Vol. 5V1II. No. 43?. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



43 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OP LOCAL INTEREST. 



ST. LUCIA. The following plants were distributed during 

 the month of December: lime plaiu=, .5 12; economic J. 36; 

 ornamental, 7; cassava cuttings, li.OOO; sweet potato cuttings,' 

 20.000; vegetable seeds 23 packets. The Agrioultural 

 Superintendent states that 46 casks of concentrated lime 

 juice and 10 cases of distilled lime oil were shipped from the 

 Government Lime Juice Factory during the month. The 

 total shipments of the present crop to date were 127 casks 

 concentrated lime juice, and 2,804 Bb. distilled lime oil. The 

 rainfall recorded at the Botanic Gardens, Castries, for the 

 month was 6'67 inches; at the Agricultural and Botanic Sta- 

 tion, Choiseul, the record was .279 inches. 



MONTSERRAT. Weather conditions were satisfactory for 

 crops in the Experiment Stations during the monthjof January, 

 writes Mr. Eobson, the Curator. The yam plot was reaped 

 with fairly good results, showing the advantage of staking 

 yams Plant distribution was as follows: lime plants, 1,400; 

 bay plants, 800; cane cuttings, l,-").iO; grafted mangoes, 3; 

 varieties of beans, 12 packets; bread-and-cheeae seed, 7 B). 

 For the second season, trials made of trowing two 

 cotton plants in a hole as compared with one, showed a gain 

 of 20 per cent, in crop by the former method. 



The destruction of all old cotton plants by .January 31 

 is enforced by law; two areas, limited in extent, have been 

 exempted until the middle of February. Suggestions have 

 been made for the appointment of an Inspector of Cotton to 

 carry out the provisions of the Ordinance dealing with this 

 crop. Early in the month 1,000 bales of cotton of the 1918 

 crop were shipped. Observations during the month showed 

 that the cotton stainer {Dysdenus andrme) predominated 

 to the extent of 100 to 1 of D. deiaimey:. The latter seemed 

 to have been generally distributed, but few in numbers. The 

 destruction of silk-cotton trees was commenced, while that 

 of the mahoe was completed during the month. Waning 

 interest in the sugar industry is evidenced by the fact that 

 the exports for 1918 totalled only 41 tons of sugar, as com- 

 pared with 417 tons exported in 1916. 



Mr. S. C. Harland, B.Sc, Assistant for Cotton Research 

 on the staff of the Imperiil Dep.utment, visited the island 

 from December 30 to January 21, 1919: At a meeting of 

 the Agricultural Society held on January 8, at which 

 His Honour the Commissioner presided, ^[r. Harland deliv- 

 ered an address on the campaign in St. Vincent against the 

 food-plants of the cotton stainer. 



The rainfall recorded at Grove Station to January 

 30 was 4 20 inches. Xo heavy rains were experienced except 

 in one district, where 51 inches fell in two hours, with a very 

 .small precipitation in other parts of the island. 



NEVIS. Mr W. I. Howell reports reaping operations 

 in the experiment stations during the mouth of December. 

 Regarding staple crops, he state.s that the old cane crop 

 is ripening, and reaping operations will begin early in 

 February. Preparation for next season s crop is progressing 

 rapidly, and there will be a great increase in the acreage put 

 under canes. The cotton crop is prictically all reaped, except 

 in a few places where a second, picking is expected. The old 

 cotton plants in some places are being cut down, and pre- 

 paration for the next crop will fr.n begin. The yam and 

 potato crops were being reaped, with fairly good returns. The 

 rainfall for the month was 3-28 inches; for the year (1918), 

 .')3'98 ■aches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 

 On January 10 there was a slight change in the dry 

 weather with which the new year began To January 25 the 

 total rainfall for the month is just over an inch in the drier 

 districts of the island, and'between 2 and 2i inches in the 

 hilly parishes. 



As during the past few years, the manuring .of the young 

 crop is yet some way from completion, and there is still some 

 tillage to be done This unsatisfactory state of affairs would 

 . be greatly helped by the planting of a smaller acreage in 

 rested land. The ruling idea at present is to force e> ery field, 

 but, in spite of high prices, it will not prove as advantageous 

 as the prod'iction of crops under a system of rotation. 



Where grinding is in progress it is principally the borders 

 of fields only that are being cut The density of the juice 

 shows t,hat the canes are by n > means ripe On one or two 

 estates in the black soil we have heard that the density is 10, 

 but 8 is the report we have received from others. A few 

 factories in the black soil have commenced since the date-of our 

 last report, but grinding will not be regularly started before 

 February. The tonnage on one estate in Christ Church varies 

 between 28 and 38. This Is satisfactory, and we anticipate a 

 general return in advance of both 1917 and 1918, but leas 

 than the yield in 1916. ' ' ' 



The richness of the juice from the B.H. 10 (12) is 

 expected to make the supply of fuel easier on estatfs where 

 there is no green megass furn3,ce. 



The small engagements of syrups made early in the 

 month have been generally fulfilled, and buyers are now 

 awaiting instructions from Canada. There is some talk of 

 the Canadian market being able to obtain a supply of syrup 

 from Cuba and Porto llico, and it is stated that this con- 

 tingency is causing the delay in the permanent opening of 

 the market here. Whatever may or may not be happening 

 on this point, there is one thing that we should be most 

 careful about. We should see to it that a pure and well pre- 

 pared article is pla.ed on the Canadian market. It is knowu 

 that the flavour and quality of genuine Barbados syrup are 

 excellent. Whenever pure syrup is not exported the package 

 should be so marked, in order that buyers in the great 

 Dominion should not be deceived. 



The cotton crop in the seaboard districts has fallen 

 below expectations. The drought is the main cause of this. 



The yam crop has been somewhat irregular. In some 

 districts the return has been good, in others moderate. 

 This vegetable is now being sold t>y estates at §1 per 100 Jb, 

 Eddoes are plentiful. Potatoes are scarce. This was to be 

 expected after the reaping of the spring crop. (The Barbados 

 A^^^riadtnrnl Reporter, January 25, 1919.) 



About Cuba. — Writing in the Cuba Reviejti for De 

 cember 1918, Mr. W H. Morales states that Cuba's foreign 

 trade for the fiscal year endinu ./une 30, 1918, amounted 

 approximately to $670,000,000 (6370,000,000 exports, and 

 8300,000,000 import,'^) as compared with .1141,002,921 for 

 1902-3, the first j'ear of the Cuban Republic. 



The sugar crop of 1917-18, fully harvested at October 

 25, amounted to 3.44t;,083 tons, which at 460, the price 

 fixed last year by the International Sugar Committer, repre- 

 sents 1400,000,000 with by products approximately. Caba ia, 

 in normal times, one i^f the highest priced countries oL 'he 

 world, and under present conditions, due to the Europeaij 

 war, the cost of living is inormou.s. 



