Vol. XViri. No. 440. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



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locally at 16c. per Bb. The vacancies for agricultural pupils 

 attracted seven candidates who presented themselves for 

 examination on February 7. Three were selected for a two- 

 years' course of instruction, and commenced their training on 

 February 24. The weathei- was dry, the rjinfal] recorded 

 for the month being 1"52 inches.' 



MONTSEKEAi". According to notes forwarded by the 

 Curator, Mr. Robson, drought prevailed during the greater 

 part of February, but a few good showeis fell at its close. 

 Plant distribution included; bay plants, 1,5.50; grafted 

 mangoes, 4; bread -and -cheese seeds, 2 Jb. The area to be 

 planted in cotton, Mr, Robson says, promises to be larger 

 than in 1918. The crop produced iu 1918 has reached a 

 total of 417 563 ft. of lint, with a few bales yet to be 

 delivered. This constitutes a record crop for the island 

 Defaulters under the Cotton Ordinance enforcing the des- 

 truction of old cotton plants have been dealt with in the 

 Magistrate's Court, It would .seem that, as a result, 

 the uprooting of old plants has been much more effectively 

 done than in last season. Cotton seed, chiefly of the 

 3train H. 23, has been distributed to ' estates for the 

 purpose of planting seed fields. Interest in planting bay 

 trees remains keen, but the work is being considerably 

 hampered by the small number of flower pots on hand in 

 which to raise the plants. Provision crops have been 

 plentiful during the month. The destruction of silk-cotton 

 trees in the island has been proceeded with, and planters 

 in most districts are co-operating with the Government in the 

 supervision of the work: several hundred trees have been 

 felled. The Assistant Curator has been employed chiefly in 

 supervising this work on the lands of small holders. The 

 rainfall recorded at Grove Station during the month was 

 2-14 inches; the total rainfall for the year to date is 645 

 inches, 



ANTIGUA. During the month of February 5,332 sugar- 

 cane plants and 1,600 onion plants were distributed. The 

 reaping of the cane crop, Mr. Jackson states, was commenced 

 about the middle of the month- On the whole, the young crop 

 looks well. The returns of the bland this year it is estimated 

 will be about 25 percent, better than those of last year. The 

 area under cotton is about 87?, acres. Last year 510 acres 

 were planted in this crop. Cotton stainers are common in the 

 fields, and the flower-bud maggot is still prevalent. An 

 Ordinance providing for the destruction of silk-cotton and 

 John Bull trees was passed during the month. The cotton lint 

 purchased for the Government to date amounted to 44,136 lb. 

 while the total amount of seed-cotton purchased for the 

 British Cotton Growing Association is 39,9428). The rainfall 

 during the month was 6-77 inches, 



ST. KITTS, Mr, Shepherd writes to say that the Basseterre 

 factory commenced reaping operations early in the month of 

 February, and so far, progress has been satisfactory both at 

 •the factory and on the estates. Owing to the dry weather the 

 «anes are ripening fast, and the quality of the juice is improv- 

 ing. The young cane crop has felt the want^of rain, and many 

 supplies have been needed. A welcome precipitation of 1 -50 

 inches at the end of the month will do much towards 

 establishing the young plants The old cotton plants have beea 

 turned in, and preparation is being made for the new crop. 

 In the northern district, where the close season is from 

 December 15 to January 31, planting has begun in some 

 places. The demand for good seed for planting purpose.') is 

 ■very great. The campaign against the native food-plants of 

 the cotton stainer is being carried on, and it.is hoped that by 

 the end of March the trees will have b.ien destroyed. The 

 wainfall recorded for the month is 2*19 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



February closed with a very moderate rainfall, in spite 

 of the showery days which occurred between the 13th and 

 23rd of the month. Very few districts, even in the hilly 

 pirts of the island, registered more than "l inches for February 

 while in the lowlying parlslipa tiio avaructc f.-,r ;!,,. ^.j^j^ j^ 

 not much in e.xcess of 1| inches. 



With few exceptions, the crops ate being steadily- 

 reaped. The weather which has prevailed duriag the pist 

 three months is ripening up the fields rapidly. 



While there is no complaint about the yield in general, 

 it is stated that the crop will not be as large as was antici! 

 pated some time ago. The aea-board is giving a moderata 

 yield only, while on few estates is there anything h<e a very 

 high average tonnage. We hear of fields yielding 40 to 42 

 tons cane per acre, but in the black soil, where only plant 

 canes are being reaped, the average is about 32 tons. la 

 ratooning districts the average is about 28 tons, and it is not! 

 expected that this figure will be maiutained. 



The fuel question is not as easy as at this date last year. 

 The canes are more juicy, and, except where there is a tripla 

 effect, there is generally a shortage. There will doubtless ba 

 an improvement as the canes grow more mature, but, at tha 

 present time, extra fuel is required by many estates. 



The canes of peasants are being purchased on a better 

 basis this year than in past years. This should stimulate 

 industry among peasants, and act as a strong innentivpi to 

 them to till and manure their land with care. 



The showers which fell during tha latter ptrt of Febru- 

 ary have materially helped the young crop, and the supplier 

 are coming up fairly regularly. Rain is, however, again need- 

 ed in order that a general and rapid growth may be assured. 

 (The Barbados Agricultural Reporter, March 8, 1919.) 



CACAO EXPERIMENTS IN TRINIDAR 



In experimental work ou cacao attention has hitherto 

 been devoted mainly to trials with manures, not only in 

 Trinidad, but in other cacao-growing countries also. From tha 

 report on the Department of Agriculture for the year ended 

 December^31, 1917, it would seem, however, that experiment 

 work being now proceeded with at the Government estate. 

 River, is of a more varied character than probably anywhere 

 else in the world. It has also the great advantage of being 

 conducted on a fairly large scale, and under estate conditions. 



In one of these experim >ats the task of recording th» 

 individual yield in pods of some 10,000 trees is included. Th» 

 results show that, speaking generally, heavy bearers continued 

 to be heavy bearers, and the ^joor bearers to be poor bearers. 

 It would seem, therefore, tbnc the capacityfor producing he»vy 

 crop.s— other things being equal— is a characteristic of tha 

 individual plant, and therefore is likely to ba hereditary. The' 

 results of cross-poUination and variation come into play with, 

 seedlings, but, by budding and grafting, individual characteris- 

 tics should be transmitted uniinpaired. For the purpose of 

 testing this question thoroughly, a 6-acre plot at River has 

 been planted with seedlings and with budded and grafted 

 plants from the same thirty selected heavy bearers. The 

 results will be looked forward to with great interest. 



Budding from selected trees on to baaal out;keia of puor 

 bearers has been successfully tried, and experiments are being 

 carried out to test this under field conditions as a method of 

 replacing poor by heavy bsarera, asd so ir.oreasing the yield 

 per acre. Experiments with regard to the advisability of 

 planting shade trees or not coatinue to give interesting 

 results, but definite conclusion.? have not yet been drawn. 



