Vol. Will. No. 448. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



197 



3..301!b. of clean lint and ;i371b atained. A tew cotton 

 stainers are still found in the island. Mr. A. K. Eldridge Ins 

 commenced work in connexion wiih hard back gni\>{/.M/inos- 

 tirna sp. ) investjoation The rainfall for the month was 180 

 inches : the total rainfall for the year to dale is 13"2S inches. 

 Kain, Mr. Jackson adds, is required throughout Antigua 



ST. KiTTs. Notes received from Mr. F l\. Shepherd 

 show that plant distribution during the month of May 

 included the following ; casuarina, 300 ; cane plants, 1,100; 

 peanuts. Idtt) ; white velvet beans, 150 fti. ; peas, 24 tti. 

 Only routine work was possible ir the Ijotanic Gar-'-'-^s 

 consequent ou dry weather. The reaping of the old 

 crop is being pushed on, and it is expected that .j 

 Factory will finish operations by the end of June. Owing 

 to the heavy rains in April, the estates in the northern 

 district will find it difficult to get all their canes off in time. 

 Syrup making has taken the place of muscovado sugar manu 

 facture to a great extent on estates out.side ilie Factory, and 

 it is contemplated by the American Product Company, who 

 aie large purchasers, to erect iron tanks for storing 

 syrup at the port of Sandy Point. The young cane crop 

 has much improved after heavy rains, but showers are 

 jjreatly needed to help on the late supplies. The rainfall for 

 the month was 1'15 inches: for the year to date, 12 64 inches. 



VIRGIN ISL.^^NDS. ilr. \V. C Fishlock, Curator, Tortola , 

 writes to say thit the weather in Miy was favour- 

 able for planting cotton but no suitable .soed was available at 

 the Experiment Station. Planting was thus delayed to some 

 extent. Some persons are believed to have planted seed of 

 their own saving, while it is reported that two individuajs 

 imported seed for sale. There appears to be a oontinu ition 

 of revived interest in the industry. The Porto Kieo May 

 beetle has been quit^ common ; no other sf<rious pests have 

 been re[iorted. The weather during the month was dry. 

 The total rainfall at the Botanic Station was 1'92 inches, as 

 compared with 4'76 inches, the average for the month for 

 the preceding eighteen years. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



In spite of the showers which fell on the last day of May, 

 the rainfall for the mouth was under 2 inches, while last 

 year the total for the same month w;is only slightly under 

 5 inches. We need a soaking'rain to refresh vegetation and to 

 enable a start to be made with tillage and planting. 



No difficulty has been experienced this year in harvesting 

 the crop, and the few windmills which are still at work have 

 had an excellent fortnight for the ingathering of their last 

 acres. Only here and there now are there estates with 

 anything more than a moderate acreage outstanding 



Each of the three seedlings, the B. G450, the Ba. 6032 

 and theB.H. 10 (12) has, we believe, held its own. We have 

 heard one or two planters speak of the first named as a star 

 that has begun to set, while again we have heard others speak 

 of the same seedling as being yet in its youth with, 

 a promising future before it. We aie inclined to think 

 that with careful treatment this seedling will yet awhile 

 ■ render a satisfactory account of itself. 



Of the Ba. 6032 we have heard excellent accounts as to 

 tonnage and quality of juice. This seedling we are 

 sure will be more and more grown especially in non- 

 ratoonina districts. In addition to its other qualities, 

 it does not rot as readily as the B. 64.')0 after reaching 

 maturity. Its upright characteristic and its hardness of rind 

 ensure for it a preservation which cannot be c'aimed for the 



B.6450. We know of an estate which kept a field of plant 

 canes of this seedling as the last to be reaped, and it yielded 

 about 41 tons per acre, the percentage of diseased canes being 

 very small. 



The B.H. 10(12) lias further establislied its reputation 

 this season. The planting of this seedling will also ba 

 extende^, pirticularly in the red soil, because of its ratooning 

 powers. 



There are but few nurserie-t establish-d for the next 

 planting season. We know of some planters who have 

 planted three times over the spots which had beea 

 prepared for this purpose. This means that at the next- 

 planting season recourse must be had to the fields for next 

 year's crop for the needed supply o' plants. 



This season has proved the absolute supcri irity of 

 farmyard manure over organic raioure for th ■ support of 

 the cane plant during a prolonged period of unfavourable- 

 weather. Disease, we are pleased to be able to state, has 

 not developed to auy extent. It is simply the lack of 

 moisture which has reduced the young crop to its present 

 condition. To us it seems wonderful that any life remains. 



The ratoons in the red soil are keeping green and are 

 also bunching satisfactorily The first application of 

 chemical manure has been generally made as goon as the 

 stumps had made a start. We have noticed a few spits of 

 particularly healthy B.H. 10(12) ratoons, and even where 

 this seedling was cut early in the season, its advanced 

 stage has not been marked by the development of yellow 

 blades. 



There h<w been no difficulty nor delay in obtaining 

 sulphate of ammonia, and nitrate of soda also is now available. 

 Soda is preferred for the first application to ratoons where 

 potash cannot be obtained, and planters have been glad 

 to get it to complete their first application 



With the completion of the crops attention is being 

 immediately paid to the carting out of the manure collected 

 in the yard pens. Soma of this is being applied to fields of 

 young plant canes for which there was not a sufficient supply 

 when the crops began. The remainder will be utiliaed for 

 the forcing of field pens for the next planting season. 



Planters will find it more difficult than usual this year 

 to raise a satisfactory supply of manurt, owing to the fact 

 that the yield of tops has been extraordinarily poor. This 

 also will make it difficult to feed the animals until the 

 pastures are ready to be cut. 



With the showers which fell daring the early days of 

 May some early yams were planted, and we are glad to be 

 able to state tlat they are springing satisfactorily. It has 

 been impossible to plant potatoes, but small spots of corn 

 and fodder have been sown. Potatoes are now being sold at 

 3c. per B)., and their scarcity increases day by day, (The 

 Barbados Agricultural Reporter, June 14, 1919.) 



During the past few years a new tick, Ornytlwdorus 

 megnini, a native of .America, has made its appearance 

 in South Africa, and has spread more especially over the 

 drier parts of the country. This tick attacks all domestic 

 animals, and occasionally m.an himself, but is chiefly noticed 

 on calves, and always invades and inhabits the ear only. 

 Messrs. Cooper it Nephews have made a special preplrati^n — 

 (Cooper's Ear Tick Heniedy), for destroying this tick It is 

 applied by means of an ingenious device, the Coop. t pourer, 

 into the ear. (The Rhoiesia Agricultural foumal, April 



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