Vol. XVIII. No. 452. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



263 



11. This gives a total of 13,562. Vegetable seeds sold 

 Hmounted to 204 packets. In the Botanic Gardens a 

 number of specimen plants were placed out during the month. 

 The agricultural pupils left for their midsummer holidays 

 on the 5th and returned on the 21st. The local price for 

 both fresh and ripe limes remained unchanged at 6s. per 

 barrel. The price of raw juice rose from 9c/. to lOd. per 

 gallon. At the time of writing Mr. Jones state.i that 

 concentrated juice was at £42 IOj. per pipe. He adds, ' if 

 the crop, which is now commencing, can be sold on this basis, 

 p'anters will receive s^ome compensation for the many 

 difficulties which they have had to face during recent years.' 

 The considerable demand for lime plants during tho month 

 indicates a resumption of interest in planting. It is observed 

 that cured cacao is in good demand at l6c. to 19c. per 

 pound. At the beginning of .July the long drought on the 

 south- leeward coast broke up, and ample rains fell. The 

 rainfall at the Gardens during July was 1264 inches, or 

 nearly as much as the total rainfall for the previous six 

 months. 



MONTSKRRAT. Mr. Gallwey, the Acting Curator, reports 

 that during July the low yield of cotton from breeding plot 

 No. 4 was due to boll shedding consequent on dry weather. 

 A plot of Patchouli plants was planted out. Plant distribut- 

 ion consisted of 1,800 bay plants, and a certain amount of 

 aiowan, papaw, pea, and bean seeds. The death of another 

 royal palm showing symptoms of bud rot is recorded. The 

 bay trees at Roaches are stated to be making luxuriant 

 growth, and the erection of a still is under consideration. 

 Cotton Btainers were observed in limited numbers. During 

 the month the Acting Curator visited several estates. A 

 quarterly meeting of the Agricultural and Commercial Society 

 was held during the month. The rainfall at Grove Station 

 for the month was 3-59 inches. The heaviest fall was -75 

 inch on the 25th. Total for the year, 2673 inches 



B.^RBUDA. Mr. Jarvis reports that during June lands 

 •were prepared for the new cotton crop. It was intended to 

 plant as soon as rain was received. Stock in the island 

 remained in a healthy condition. 



ST. KiTTS. Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Super- 

 intendent, forwards the following observations on the work 

 of the Department for July. At the Experiment Station two 

 varieties of guinea corn from Anguilla were planted for the 

 purpose of testing their alleged toxic qualities. Sulphate of 

 ammonia was applied to the sugar-cane plots. It is stated 

 that good rains have much improved the general appearance 

 of the gardens. The Basseterre sugar factory finished grind- 

 ing early in the month. It produced 8,814 tons of crystals 

 Irom 81,078 tons of cane The leavy rainfall in April was 

 responsible for the increase in the tonnage of canes per acre. 

 Two estates in the northern districts produced at the rate of 

 26 tons of cane per acre in plants and ratoons, and the 

 average return of that district was 22 tons. In the Valley or 

 Basseterre district, the returns were from 15 to 20 tons of 

 cane per acre The average return from the estates connect- 

 ed with the factory will be from 18 to 19 tons per acre. The 

 young cane crop is well advanced, and is responding 

 to the application of artificial manures. The cotton crop 

 is stated to be all that can be desired. In the northern 

 district during ibe month picking was in full swing. The 

 rainfall for the month was 7-26 inches; for the year 27-12 

 inches. Appended to Mr. Shepherd's observations is a 

 short summary of the work done at the St. Kitts Govern- 

 ment Chemical Laboratory. This consisted of the analysis 

 of fourteen samples of milk from the Inspector of 

 Police ; the analysis of thirty seve* samples of fancy 



molasses ; the determination of nitrogen in three samples of 

 sulphate of ammonia ; the analysis of one sample oi slaked 

 lime ; and an examination of two samples of gasolene. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



Od Aiio;ust !t, the AgriciUturai Reporter. 

 Barbados, published the following observations on the 

 present outlook for cane planters in that colony. 

 Since the article was tvritten, however, the island has 

 received good heavy rains which make the prospects 

 for next crop much more favourable : — 



In the hilly districts, the change in the cane crops, 

 which we noted in our last report, continues, and some 

 of the forward ratoons have materially recovered during 

 the past fortnight. The plant canes, in most cases, are 

 taking a longer time to revive. This was to be 

 expected. In those fields which have been extensively 

 stumped, a long period must elapse before anything 

 like progress will be noted. We observe that on some 

 black soil estates in St. Philip and St. George stumpins* is 

 still being done. That this work is still unfinished shows 

 to what an extent the young cane crop had succumbed to 

 the severe weather, although the lack of continuous 

 showers may, in some instances, have delayed the taking 

 in hand of some fields at an earlier date. In some 

 districts the backwardness of second ratoons has caused 

 some planters to fork them before putting in the second 

 application of sulphate of ammonia. This has been 

 done in order that the light rains may more easily penetrate 

 to the roots, and thereby induce a more rapid growth. 

 It has been fairly well agreed that this tillage has 

 but little effect on the yield : it would probably 

 stimulate growth. 



As was to be expected, there are a large number of 

 diseased shoots in the plant canes and, in a few instances, 

 we have seen men engaged in cutting them out. We believe 

 that this is not considered advisable. Experience has shown 

 that it reduces the yield. So far as we remember, the 

 Government Department of Agriculture does not recommend 

 it, and a practical planter has informed us that he has, by 

 experiment, proved that the removal of such shoots lessens 

 the return. 



The condition of the crops in the major part of the 

 black soil is what it was at the date of our last r-»port — 

 trying to exist and no more. The passing of each week 

 points clearer and clearer to the failure of next year's crop. 

 In some fields it can hardly be said to have been established 

 at all, and some of the fields of forward growth have shriv- 

 elled, until now in some instances only one or two green 

 shoots remain in the ho'e. This picture is not overdrawn. 

 The present stage of the fields would cause one to think that 

 we were just now in the early weeks of the reaping .season. 



This year the question of material for the mak- 

 ing of manure for the next planting season is causing 

 planters some anxiety. Not only was the fall of tops 

 a very small one, but estates have had to feed their 

 animals on the trash, and the pastures up to the 

 present have yielded but little. There has also been a very 

 great scarcity of cane shoots. The shoots have grown veiy 

 irregularly, and those that did grow have not developed to 

 any extent. We have heard of an estate cutting 6 acres 

 of shoots, and failing to obtain from this acreage a suttioient 

 supply for one day. i)a this same estate last year at tbi« 

 game time shoots were being, so to speak, w«s'.ed id order to 

 clear sufficient land each day for cane-hole digging. 



