Vol,. XVIII, No. 446. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



1G7 



analysis. Tri .h with regard to tho drying of papain obtained 

 from seven different types of iiapi.w in cultivation are being 

 con''-T'T-^' "''." "''ifall for ibe month, recorded at Grove 

 Station, Wna -i'O? inches, making a total for the year of 

 13-71 inches. 



ANTIGUA. In his notes for the month of April, Mr. T. 

 Jackson, the Agricultural Superintendent, records the 

 reaping of the sugar-cane experiment plots on four estates 

 where the experiments are carried out. During 



the month 2,151 ft), cf cotton seed, 1,000 onion plants, 

 and 16 miscellaneous plants wore distributed frpm the 

 Botanic Station. With regard to the young cane crop, Mr. 

 Jackson reports that, on the whole, a good stand is observed 

 throughout the island. The planting of cotton is being be- 

 gun both on estates and on small holdings. Unfortunately, 

 however, the close season does not seem to be enforced, 

 as there were stil' fairly'large numbers of plants from which 

 cotton is being picked. The quantity of cotton purchased 

 from peasants by the Antigua Cotton Growers' Association 

 has amounted appro.icimately to 10,000 ft. During the 

 month the eradication of food plants of the cotton stainer 

 has been pushed on, 7,318 milioe trees and thirteen large silk- 

 cotton trees having been destroyed The rainfall for the 

 month at the Botanic Station was 2'72 inches, much less 

 than the quantity measured in other parts of the island. 

 The rainfall to date for the year is 11 '48 inches. 



ST. KiTTS. Comparative trial plots of St. Kitts, St. 

 Vincent, and Montserrat cotton have been planted out in 

 the Experiment Station. A new variety of Indian corn 

 received from St. Croix, and white Lima beans from Grenada 

 have also been planted. Mr. Shepherd, the Superintendent 

 of Agriculture, notes that, besides the usual routine work in 

 the Botinic Garden.s, seedlings of the recently received 

 Momordica cockinchiaensis have been planted out. Wi>h 

 regard to the cane crop, Mr. Shepherd states that the 

 Basseterre factory is about half way in its crop. The 

 heavy rains duiiug iiie letter part of April some- 

 what infcr'ered with the supply of canes, owing to 

 the damage to roads, so that the factory had to close 

 down for a few days. The young cane crop is looking 

 well, alth 'Ugh the very heavy r.iinfall in the northern 

 district has dune a great deal of damage to growing crops. 

 Since the rain, cotton has been planted, but some troulile 

 has been experienced in the germination of the seed, so much 

 so that fresh seed obtained from Anguilla has had to be used 

 for supplies in many cases. The rainfall for the month was 

 7'59 inches, making a total for the year of ir49 inches. 

 This was at La Gutirite, where.as in the northern districts 

 the rainfall recorded in April was 21 inches, of which 191- 

 was registered in the last week of the month. 



NEVIS. As in St. Kitts and in Montserrat, trial plots 

 for comparison have been planted in Nevis of cotton seed 

 from Montserrat, St. Vincent, and St. Kitts. During 

 the month there were distributed from the Botanic Station 

 780 ft. of selected cotton seed, and 900 sweet potato cut- 

 tings. Mr. Howell, the Agricultural Instructor, states 

 that the present sugar cane crop is almost reaped, but that 

 the young cane crop has been much kept back by the dry 

 weather in the early part of the year. A large acreage has 

 been planted in cotton during the month, but, as in St. Kitts, 

 there is a complaint of very poor germination of the seed. The 

 destruction of the native food-plants of the cotton stainer 

 is being proceeded with. The rainfall for the month was 

 279 inches, making a total for the year of 7-50 inches. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. Mr. Fishlock, the Curator, notes 

 that from the Botanic Station, Tirtoli, there have been 

 distributed 5,800 onion plants. 500 potato cuttings, 



and 250 sugar-cane plant tops. The Government citfou 

 factory was closed for the purchase of cotton on Aiiril 

 26. The total crop handled by the factory ia exp-o.ed 

 to be about 27,000 ft. of lint — about double iliat of 

 last year. On account of a large demand fnr ^I'-uad 

 provisions in St. Thomas, and the high prices obtaine 1 there, 

 considerable interest continues to be displayed in the culuva- 

 tion of such provisions in Tortola. The total rainfall 

 recorded at the Station for the month of April wis 7 G.3 

 inches, being more than 5 inches above the average f t the 

 same month of the preceding eighteen years. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



Light showers have fallen during the past fortnight, and 

 these have been very acceptable. The atmosphere has been 

 considerably cooled, and there has been a most welcome 

 respite from the intolerable dust storms which raged during 

 March and April. 



While the showers have been very refreshing, they have 

 been insufficient to produce much change in vegetation 

 other than grass-land. A heavy rain, such as those wliich 

 fell at this time last year, is necessary to revive the young 

 canes and enable them to make a real start. 



It is to be noticed this year that the trashing of the 

 young canes on some b'ack soil estates has been postp ^ued 

 to a later time than usual. 



The earlier trashing of the fields would doubtless In ve 

 aided, if only to a slight degree, in the retention of moisture. 

 It may be observed, however, that some fields, particul.irly of 

 B.6450, although trashed fairly eirly during the s.-ason, 

 have turned very yellow. The soil in Barbados, after the 

 cropping of decades, has no reserve, and is unable to stand a 

 strain like that to which it has this year been subji.c;fd. 



With the recent showers another start has beeamide 

 with the first application of chemical manure to the 

 ratoons. 



Iq Christ Church and St. Philip a few crops have been 

 finished, and others are very near their close. In St. L'lcy 

 also, several estates will soon finish grinding. The averai,e 

 jield in the black soil (St. Lucy excepted) where only plmt 

 canes are grown, will be about 30 tons per acre, and u'li^ra 

 ratoons formed a pirt of the crop, about 25 or 20 ton pnr 

 acre. 



The quality of cane tops collected tkis year, especial'y 

 from plant canes, is much below the usual return. Sonis 

 estates have had but little fodder remaining over t p 1 o 

 sta-jked after meeting their requirements from d vy to 

 day. This will mean a shortage of material for fo. cii)g 

 manure during the latter part cf the year. 



Some ploughing has been done since the recent sho^.-^rs, 

 and preparation for yams, on a limited scale, his 1 'en 

 put out of hand. Some supplying of irregular fields o^ f.iU 

 potat es has also been done, but the planting of gw ml 

 provision to any appreciable extent cannot be attemptfi nutil 

 a heavy rain has fallen. (The Barbados Agricultural Re^ orler, 

 May 17, 1919.) 



With regard to the cultivation of the campl'or tree 

 within the limits of the British Empire, it will I'e n )ticed, 

 if one follows the latitude of Formosa, between 20° and 

 25° N. latitude, where the camphor tree is most abiinu,int, 

 across the map of the World, that Upper Burma and 

 certain of the provinces of India come within the limit. 

 Northern Egypt, especially the Delta, seems to ofifer suitable 

 conditions, and so do the West Indies. 



