268 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 6, 1902^ 



The area of land uiuler cane cultivation in Britisli Guiana 

 has increaserl from G7,8.S4 acres in 1900-01, to T2,14S in 

 1901-02. The increase in the cultivation has been general 

 on all the estates in the colony, one plantation, 'Slcelclon,' in 

 r.erbice leading with 703 acres more in canes than at the 

 same period last year. 



GLEANINGS. 



As indicative of tlie extent to wliich the cultivation of 

 rice in Denierara has att'ectod the im]>ortation of the article, 

 it is interesting to note that in 1895 48,.'5-t8,0G8 lb. were 

 imported. Since then there has been a steady deerea.se, 

 tlie imports for 1901-01' amounting to only 15,21;5,.'j03 lb. 



Hard fully ripe cocoa-nuts are imported from Trinidad 

 into 8t. Kitt's, where in addition to being used for pastry 

 they are placed in cellars until well sprouted, when they 

 are sold for parlour decorations at 8(/. to l.t. apiece. 



It is re))orted from ^lontserrat that some canes of the 

 variety B. 1-17, which had been allowed to 'stand over' from 

 last season at Gages estate, grew to an abnormal length. 

 One of these, dressed ready for the mill, measured 18 feet, 

 and contained fifty-six joints, the longest joint measuring 

 7 inches. The plot was planted in Jlay 1900 and reaped in 

 Novcnd)er 190 J. 



If a cocoa-nut were iilanted in the ground in an uiiright 

 position, it.s growth would be retariled because although the 

 roots force a passage between the husk and tlie .shell, 

 coming out at a point of the shell which has been cut otl' to 

 allow them exit, yet the hard shell would remain innncdiately 

 under the stem until the former had decayed. AVhereas if 

 the nut is planted in the natural position in which it falLs, 

 iiamclj', on the side, the roots come out, from the first, clear 

 of the husk and shell. 



An Association of the teachers in the Primary Schools 

 lias been recently formed at Montserrat. Monthly meetings 

 arc held for the discussion of educational topics. 



S[ionge fishing is an important industry at the Bahamas, 

 and affords emjiloyment to between G,000 and 7,000 persons. 

 During the fifteen months ended in ilarch of this year, over 

 one million pounds weight of sponges were exported, of the 

 value of £9 '.,500. Nearly ninety percent, of the sponges 

 },'o to the United States, and the remainder to Great I'ritain. 



The recent rains have slightly checked the picking of the 

 cacao crop in Trinidad, but at the .s<»me time they have been 

 very beneficial to the sugar crop. 



Tlir Triniilad Mirror re|)orts that a want of lalionr has 

 been felt by tlie sugar planters, as most of the unindontured 

 labourers liave l)een very busy in the rice fields. A consider- 

 able amount of rice is now grown in the Golony, and at this 

 season largely takes \.\\i the time of the free cotities. 



Letter wood or Leojiard wood is well kiiowni as one of 

 the ornamental woods of the West Indies. Snake wood is 

 another trade name. It is employed for small turnery, 

 walking sticks, cabinet inlaying, etc., and prized on account 

 of its curious markings. 



The Gomea of St. Vincent (Hiirsem ffitm»ti/i'ra)'kwn\n 

 in Jamaica as the Birch, forms good 'live' telegrajih posts. 

 In Antigua it is known as the Turpentine tree and used 

 in a similar way. The timber is einiiloyed for coopering, 

 boat building, etc. 



It may not be generally known that sugar is enii)loyed 

 in the manufacture of transparent soaps. The Louisiana 

 I'/diitcr states that 150 lb of sugar are neces.sary for 1,000 lb 

 of .soap. 



A specimen of the aloe cultivated at Barbados has been 

 determined at the Royal Gardens, Kew, as A/oe vera, a 

 nativeof the Mediterranean region of Europe, and probably 

 introduced to the West Indies in very early times. 



During the current year 387,576 & of balata, yielding 

 a royalty of $7, 770. "27 were exported from British Guiana. 

 This industry is in a fairly jirosperous condition at present, 

 good prices having been obtained for the product. 



The revenue from the British Guiana gold industry for 

 the year 1901-02 exceeded that received in 1900-01 by 

 $-100.77, the royalty on gold produced being S70,932.54 as 

 ai'ainst §79,871.16 for last jear. 



Grenada presents an interesting example of the substitu- 

 tion of one inilustrv for another. The ex|iorts of sugar in 

 1882 were of the value of £21,000 ; by 1S9I they had fallen 

 to £50, and now, the island does not grow enough for its 

 own consuni[ition. The cacao industry has developed whilst 

 sugar has declined, and the exports of cacao in 1900 were 

 wortli £270,000. 



The l!otiuiic (lardeii at St. Vincent was established as 

 long ago as 17()5. It is the oldest garden in the West 

 Indies and [lerhaps in any part of the New World. Another 

 old I'.otanic Institution in the West Indies is the garden at 

 Bath, Jamaica, dating from 1774. The ill-fated garden at 

 St. rierre, Martiniipu', was established at about the beginning 

 of the last century. 



The outlet of shingles from Demcrara has decreased 

 by 50 per cent. There has been a slight increase in the 

 export of charcoal. 



Uano farming is being ado])ted on scver;il c.f the large 

 Iilantatioi'.s in Denierara, the land being rented to the 

 farmers for this puri>ose. 



