236 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 8, 1902_ 





The luonthly summary issiu'il lj_v the U.S. 'Weather 

 r.ureau at Barbados gi\es the total rainfall for September as. 

 ^■Ol inches. 



It is jiroiiosed to hold the next Agricultural E.xhibitiou 

 at Dominica in Februar}'. 



'I'lie .\nnual liarbados Indu.strial Exliibitiipii will be held 

 in 1 )eccmber. 



GLEANINGS. 



Another experiment ■with onion growing from seed is 

 about to be carried out at the liotanic Station, Tobago. It 

 is liiipfd that this will lie as successful as the [ircvious one. 



The cotton industry is being taken up in ilout.serrat 

 and several [leople are [ilantiiig seed. 



Seeds of the well known bee plant, the Christmas 

 Wreath (Ipomea siihtct'olin), were received at the Tobago 

 Botanic Station in February. The plants grown therefrom 

 are now in flower and the native bees are actively gathering 

 honey. 



Spraying on lime estates is being adopted in St. Lucia 

 and the .Vgricultural Instructor is importing some dozen 

 machines for planters. Arrangements have also been made 

 with !Mr. Hull, of Castries, to keeii a stock of insecticide.s for 

 sale. 



Four acres of cotton are now under cultivation at 

 St. Lucia Exiierinient Station. 



During the early part of October hot and dry weather 

 prevailed in Demerara. A few heavj- .sliowers would be 

 beneticial to the growing canes. 



The Choiseul and Soufriere Agricultural Societies at 

 St. Lucia are doing useful work, including the imjiortation of 

 pure-bred stock and the formation of village libraries of 

 Agricultural literature. 



Tip' Mimihhj Wcaihir h'eview reports that the eruption 

 of Mont I'elec ai)pears to liave been heard at Maricaibo, 

 Venezuela, no less than 830 miles from Martiniipie. 



The Eoyal Agricultural and Commercial Society of 

 IJritish Ouiana have decided to ask the Government to import 

 20,000 or .30,000 banana suckers for distribution among the 

 farmers of the Colony, either free or at a nominal cost. 



lium is now almost unsaleable in Ijriti.->li Guiana. A 

 large reduction in output would seem to be the only remedj- 

 for the ovei'stocked condition of the rum market. 



Dr Evans, the Curator of the British Guiana JIuseum is 

 proceeding to the Fomeroon to investigate a plague of beetles 

 jirevalent in the di^trii't. 



Grape vines, trained over an arbour, arc used to .shelter 

 the bee hives at the Antiyua Botanic Station. 



During the hist .sea.son the Antigua Station distributed 

 over .0,000 seedling limes. 



l-'i'om lliiti>li (iuiana, we learn that the canes due for 

 reaping up to the New Year are arrowing freely. The 

 Decendier canes continue to grow ra|iidly Ijut they are 

 beginning to ripen up, and growth will soon be at a stand 

 still. ilay and .lune canes have grown well and have 

 a vigorous, hrahliy appearance. 



Sales of 99° crystals ha\e been made at 81.77.1 per 

 1001b. in Demerara : the market ajipears fairly firm. 



All estates in liriti.sh Guiana are now bu.sy making 

 sugar. The juice is of good ipiality, ]ioIarizing from 1-40 

 to I "GO lb. cane .sugar per gallon, with a high ipiotient of 

 imrity. Yield varies from 1 j to 2i tons ])er acre. The yield 

 on the ^Vest Coast of Demerara and in Es.seijuibo is regarded 

 as disappointing 



A'anilla ^■ines have flowered and borne Jiods of good 

 length in some [irivate gardens in St .John's, .Vntigua. 



The Locpiat fruited at .\ntigua for the first time in 

 March of this )ear. The fruits although small were of good 

 flavour. 



The Sicily lemon has borne good-shaped, juicv fruit at 

 the Antigua liotanic ( iardens and ap[iears worthy of more 

 extended cultivation in the island. 



The Curator reports that i\\f rainfall rei'ordcd at the 

 Botanic Station, Tobago, for the month of Se[itendifr was 

 al>o\e the average, being l.'Sll inches. 



Th ne is a gri'at demand for cacao plants at Tobai;o, 

 owing to the cultivation of this plant rapidly extcndinu in 

 various parts of the island. 



Sc\eial imported cattle and fowls have been introduced 

 in Tob:igii with the object of improving the present stock. 



.\ rejiort by the Hon'ble h'rancis Watts on the Soils of 

 Doiiiiidca is in the press and will .shortly be issued. 



The ii'I t'lihircni Import duties at Barbados have been 

 raised from 10 to 1 1' per cent. 



Tn the drier districts of Barbados the ratoons arc 

 .suffering very nuich from the recent drought. Some fields 

 look as if they \^otdd not yield half a hogshead of sugar to 

 the acre. 



Orauiics grow in .Jamaica from tlie sea level up to about 

 4,000 feet. 



