ToL. I. No. 13. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



-205 



AXTI(;UA ■ KEPORT OX ECOJO.UIC EXl'ERI- 

 J/EXTS. C'jniliirted in Coiiiuu-ion witlc th" Jtntiuuc Staiimi, 

 By the Hoii'ble Francis Watts, B.Sc, and Mr. W. N. Sands. 



The exi)erimeiits described in tliis report have as their 

 objects the improvement of local food products, the introduc- 

 tion of new crop-i, and the placing on record of facts of 

 interest with regard to insect and fungoid attacks, and 

 climatic conditions. 



h\ the experiments -with green dressings the Velvet 

 bean was found so subject to insect attacks as to be of little 

 value to tlie island. The most jironiising plants for this 

 l)urpose, .so far, ajipear to be the Wliite Eonavist, (called the 

 Louisiana C"ow-pea in Antigua,) and the ^Nlontpellier bean. 



An interesting series of exiierinients arc in hand with 

 the object of raising varieties of Indian corn, combining the 

 <lisease-re.sisting jiowers of the native corn with the larger 

 grain and heavier yield of the imported varieties. 



Cotton, oil plants, sweet potatos, yams, etc., have all 

 received attention. 



The second portion of the Report is devoted to ' minor 

 industries.' The experiments with onions have been contin- 

 ued succes-sfully, and the cultivation of pine-apiile.s, other than 

 the Black Antigua variety, tried with satisfactory results. 

 The experiments with tobacco indicate that a tobacco, 

 admirably suited to the reijuirements of the peasant class, 

 •can be i>roduced hn-allv. 



Agricultural Shows in British Guiana. 



The recently formed Board of Agriculture in I'.ritisli 

 Guiana, according to the Demerara Chronicle has lately 

 dealt with the ijuestion of the manner in which the govern- 

 uient grant for Agricultural Shows shoukl be expended. For 

 some years past horticultural exhibitions have been held in 

 Georgetown under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural 

 and Commercial Society. For various reasons however, this 

 body has found it impossible to deal adecpiately with the 

 vast numljer of exhibits sent in and it has been decided to 

 Land over the direction of Agricultural Shows to the Board 

 ■of Agriculture which is now the recognized antliority for the 

 disbursement of Government grants in aid of Agriculture. 



In order to render the Agricultural Shows of the Colony 

 •of real use in agricultural develoimient, the Board has decided 

 that future exhibitions must be agricultural rather than 

 liorticultural in character, and only exhibits of field and 

 garden inodnce of economic im|")rtance and live stock 

 will in future be accepted. The value of this decision 

 •cannot be too greatly emphasised. To offer i>rizes for eveiy 

 Wnd of experimental produce, before it has Ijeen proved to be 

 •of connnercial importance, is to ]place new and imperfectly 

 tested products on a level with those which long and 

 •careful trial has proved of value to the Colony. Such a 

 procedure would only encourage hasty exjierimentation 

 and premature conclusions which would undoul)tedly do 

 much harm to new industries. It is in every way desirable 

 that Agricultural Shows .should limit their awards to prod\ice 

 of economic importance. 



THE 'AGRICULTURAL NEWS.' 



The following are ;i few (if the coiiiiiient.s received 

 in connexion with the Aijrk-alfurid A^ews : — 

 ilii. C. P. Lucas, Under Secretary of State for the Colonies 



!Mr. Chamberlain regards with interest and satisfaction 

 the efforts that are being made, through the agency of this 

 jiublication, to di.sseminate agricultural information suited to 

 the circumstances of the West Indies, and he desires me to 

 convey to you his congratiilat'ons upon the publication of the 

 first number. 



Xature. 

 Its contents are of a most varied character, appealing 

 to all clas.ses of cultivators in the islands, dealing not only 

 with the staple industry, sugar, but also with bats, beetles, 

 tarpon fishing, grape cultivation, market report.s, notices of 

 books, etc. 



Journdl of the Royal Co'oninl Institute. 

 Dr. Morris, who has already done so much in thi.9 

 direction, is to be congratulated on the general appearance 

 and selection of subjects in the first issue of the AjririttturaL 

 Xeics. 



Gdrtleners' Chronicle. 

 The A'/rieultural Xews, the newly-establi.shed Review 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West 

 Indies, always good, improves as it goes on. It supplies to 

 the planter just the kind of information he requires, and 

 emphasises the need of brain-culture as a preliminary to 

 practical work. 



7'he Jamaica Educational Bulletin. 

 A valuable instrument in the ujilifting of the West 

 Indies — uplifting the several Colonies into the view of one 

 another and into the vrew of the Mother Country and her 

 markets and capitalists. 



The Tiincf nf ,S7. Vincent. 

 AVe have much pleasure in recommending this new 

 jjublication to our peasant proprietors and other persons 

 interested in agriculture. 



Ba,rhad<>» Agricultural Rcjiorter. 

 We have no hesitation in declaring that a reall}' first- 

 rate i>ul>Iication has been launched. That the journal is 

 calculated to prove of abundant service in the cause of 

 agricultural education is beyond dnidit. 



The Dominican iluardian. 

 One of its interesting features is the information 

 touching the coiulition of the markets, both in London, 

 New York, Barbados and other Colonies . . . We wish it 

 a long and useful career. 



Tlie ifontserrat Herald. 

 The Agricultural Xems contains several bits of useful 

 and instructive readings for all classes of agriculturists. 

 That it may have a wide circulation in the island we heartily 

 commend it to our readers. 



Colonial Secretary of Antigua. 

 The iiublication is likely to be a most useful one and 

 shows the earnest desire of the Officers of the Imjierial 

 Department of Agriculture to jpromote the agricultural 

 interests of the Colony. 



