Vol. XVIII. No. 451. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



249 



war and pre-war cost. In general big companies show 

 low cost of production while small enterprises are 

 expensive. This is what one would be led to expect. 

 Table IV, which is published in the article in 

 Siif/ar referred to, shows that tlie total average cost of 

 producing a ton of sugar in Cuban factories auring 

 1913-14. was .?3.'3 66 against SSO-17 in 1917-1,S, deduct- 

 ing the cost of by-products. In the case of Hawaii it 

 was .<!61-34 in 1913-14 against SJ06-79 in 1917-18. 

 For Porto Rico the figures are .S57-7 1 for 1913-14 

 against :i594 23 for 1917-18. From the Report on the 

 Antigua Central Factory for 1918 we calculate it 

 cost ?()3 to produce a ton of sugar, deducting value of 

 the molasses, while in 1913 the cost was S40. 



one may look to see developments in these places 

 Cotton production in the Sudan showed a great fall- 

 ing off. In conclusion it would seem that, except for 

 the West Indies cotton production in the British Col- 

 oiiies during 1918 was not as satisfactory as could be 

 wished for. 



Agricultural Credit Societies in Trinidad. 



In connexion with the article in this issue on 

 Agricultural Credit Societies in St. Vincent, it maj- be 

 noted that, according ti> the Bulletin of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of Trinidad and Tobago (A'ol. 

 XV 111, No. 1), good progress continues to be made 

 with these societies in these last named islands. In 

 Trinidad, five new societies have recently been regis- 

 tered. During April and May the Inspector of 

 Credit .Societies visiteii six societies at work in Tobago, 

 insuected their books, gave instruction and assistance 

 in the keeping of accounts, and addressed a meeting 

 of the members of each society. 



The development of the mutual credit movemf-nt 

 in the West Indies is vet another example of what cm 

 be done by Government assistance and encourageiueiii. 

 It was not long ago that people said that mutual 

 credit could never succeed in the West Indies ; that 

 the peasants were not sufficiently sophisticated. This 

 has been disproved b}- recent experience in Trinidad, 

 St. Lucia and St. Vincent. A great deal "( the 

 success attained has been the result of p rsonal 

 interest and energy shown by those officials connected 

 with the societies, and to these officials the gratitude 

 of the public is due. 



British Cotton Growers' Association 



The Annu il Report of this Association for the 

 year ending December 31, 191''^ has been received. 

 It states that the ludian cotton still proves unsatis- 

 factory for the bulk of the Lancashire spinners. 

 Cotton cultivation in Ceylon, has for several reasons 

 come to a standstill. The results for the West Indies 

 for the year under revipw showed considerable im- 

 provement on the figures Ur the previous jear. Ni- 

 gerian cotton showed a decrease largely due to the 

 locil demands for local spinning. Uganda cotton was 

 likewise small in yield ov.ing to its having been pro- 

 duced and exported under ditficulties. Cotton is the 

 most important crop in the Protectorate and with bet- 

 ter seasons and the return of labour from war duties, 

 the position shoulrl rapidly improve. The same 

 remarks apply to Nyasaland. New interest is being 

 tiiken in cotton in Rhodesia and in South Africa, ana 



Oriollo Cacao. 



Readers interested in cacao will acknow!edg;e that 

 the article mi page 244 opens up a very important 

 question. There is little doubt the hardier Forastero 

 types are gradually replacing the more susceptible 

 Criollo types in many cocao countries. 



Perhaps the true position as things stand at 

 present, is that on most estates the cacao is mixed, 

 that is, intermediate types between Criollo and 

 Forastero are to be found. 



The only certain way of producing uniform cacao 

 is to grow trees that have been grafted. Very 

 successful experimental work has been done along this 

 line at the St. Clair Station, Porc-of-Spain, Trinirlad. 

 But for estate purposes, grafting presents difficulties. 

 The expense is considerable. Moreover, on estates 

 alreaily established, little more can be done than to 

 plant grafted plants in the place of old trees. In 

 time the trees become more uniform ; eventually it 

 should be possible to have the trees perfectly 

 uniform. 



Grafting, however, does not solve the difficulties 

 attendant on the susceptibility of Criollo. A scion of 

 Criollo is as susceptible as the complete tree. But 

 ic should be possible t) grow a better type than the 

 Forastero kinds by means of grafting, thar, is a type 

 more hardy than the Criollo, and of better quality 

 bean than is characteristic of the Forastero. 



Influence of Heaied Soils on Growth. 



Practically all soils heated t ) approximately the 

 boiling point of water first retard germination and 

 growth and then ciuse an increased rate of growth 

 According to the r^^ults of Mr James .Johnson, 

 published in Soil Science (Vol. VII, No. 1.) different 

 soils vary markedly both in toxicity and beneficial 

 action to seed and plants. This is correlated not with 

 any one soil factor but with the balance of all factors 

 concerned. Seeds vary greatly ia their sensitiveness 

 to the toxic action. The degree of sensitiveness of 

 seeds is mughly characteristic of their genetic relation- 

 ship. The Gramineao and the Cucurbitaceae are 

 usually resistant and the Leguminoseae and Solanaceae 

 are usually more susceptible. 



Growing plants also differ markedly in their 

 sensitiveness to the action of heated soils. 



The growth of fungi in heated soil is correlated 

 with the toxicity to seed germination and plant 

 growth on any one soil. 



The subsequent beneficial action of highly heated 

 soils is believed to be largely due to the ammonia 

 liberated on heating. 



