A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



'*'/»« 



Vol. XVIII No. 445. 



BARBADOS, MAY 17, 1919, 



Peick Id 



CONTENTS 



Paob. 



Paok. 



j\4;iioalture in Barbados 



Book shelf 



Coco nut Products in 

 the Phi'ippines 



Cotton: — 



Cotton Growing in 



Venezuela 



Sea ■ Island Cotton 



Market 



Cotton Stainer in Mont- 

 aerrat, Destructii m 

 of Food Plants of... 



Culjan Sugar Industry — 

 Past and Present ... 



Department News 



English Chamber of 

 Horticulture 



Gleanings 



Guinea Corn, Hydrocy- 

 anic Acid Content of ... 



Implemental Tillage ami 

 Motor I loughing, a 

 Note on 



Other Aspects of Plant Pathology, 



jN the last two numbers ot' this JouriiH.1 

 .-attention has been drawn to the view.s 

 expressed by Mr. C. O. Farquharson, 

 late Mycologist ot the Agricultural 

 Department of Nigeria, in a remarkable letter 

 published in the Kew BiUletin. The general 

 tendency of Mr. Farquharson's remarks was to 

 <lemon.strnte that in many cases where crops were 

 attacked by insect and fungus pests, the incidence of 

 the attack is determined b\ some predisposing cause 

 ill the ill-health of the plants or trees, or some 

 untoward conditions in the plants' surroundings such 



as imperfect drainage, undue exposure to wind or sun, 

 or other hartnful environmental conditions which* 

 lowering the vitality of the plant, render it a prey to 

 pests and diseases. The incidence, therefore, of many 

 of these pests and diseases may be regarded as 

 symptomatic of other, and often deep-seated, troubles 

 the causes of which have to be sought out and remedied 

 before the specific attacks of special insects or fungi 

 can be effectively controlled. 



Basing his suggestions on these ideas, Mr. Far- 

 ijubarson strongly urges that plant pathologists must 

 first of all have a good all-round knowledge of agri- 

 culture, and must be able to study the crops, whose 

 diseases they are called upon to investigate, from the 

 broad standpoint of general agriculture and plant 

 physiology, so as to avoid falling into the error of 

 recommending treatment to alleviate mere symptoms, 

 while leaving the fundamental causes unremedied 



This view of the conditions with regard to many 

 troublesome pliases of crop problems is steadily gaining 

 ground, and is influencing the work both of planters 

 and of their advisers. As Mr. Farquharsons's remarks 

 imply, it is quite true that it is not advisable, as a rule, 

 to imagine that plant pests and diseasescan be effectively 

 dealt with, when trouble is experienced, by tht- simple 

 process of calling in an expert to advise on .some 

 particular point. In ill cases, except the simplest, it 

 generalK happens that matters have to be regarded 

 with the widest outlook, and the opinions of a num- 

 ber of men. who have had special experience m 

 different directions, must be brought to bear upon 

 the probiem.s. In this work the planter himself with 

 his intimate knowledge of his crops and their surround- 

 ings, must play an important part. 



