Vol. XVIII No. 450. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



231 



mental, 238; rice, 4B). ; lime seeds, 2 kerosene boxes The 

 Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. A. J. Brooks), in his 

 observations relating to the staple crops — cacao, limes, and 

 sugar — states that the cacao crop was over, limes were 

 coming in, and good growth was being made by the sugar- 

 cane. Rainfall recorded at the Botanic Gardens, ( 'astries, 

 was 480 inches ; at the Agricultural and Botanic Station, 

 Choiseul, the record was 310 inches, 



DOMINICA. The Curator Mr. -loseph Jones supplies the 

 following information in regard to the Lime and Cacao 

 Experiment Stations, and other matters : the lime crop 

 reaped during the quarter AprilJune was 122 barrels of 

 green limes and 72 barrels of ripe limes, and realized 

 .£112 lUs. 5J., 19 bags of cacao were shipped to London, and 

 1 barrel of samples of grafted cacao to the Imperial Institute. 

 In addition, 2 bags of kola nuts, and 1 barrel of nutmegs 

 were shipped. The plant distribution was as follows : limes, 

 2,5-50 ; budded citrus, IS ; grafteil mangoes, 2; nutmegs, 6; 

 miscellaneous, 10; cane cuttings, 5.")0; shade tree cuttings, 400; 

 onion sets, 300; horse bean, lllb.; tephrosia seed, 2i tt). In 

 addition, 175 packets of vegetable seeds were sold. Regard- 

 ing staple crops, Mr. Jones observes that the price for ripe 

 limes had risen from 5s. to Gs. per barrel, while green limes 

 had dropped from \0s to 6s. per barrel during the month ; 

 raw lime juice was marketable at 9(i, per gallon. Branches 

 of camphor t ees in the Botanic (wardens were found to be 

 attacked by borers. Specimens of the stems and borers were 

 forwarded to the Head Office for examination and report. 

 The acting Assistant Curator left Domini'ia on June 21 on 

 one month's leave of absence. The weather was dry, the 

 rainfall for the month being 388 inches. This, Mr. 

 Jones states, is much below the mean average for June. 

 The rainfall at the GarJens from January 1 to June 30 

 was 15 47 inches only. 



MONTSEKRAT. According to notes forwarded to this 

 Office by Mr. A. Gallwey, acting Assistant Curator, the 

 plant distribution during the month of June included 706 

 bay plants, 40 decorative, IS economic, 5| BE), of peas and 

 beans, and 5 packets of papaw seeds. In the Botanic 

 Gardens attention has been given to renovating decorative 

 borders and lawns. Nursery work consisted in the main of 

 potting bay seedlings. Germination tests on onion seeds 

 imported in 1918 gave an average percentage of 81. In 

 his observations relating to staple crops, Mr. Gallway states 

 that in several districts the picking of cotton sown in 

 March had begun. The general appearance of the island's 

 cotton crop compares favourably with that of last year, and 

 prospects of good returns are anticipated. A slight 

 improvement has been observed in the growth and general 

 appearance of the lime trees in the Grove neighbourhood. 

 There were shipped by the SS. 'Crown of Navarre', 222 bales 

 of cotton of the 1918-19 crop, comprised of 142 bales of 

 clean cotton and 80 bales stained. This ship also took 

 away 41,627 gallons of raw lime juice, l&f tons citrate of 

 lime, 424 gallons concentrated lime juice, and 78 gallons 

 lime essence. Worms {P/odenia sp.) have made their 

 appearance orr the plot of young ground nut plants, and 

 are causing some damage. Trials with the bleeding of 

 special types of papaw, and the drying of papain have been 

 continued. Farrell's and White's sugar-cane plots have 

 been supplied, and the varietal plots reaped at White's 

 and samples of juice sent to Antiguii for analysis. Very 

 heavy gusts of wind were experienced on June 26. On 

 the early morning of June 30 a thunderstorm of moderate 

 violence passed over the island. Rainfall at Grove Station 

 for the month was 3-94 inches; for the year to date, 

 23'14 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



Writing on July 12, the Barbados Ayricidtural 

 Reporter make.s the following observations regarding 

 the local cultivations : — 



With the closing of the crops everywhere, the question 

 of fodder has become acute. On all sea-board estate^ trash 

 has been for a few weeks the only form of support for both 

 cattle and mules. With the recent showers, the grazing 

 pastures will relievo the situation, but, with the most 

 favourable weather, it will still be four weeks at least before 

 green fodder of any kind is available. Vacuum pan molasses 

 has, in this crisis, been a boon in providing nourishment for 

 the animals. On some estates in the driest districts, grave 

 anxiety has been entertained as to the possibility of keeping 

 the animals alive, until grass should be available. 



The present condition of the young cane crop makes it 

 impossible to say what will be the final result. With very 

 favourable weather, a saving crop may be made in some 

 districts next year, but grave doubts are entertained of 

 large areas, both in the black soil and in the red. The most 

 favoured crops are to be seen on the hills of St. George (in 

 the neighbourhood of Cottage, Groves and Golden Ridge), in 

 St. Joseph's parish, in some parts of St. Andrew, in the low- 

 lands of St. John, and on the hills of St. Peter. Elsewhere 

 the appearance of the fields as to colour is that of an old crop 

 in the month of May. In St. John, the forward ratoons and 

 the plant canes are in a terrible plight. The former have 

 been stunted, apparently beyond recovery, while the latter 

 hardly ever started in the race. 



With the showery weather of the past week, every 

 planter has concentrated on the application of artificial 

 manure, on the stripping of the most booted fields, and on 

 the supplying of the dead holes. Stumping will have to 

 be done very exteuiively, and, at this late hour, the pros- 

 pects of a satisfactory return from this work are not 

 encouraging. All, however, depends on the weather during 

 the remainder of the year. 



The extra work in connexion with the young crop 

 will cause some delay in the tillage of the fields from 

 which the old crop has just been reaped. Nevertheless, 

 some progress is being made, and ploughing is on the go 

 everywhere. The extra work will bring grist to the mill 

 of the labourers ; it is for them to turn out regularly and 

 increase their earnings in proportion. 



Wherever possible, the last week has seen the planting 

 of yams, potatoes and corn. Both peasants and estate 

 owners have planted with the hope of relieving, as soon as 

 possible, the present scarcity of locil foodstuffs. Yam 

 plants were forthcoming everywhere, but some estates are 

 sending distances to get potato slips. 



Enquiries concerning the working and arrangement of 

 the St. Vincent Granary were received in 1918 from other 

 colonies, namely, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, 

 and Antigua In the case of Grenada, the Superintendent 

 of Agriculture made a personal detailed inspection. 



It is stated in Cohnia/ Reports — -Annual, No. 990, Sierra 

 Leone, that the only way of overcoming the unprogressive 

 mental attitude of the natives is by means of education and 

 instruction combined with the more important policy, which 

 is now being pursued, of establishing for demoastratioa 

 purposes an experimental farm in each district. 



