebank where the layer of ejecta was found to be about 

 three inches thick and composed of dark ashes or sand 

 and coarser material ajiproaching the nature of gravel, 

 ■with pieces of pumice measuring five inches in diameter and 

 less, and pieces of stone from a ipiarter-inch to one inch in 

 <liameter, occa.sionally larger. Both at Rosebank and the 

 .surrounding villages it wa.s observed that the crops had 

 .suffered more or less severely. The Curator and Instructor 

 advised the settlers as to the best course to pursue with 

 crops that were not past recover}-. In the case of bana- 

 nas nearing maturity, they recommended that the leaves 

 should be carefully pruned and the cjccta removed by means 

 of a pointed stick and a Inicket of water. This cour.se had 

 proved satisfactory elsewhere, whereas ashes when allowed to 

 remain in the axils of the leaves and branches caused prema- 

 ture decay. Tannias particularly had suti'ered, owing to the 

 breadth and tender nature of their leaves. The depth of the 

 •ejecta was found to have been much exaggerated by the 

 people, as also their story that the available provisions had 

 been destroyed. As a result of their insiiection, Messrs. 

 Powell and Osment arrived at the following condusion.s, 

 which are endjodied in their report to the Administrator : — 



' (1) Scarcely any damage has been done to the present 

 supply of provisions in consequence of there Vicing but little 

 lit to reap. 



' (2) Prom the sea shore at lioscbaiik and Trmnnaca to a 

 line running north and south at aliout Belmont old sugar 

 works, the damage done to growing provisions in general is 

 very severe and will jirobably retard the reajiing season by 

 :six to eight weeks, and even then, the yield will doubtless be 

 much less than it would otherwise have lieen. 



'(.3) Prom Belmont sugar wiirks to a jioint al)Ove 

 Ptosehall Village, the damage gradually lessens, and as 

 compared to the lower parts might lie cla.s.sed as slight. 



' (4) The depth of the ejecta was greatly exaggerated by 

 the allotters. 



'(5) The tracks through the allotments on jiarts of 

 T{o.sebank, Troumaca and l!o.sehall are in a bad state making 

 •even walking dittieult, and if relief should at any time lie 

 decided on we recommend that it take the form of road- 

 luaking at the iilaces named. 



' In conclusion we lieg to record our regret tliat such a 

 mi.sfortune should have overtaken these promising allotments, 

 and we also wish to express our confidence that if no further 

 calamity should occur, much of the damage done will in a 

 short time disappear.' 



- TRADE BETWEEN CANADA AND 

 THE WEST INDIES. 



The Miirifiiiie Mcirhmit lor August 14, last, 

 records that at the thirty-first Annual Convention of 

 Canadian Manufactm-ers' Association, held in Halifax 

 on August 18-14, the following resolution was passed: — 



^Yhf^•<'<lK, the ^fanufactuiers of Canada desire to 

 increase their export trade with tlie British West 

 Indies, and 



H7(('/r((.s', the re]iort of tlie President and Assist- 

 ant Secretary of this Associatiim submits the assurance 

 that the agricultural and nianufactuied products of 

 Canada are sttitable to tlie rei.piireinents of the British 

 "West Indies, and 



MlieroiiK, the Unit(Ml States at present supply 

 those articles largely beeau.se it buys considerable 

 quantities of British West India sugar, and 



])7<(°ivo.*j, the diverting of this export trarlo from 

 New York to Canadian ports might be accomplished 

 by increasing our direct importation of British West 

 India sugar, 



Therefore R'x:dreJ, that this A.ssociation lend its 

 effort by such measures as may seem desirable to the 

 Executive to promote and increase our direct imports 

 of sugar and other products of the British West Indies. 



VALUE OF BOTANIC GARDENS. 



The following appreciation of the usefulness of 

 Botanic Gardens, and in particular of the Royal Gardens 

 at Kew, is taken from Botaniziiifj, that e.xcellenfc 

 practical book for field botanists, written by Prof W.W. 

 Bailey of Brown University UT.S.A. 



As an instance of the beneficent infiuence of botanical 

 science the records of the Roj'al Gardens at Kew may be 

 cited. Under the directorship of Sir William Hooker, and 

 later of his son, Sir .J. D. Hooker, and at present under that 

 of Sir W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, it has accomplished wonders 

 for the education and delight of countless throngs of visitors. 

 But its work does not cease with tliis objective teaching ; 

 it constantly enriches the many Colonies of Great Britain. 

 One of the annual reiiorts of this truly Royal Garden contains 

 a complete reply to any carping criticism of Botany. 



Here is, no doubt, the largest hei'barium in the world ; 

 here botanists, gardener.s, and explorers are trained : here 

 are conducted experiments of most varied and useful charac- 

 ter. By means of Kew coffee, cinchona, cotton and many 

 other important inoducts have been extended to different 

 countries. All the Colonial as well as many foreign gardens 

 are in touch with Kew. J'^very new idant is here examined, 

 every supposed drug or fabric teste<l as to its value. Impiove- 

 ments as to cultivation are suggested, means of protection 

 instituted. Kew is now conceded to be one of the most 

 practical, liest paying, of all Britain's national institutions : 

 it is honoured alike at home and abroad. 



Who can fitly estimate the amount annually faved to 

 the farmer by tlio researches of botanists and entomologists ? 

 The student of fungi alone becomes a benefactor, for mould, 

 blight, and mildew, as well as many of our own diseases, 

 arise from the prevalence of active spores. We should then 

 in all ways, encourage those who, with microscope and 

 chemicals, wage upon these pests an unrelenting war. 



