Vol. XYIIl. No. 442, 



THE AGRICULTmtAL S'EWS. 



wtaffod, and manj' lines of usefulness are iuapossible to be 

 followed out for this reason. It is quite clear that the 

 present vote for the upkeep of the Department of £1,700, 

 ■from which mu.st be deducted a total of £602, being receipts 

 from sales of produce raised by the Dapirlment, is quite 

 inadequate to ihe agricultur.il needs of ao island likcDominica. 

 Mr. Jones considers that the Dep.irtment would require 

 annually a vote of from £i!,.")00 to £2,600 for its adequate 

 maintenance. On the other hand, he believes it certain that if 

 Ibe present lines of development are followed the annual 

 receipts from the cacao and lime cultivations and from the 

 nursery vpork would yield a return of possibly more than 

 £1,000 per annum, which would-only leave a sum of £1,500 

 to be provided to maintain the Agricultural Department on 

 aound progressive lines. 



Another portion of the report deals with the question of 

 •establishing Government co operative lime factories. Such 

 a co-operative factory has been found very successful both ia 

 St. Lucia and Demerara. The difficulty in the way, 

 however, is that in Dominica the lime industry ia already 

 well established, and peasant proprietors are usually able to 

 dispose of their lime crop to neighbouring private factories 

 at a fairly remunerative rate. On the other hind, it is 

 possible ihat co-operative factories in certain districts would 

 stimulate the planting of limes by the small grower, whereby 

 bis position would be strengthened, and he might be enabled 

 to develop his cuKivation; this would tend to form a con- 

 tented and industrious population. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



«;kenada. During the month of February the following 

 ojlants were distributed: coconuts, 118; ornamental, 6; yams, 

 2,850 B). ; St. Vincent browneye peas, 1 2 &. 6 oz ; onions, 1 tt>. 

 14 oz. ; palms, 4 000. Mr. Moore states that the continuation of 

 dry weather is reducing the probability of a fair second picking 

 of cacao forecasted in ihe previous month. The manufacture 

 of sugar and rum was in full swing. A revised estimate of 

 the are I under Sea Island cotton m^kes the figure 2-5 

 ■acres, while the estimated yield of lint is set down at 1,500 8). 

 Oacao thrips is reported as in abeyance generally. The cotton 

 ginnery was opened for business. The ninfall recorded a:. 

 Richmond Hill was TOO inches during the month. 



NEVIS. During the month of February 60 lb. of cotton 

 seed and 200 onion slips were distributed from the Experiment 

 [Station. The yo^'ng canes throughout the island, says 

 Mr. Howell, the Agricultural Instructor, are suffering much 

 Irom want of rain, and the germination in some places is 

 very poor. The reaping of the old crop is in progress aud, 

 .13 in previous years, a great part of the crop is being sold to 

 'he St. Kitts Factory. Muscovado sugar is being made on 

 nearly all the estates, but the crop is a very short one. The 

 5nonth of March has been proclaimed a close season for cotton, 

 except on a part of the New Eoad district, where the close 

 season is from April 15 to May 15. The old cotton on the fields 

 -.s all destroyed, and preparation for ne.xt crop in the windward 

 oat t of the island i.s almost completed. The work of des 

 troying the native food-plants of the cotton stainers is pro- 

 .■ressin" fairly well; several hundred trees have been des- 

 troyed, and the greater part of the island has been gone 

 throuuh. The rainfall for the monih, recor IM at the 

 ■y'.otanic Station, was ri6 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



The weather stili c^rtir.ues yery dry, and this month br.s 

 been, up to tha pre^. iesc MarcL 



fifty years. 



Even the centre or the island is passing through a trying 

 drought. In St. -Joseph's piiish, for instance, the total at the 

 ISth instant was just .!■ inch, while at this time last year tho 

 total for j"\Iatch was 4 inchea. In^ St. Philip, St, Lucy, 

 and Christ Church the siiuation is of course, worse. 



It goes without saying that the young cane crop is nob 

 in as sati-sfacfcory a condition, generally speaking, as at this 

 lime last year. The fields which were planted early are regular, 

 and are bunching fairly weii. It is indeed surprising to see 

 hov; well these fields are resisting the prolonged drought. 

 The fields planted in December and early in .January ara 

 irregular, and it will be some time before jdanters can enjoy 

 the sight of a growing p!au! in each hole- Supplying was being 

 done up to a week ago, but it is now too dry to continue this 

 work. Some of the supplies are making a gallant stars, and all 

 depends on the early urrival of genera: and refreshing showers. 

 • Bit by bit the manuring of the young crop is being cjm- 

 pleted, but a planter tells ivs that it will be ueirly itia 

 the end of the crop before he is through with his work. At 

 this stage, manure is generally spre.id on the surface, but 

 with the prevailing weather this is avoided. 



We have observed that the B.H. 10 (12) has been freely 

 used for supplying this year. The plant from this seedling 

 seems to last longer in the .-oil than even the Ba6032; it is 

 certainly a more reliable germinator. 



Some nurseries foi nest year have been already planted, 

 and, in spite of the dry weather, we have seen oae or twoia 

 which miny shoots are visible. Some pUnters do not Ixik 

 with favour on nurseries, and prefer to plant their canes from 

 cuttings from fields, either plants or ratoon, whi^^h form a part 

 of the vest year's crop. For our part, we like nurseries. 

 The plants obiained from them are generalj}- at a better 

 stage at planting time. There is also the fact, that ia 

 planting a nursery it is possible to ensure the selection of 

 estra good pUnts. 



The ratoons are spreading with vigour, and attention ia 

 being paid to them in the way of weeding anvl clearing the 

 stumps in general. 



In the red soil the B. U.IO (12) as a ratooner i.s spring- 

 ing more regularly and with a larger number of shoots ineaoh 

 hole than the Ba.60.32. If this seedling lasts it will be a 

 boon to the island. 



With theadvanceaient of the reaping season there h^a 

 been a gradual irajirovement in the quality of the juice, but 

 the tonnage remains stationary. 



From one of the factories wa learn that the juice this 

 year is purer than last year, aud that the amount of sugar per 

 gallon at this date is ia excess of the atiiouat yielded in 19 IS. 

 The B.H. 10 (12) has given as high as 2-15 lb. dark crystals 

 to the gallon. The return from this seedling points to a 

 yield of 1 ton of crystals from 6J tons of cane. 



The drought is hindeiing the regfular start of the fall 

 potatoes recently planted, and this will in all probably shorten 

 the supply of this vegetable during the months of June, July 

 and August. (The Barbados Agriculiural Reporter, March 22, 

 1919.) 



In refer nee to the production of guayule rubber, the 

 India Rubber IVor/d, Febnury 1, 1919, considers that it is. 

 p'-rlectiy possible that central factories v.ill be i ^stalled for 

 i's cxirv-tion to which gn.iyule growers will brif-g in their 

 ;>r duct, j ust as sugar growers do to sugar centrals. 



