Vol. iVIIl. No. 4i3. 



THE AGfilGULTUiLiL NEWS. 



[■2T 



Mo.NTSEiiKAT. In notes of interest for the month of 

 ]March, the Curator, Mr. W. Robson, states that the following 

 plant distribution was eii'ected: bay plants, 50; papaws, 50; 

 yams, 515; beans, 19 ft>.; castor oil seeds, 5 ft). The usual 

 distillations of bay leaves were made, and weekly distillations 

 are being continued; 70 lb. of oil from the experiment plot 

 were shipped to England. The plot of twenty-two varieties 

 of plant sugar-canes at Farrels estate was reaped, the heaviest 

 cropper being Sealy Seedling, followed by B.H.IO (12). A 

 very considerable area of the new cotton crop was 

 planted during the first week in March, but since then 

 the weather has been very dry. ,Some disappointment 

 was experienced through the distribution of cotton seeds 

 with a low viability from certain ginneries. This, Mr. Robsoti 

 says, is a matter for which there is little excuse, as 

 it indicates carelessness in the handling of the seed at 

 some stage. Most of the large estates will this year 

 adopt the plan of leiving two plants in a hole, instead 

 of a single plant as in previous years. It would at 

 present appear that the acreage under cotton this season will 

 be the largest so far in the history of the island. Provi- 

 sion crops, chietiy sweet potatoes, still remain plentiful. Cotton 

 stainers are still seen to be infesting weeds on the borders of 

 old cotton fields, and have even invaded some of the newly 

 planted areas. The destruction of silk-cotton trees is proceed- 

 ing fairly satisfactorily, 700 trees having been felled to date. 

 It is ditticult to estimate the total number of these trees on the 

 island, but it seems likely that those felled do not 

 represent one-half the total. Further attempts have been 

 made in preparing papain from the several strains of 

 papaw in cultivation at the .Station, the object being to 

 ■iscertaiu which of the seven yields the largest proportion of 

 papain from a given quantity of milk. The rainfall 

 recorded at Grove Station to March 29 was 2-15 inches. 

 Some of the outlying districts of the island have been 

 somewhat more fortunate during the last fortnight. 

 Seeds of the St. Vincent and St. Kitts cottons have been 

 received for comparative trials with the locnl strains, and 

 these will be planted at the first opportunity, 



.\NTi(;UA. Plant distribution during March included 

 13,950 onion plants and 8 decorative. Mr. -lackson states 

 that the reaping of the cane crop is now in full swing, and 

 that notwithstanding the dry weather, the young cane crop 

 continues to improve. The quantity of cotton ginned and 

 sold to the Admiralty amounts to 50,94:0 5). Of the 8,729i De>. 

 purchased from peasants by the .\ntigua Cotton Growers' 

 Association, S89Ib. were stains. The work of destroying 

 iost plants of the cotton stainer was commenced during the 

 month. All vegetation throughout the island requires rain- 

 The latter part of ^March was e.xceedingly dry; practically no 

 rain fell for the last two weeks. The rainfall recorded at the 

 Botanic Station for the month was 1 -99 inches. A visit of 

 Mr. H. A. Ballou, Entomologist on the staff of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture during the month in connexion 

 with depredations of hard back grubs is recorded. 



ST. KITTS. During the month of March plant distribu- 

 tion included; cane plants, 850; Para peas, 8 ft); ornamental 

 plants, 20. The weather, Mr. Shepherd states, has been very 

 dry, the rainfall recorded for the month being only 171 inches, 

 and for the year to date 3'90 inches. The reaping of the cane 

 crop is in rapid progress, and the returns of cane per acre are 

 up to the estimate,being about 20 tons in the Northern district, 

 and from 12 to 15 tons in the Valley district. The muscovado 

 estates are chiefly making sugar, for which a h)i;h price is 

 ■htained. Preparation for cotton is going on rapidly, and in 

 ihe Northern district a good area if cotton has been planted. 

 The destruction of the native food- plants of the cotton stainer 

 Las been actively carried on. The cotton stainer has dis- 



appeared, even from a Seld of cotton that was allowed to- 

 remain over for a month. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. Mr. W. C Fi-shlock, Curator of tha 

 Botanic Station, Tortola, writes to say that during the month 

 of February work in the experiment station was of a routine 

 nature. The cotton crop is drawing to a close; owing to dry 

 weather, pickings will be completed earlier than usual. It U. 

 proposed to close down the cotton factory early in May to 

 foster the idea of having a close season. The aionth of 

 February was very dry, the rainfall recorded at the Botanic 

 Station being only 95 parts, as compared with 288 inches, 

 the average for the precedi.ig eighteen years. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



.\ very severe drought is in progress, and vegetation of 

 every kind is beginning to show signs of the strain to which. 

 it is being subjected. The pastures have turned a reddish 

 brown colour almost everywhere, and the earth is cracking 

 extensively. 



In our last report we stated that last month was the 

 driest JIarch experienced for over fifty years. This year the 

 reading during March of one gauge book in Christ Church 

 is; 7th, 8 parts; 1.3th, 15 parts; 18th, 11 parts. In the 

 centre of the island the rainfall to date is just half what it 

 was last year, and only slightly over one-third of the total 

 for the first quarter of 1917. 



Owing to the fact that grinding operations on some 

 estates were started two or three weeks later this year than 

 last, reaping is not as advanced as at this time last year. 

 The progress made is, however, not unsatisfactory, but reap- 

 ing is likely to be extended to the end of June in districts 

 where the end of May is usually reckoned as closing the ci-op 

 season. Everywhere we learn of a yield somewhat in advance 

 of last season's, and this year's crop would, in all probabil- 

 ity, have been as heavy as that reaped in 1916, had the rains 

 kept up until January. 



Generally speaking, the factories are this year turning 

 out more sugar than during the sea.son of 1917 and 1918. 

 This is due not only to the fact that the yield is better, but 

 also to the better prices offered for canes. To make the 

 best of the sugar industry of the island it should be possible 

 for the crop of every estate to be reaped within four months 

 with the highest percentage of recovery. This could be 

 done if, when machinery can again be readily obtained 

 planters would co-operate and place well-equipped ceatrals 

 in proper positions. 



The continued dry weather is beginning to tell on some 

 of the fields of young canes which have made an early start, 

 while shoots from the supplies of recent date date are dying 

 from lack of moisture. ()n the other hand, there are some 

 fields, particularly some in the back soil, that have been trashed 

 which are looking remarkably well, considering the severity 

 of the weather. We were recently quite pleased to see how- 

 well some of the fields in the driest part of St. Philip are 

 looking. Each variety is holding its own, but the B. H. 10 

 (12) is bunching more vigorously than the others. The pre- 

 vailing weather is a test of good tillage, liberal manuring, 

 and the selection of healthy plants. 



Potatoes are still being retailed at 8 ft), for 10c. 

 The wonder is that the supply of this vegetable haa kept up 

 so well. 



As a rule at this time the spires of early yams are to be 

 .seen in various plots about the island, but this year it .wiU 

 be yet a while before such a welcome sight will bs seen in 

 any field. (The Barbados Agricultural Reporter, .March 5. 

 1919.) 



