Vol. XVIII No. 4i6. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



1C9 



With this object a list of plants occurring in the island, 

 with their botanic and local names is given, together 

 with the toxin which is supposed in each case to be 

 the origin of the deleterious properties, and also the 

 symptoms which may be observed in animals after 

 feeding on each plant. Plain directions for treatment 

 in each case are added. This pamphlet is likely to be 

 very useful to stock owners, not only in Antigua, but 

 in other islands where the plants noted are generally 

 to be found. There is one plant omitted in Mr. 

 Goodwin's list which is certainly found in Antigua, 

 and is well known to be a dangerous weed, that is, 

 Spigelia anthelmia, locally known in the English 

 islands as 'wormweed'. An account of this plant will 

 be found in the Agricidtural A'tU's, Vol. XVII, p. 411. 



It must be observed that although in the ease of 

 almost all the plants mentioned by Mr. Goodwin the 

 poisonous properties exist throughout the plant in all 

 its parts — roots, leaves, fruit— in the case of the castor oil 

 plant the leaves are used and valued as fodder in India, 

 according to Watt's 'Dictionary of the Economic 

 Products in India'. In this_^plant it is only the seeds 

 that are poisonous to stock. 



It may be pointed out that there seems to be a 

 misprint in the list of plants in attributing the 

 vernacular name of 'water hemp' to Bidens coreopsides 

 instead of to Sjjilanthes uliginosa ; and also it may be 

 remarked that the Bidens referred to in the list is 

 probably leueanthus and not coreopsides. 



Deterioration in Sucro&e Content of Canes. 



In \\\eAgrlciXkural iVe^(;s,Aprill9,1919,there was 

 reproduced an article by Sir Francis Watts, K.C.M.G., 

 which was published in the Went Indian Bulletin, 

 Vol. XVII, No. 3, on the diminished sucrose content of 

 canes crushed in the Antigua and St. Kitts central 

 sugar factories. In this article it was suggested that 

 this deterioration might chiefly be due to the sending 

 to the factory of canes with too large a portion of the 

 unripe top left on them. 



It has been suggested by a correspondent from 

 St. Kitts, who acknowledges the fact of the 

 deterioration, that this is due to the late 'supplies' 

 which are put in under factory conditions. Under 

 the old system of individual estates taking off each 

 one its own crop, a certain amount of canes was kept to 

 be reaped in November, and the 'tops' used for plants. 

 In January another lot of canes was usually cut for 

 'supplies', thus giving little difference in age between 

 the first plants and the 'supplies'. 



Under the factory conditions the crop is now 

 usually planted from cuttings of the whole cane, and 

 these cuttings in dry seasons do not germinate so 

 readily as the 'tops', and 'supplies' cannot be put in 

 until February, after the factories have begun to work. 

 The supplying is continued therefore until April, 

 so that there must be a large percentage of unripe 

 <!ane by the next reaping season. This suggestion is 

 not in conflict with the idea put forth in the article 

 referred to, namely that the deterioration in the sucrose 

 -content of the canes is due largely to the fact that the 

 •caues are reaped in an unfit condition. 



Condition of Green Limes when Shipped. 



With reference to an article on the wastage of greea 

 limes, published in the Agricidtural Neivf for May o, 

 1919, Mr. J. Jones, Agricultural Superintendent, 

 Dominica, writes to say that the question of whether 

 the fruit should or should not be cured or 'quailed* 

 in the West Indies is one which requires special 

 local investigation. Although such curing is con- 

 demned by the United States authorities, it is 

 possible that citrus fruit in the United States is 

 cured to some extent on the trees during hot autumns 

 before they are harvested. The fruit is gathered and 

 packed in the fields, placed in railway cars in 

 chilled air compartments, and at once sent to market. 

 This, however, does not help the West Indian grower of 

 citrus fruit, who has his special difficulties to face. For 

 instance, in Dominica, preparations for shipping limes 

 have to be made ten or twelve days before the steamer 

 arrives. Packing is usually done two or three days 

 before shipping, and therefore some of the fruit is 

 bound to be somewhat cured, while the portion 

 received in the last couple of days is packed fresh. 



It is hoped that investigations into what happens 

 with regard to the different grades of fruit; when 

 received in New York may be undertaken by the 

 Agricultural Department, in the interests of the trade 

 ill green limes from Dominica, It is probable that 

 definite and valuable information will be forthcoming 

 as the result of the Department's work in connexion 

 with the recently established Lime Experiment 

 Station, although no such definite information has been 

 obtained by private shippers during a long course of 

 years. ^ ^ ^ 



Recent Plant Legislation in Grenada. 



The Colonial Secretary of Grenada has forwarded 

 to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture a copy of 

 a Proclamation, dated April 4, 1919, forbidding the 

 importation into Grenada of growing coco -ntit plants 

 from any place out of the colony. 



On the same date also regulations were made by the 

 Governor-in-Council, under the authority of the Plant 

 Protection Ordinance, in respect to the importation of 

 coco-nuts into Grenada. These are as follows : — 



'(1) All coco-nuts in husk imported into the 

 colony shall on arrival be forthwith delivered to the 

 Superintendent of Agriculture for treatment with 

 efficient fungicides. 



'(2.) All such nuts shall be planted in nurseries 

 apart from growing coco-nuts in such places as may 

 be approved by the Superintendent of Agriculture. 



(3.) All such nurseries shall be visited from time to 

 time by the Superintendent of Agriculture or any 

 person deputed by him for the purpose, and any re- 

 sulting plants which are suspected of disease may, at 

 the discretion of the Superintendent of Agriculture, be 

 destroyed.' 



The legislation which has been recently enacted in 

 the several West Indian islands regulating the 

 importation of plants is very necessary, in view of 

 diseases and pests which, if introduced, might lead ti> 

 much loss in established industries, 



