204 



THE AGRICUtTURAi NEWS. 



OCTOBKR 11, 1902„ 



NEWS FROM THE ISLANDS, 



The i>bints at tlie Tobago Botanic Station are reiiortefl 

 to liavo made excellent growth during the year 1901-Ol', and 

 the Station is assuming an attractive ajipearance. Prepara 

 tions have been made for further jilantiMg and several 

 experiment plots have been defined and laid out. 



A gate has been placed on the southern boundary of the 

 Botanic Station, Tobago. The new road atfording direct 

 access to the Station from the landing stage and wharf has 

 l>roved a great convenience to visitors. 



Jfr. C!. i[. ])e Freitas at Woodland.s, Grenada, has grown 

 a siiecinien of a Hlack Antigua l)ine, 9 lb. in weight. Eijually 

 good results have been obtained at Dominica. 



The attack of .scale insects on lime trees is reported 

 from Crenada. The scale in this instance was found to be 

 the West Indian reil scale, a common pest on citrus jHants. 



Carbon bisulphide is being ii.sed to preserve Indian 

 (nun from \vee\ils in JJarbados. The corn is stored in 

 hogsheads, into each of which one to one and a half ounces 

 of carbon bisulphide is jilaced, when the whole is tightly 

 sealed. The cost jier liog.sliead is about three to five cents, 

 but if the chemical were more largely used, the cost .should 

 not exceed two cents. 



^\'(':ltller favourable to growing crops is reported from 

 >-!t. Ijucia for the past month. The rainfall has liern 

 abundant, 1- inches being recorded for Auinist and aliout 14 

 inches for Sei>tend>ei'. 'J'here have been no very heavy and 

 destructive showers nor high winds. 



A suggestion has been made to hold a district Agricul- 

 tiiial Shi>w in St. Patrick's paiisli, (irenada, early next yer.r. 



Sweet potato meal has recently bi'en prepared in 

 Angnilla, by machines imported by the Imperial iJeiiartnient 

 of Agriculture. Samples were forwarded by last mail to the 

 West Inilia Comnnttee and to the Imperial Institute, Lonilon. 

 j^onie more was placed on exhibit at the Planters' Hidl, 

 Bridgetown, llailiailos. 



Kafiirr 'J'fur/iiin/, tin' .\gi-icultural text lumk prepared 

 by the l)e[iartment for the use of We>t Imlian sehonls, is 

 being largely adopted in Trinidad. One hundred additional 

 copies were ordered by last mail. 



Active steps have been taken during the last few 

 months to encourage the cultivation of English vegetables 

 amongst the pea.santry in the country districts of Dominica. 



The Agricultural Instructor of Domiiuca rejiorts that 

 during his recent tours he has successfully budded sour- 

 orange stock in some of the outlying districts with the 

 ^Vashington Navel. It is only by such travelling instructors 

 that methods of cultivation can be improved in many of 

 the country districts of .some parts of the West Indies. 



The Laboratory and clas.s i-ooms at the Agricultural 

 School, St. Vincent, are api)roaching completion, and it is. 

 hoped tint they will be in working order at an early date. 



The St. Vincent Agricultural School was inspected ]>y 

 the ^Medical Officer on August 29. He rejiorted : ' Inspected 

 school and out-buildings and found ever_vthing clean and in 

 a sanitary condition : the general health of the i>uiiils 

 continues to be very satisfactor}'.' 



Tiii lojil Instrujt^r at JI )nts3rrat has been giving 

 [iractical demonstrations as to the best methods of .sowing 

 onion seed, and generally helping on tho.se taking n[< this- 

 cultivation. 



The outlook for the onion crop of Antigua next year 

 is [jronusing, no less than double the previous ipiantity of 

 seed having been ordered 



The Smooth Cayenne pine appears well suited to tlie^ 

 conditions prevailing at Antigua. The fruits from an experi- 

 ment plot la.st year averaged 8^ It) each. If anything, they 

 were too large foi' the Loiulon market, where, however, they 



fetched renuinerative prices. 



.\ fair ipiantity of teak seed is available annually from 

 the St. Mncent Botanic Station. A seedling i>lanted out in 

 the Garden si.\ years ago is now -11 feet, high, with a circum- 

 ference of 3 feet 6 inches at one foot from the ground, and 

 '2 feet 6 inches at a heiirht of 6 feet. 



A fine specimen of the Pampas gra.*s is now an object 

 of interest at the St. Vincent Botanic Station. It carries as 

 many as thirty plumes. 



Some .specimens of scale insects attacking plants have 

 been received from St. Lucia through Mr. E. Buckmire, the 

 Poreman of the Botanic Station. These include ten si)ecie.s, 

 one new to St. Lucia (the Barnacle Wax scale). 



Settlers from Cirenada are arriving at Tobago and 

 purchasing lands from estates for the cultivation of cacao. 

 They prefer estate lands to Crown land.s, owing to the- 

 former being more accessible. 



.V series of lectures to the school teachers of Barbado.s 

 on the manner and method of teaching the principles of 

 Agriculture by nn.ms of object le.s^ons was organised some 

 time back by Dr. Morris. Th? first of these lectures was 

 delivered on Saturday Oct. t, at Harrison College by 

 Dr. Longtielil Snuth. The lecture was well attended, 

 II teachers being present. 



The subject dealt with by the lecturer was 'The air we 

 breathe' and the lecture was well illustrated by experi- 

 ment.-!, nearly all of which couM bj easily performed by any 

 teacher with a few gla-;s tund)lers, some .saucer.", a pail, and 

 other simple articles. At the clos.> of the lecture cyclostyle 

 notes containing a .-UMimary of the lecture and a list of 

 exiieriments were given to each teacher. 



