no 



locality is a dry one the furrows should be run across the natural 

 fall of the land." This should be the direction in any case, for, 

 if the locality is a wet one, they will tend to prevent the washing 

 away of soil during heavy rains. With this comment paragraphs 

 2. and 3, may stand. 



3. For the second year I would suggest, such crops as Guinea 

 Corn, Cassava or Sweet Potato, 



4. For the third year a leguminous crop. The crops proposed 

 in the letter under comment are not all leguminous, nor do they 

 all appear suitable for the conditions in question. I would suggest 

 a selection from the following : — 



Pigeon Pea or Gungo Pea, (Cajanus indicus) Woolly Pyrol, 

 (Phaseolus Mungo) Velvet Bean, Red Bean of Jamaica, Bonavist of 

 Barbados, Ground Nut or Pindar or some form of Cow Pea if a 

 suitable one is found. 



5. For the fourth year. Yams, if the time and season serve, or 

 Corn (Maize) if a short period crop is necessary. For this year's 

 crop the land should be well manured either with the green dres- 

 sing of the previous year and, if necessary and possible, with farm- 

 yard manure. We then come to the first year's crop. Cotton. 



6. The question of manures for Sea Island cotton has not been 

 yet worked out for the West Indies. It will probably be well to 

 plough in crushed cotton seed at the rate of 3 to 6 cwt per acre 

 or an equivalent amount of farm-yard manure according to the 

 condition of the soil and the manuring which it received in the 

 previous year. 



7. The objection to Maize, in paragraph 5 of the letter under 

 consideration, may be met by thoroughly sun-drying the cobs and 

 storing them in bins into which a little bisulphide of carbon is 

 put to destroy weevils. These bins may be of iron, concrete or 

 wood : the former two are preferable, perhaps, as being rat proof. 



Yours sincerely, 



Francis Watts. 



Note by Dr. Cousins on foregoing papers : 



All the four rotations suggested are impractical iu so far as they ignore the second 

 crop of cotton which may often exceed the first in value under the conditions obtaining 

 in Vere and St. Catherine. Most of the lands now iu cotton would grow it without 

 rotaii' n for at least 10 years in my opinion. 



Cassava is the ideal alternating crop for cotton. Cassava bitty and cotton seed would 

 make a splendid food for stock. The cassava couM be interplanted between the cotton 

 to save time. Our cotton lands in Jamaica are p;reatly superior to Sea Island soils m 

 fertility. To fertilisR these Sdils would be absurd. As we have no alternating hus- 

 bandry in Jamaica, it is not a practical question to discuss theoretical rotations of 

 imaginary crops. H. H. COUSINS. 



25. 4, Co. 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Agriculture was 

 held on Tuesday 14th March. Present: The Hon. the Colonial 

 Secretary in the chair, the Director of Public Gardens and Plan- 

 tations, the Island Chemist, His Grace the Archbishop, Messrs. 

 C. A. T. Fursdon, C. E. deMercado, and Secretary John Barclay. 



