264 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



AuousT 23, 1919. 



EDITORIAL 



Head Office 



NOTICES. 



— Barbados. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies oi the 'Agricultural 

 News' and other Departmental publications, should be 

 addressed to the Agents, and not to the Department, 



The complete list of Agents will be found on 

 page 4 of the cover. 



Imperial Commissiirtier of Sir Francis Watts, K.C.M.G. 



Agriculture for the Wed Indies D.Sc, F.I.C, F.C.S. 



SClENTinC STAFF. 



Scientific Assistant and 



Eat Less Rice. 



The Government ot Trinidad has 'tsued an appeal 

 with the object of reducing the present rate of rice 

 consumption in that colony. This arose from a circular 

 telegram, received from the Secretary of State, pointing 

 out the great shortage of rice in eastern countries. 

 As is generally known, of the (iO, 000,000 tons produced 

 in the world only 10 per cent, is available for e.xport. 

 Those countries therefore, which import large (pianti- 

 ties will, in years of low production, feel the shortage 

 first British (iuiana, and to a leas extent Trinidad, 

 produce large .^lumtities of rice. Under the present 

 circumstances of a general w'orld's shortage, however, 

 it is still incumbent upon these colonies to exercise 

 economy as regards local consumption. 



Assistaiit Editor 

 Entomologist 

 M ijcologist 

 Asiistaid for Cotton Research 



Chief Clerk 

 Clerical Assistants 



W. R. Dunlop. 



H. A. Ballou, M.Sc. 



W. Nowell, D.I.C. 



S. C. Harland, B.Sc.+ 



OLERJOAL STAFF. 



A. G. Howell. 

 L. A. Corbin. 



Typist 

 Aisistant Typist 



Assistant for Publications 



(h. A. Corbii 

 ■^P. Taylor.* 



Ik. R. C. Foster. 

 IWiss B. Robinsoii. 

 Miss W. Ellis. 



A. B. Price. Fell. Joum. Inst. 



f Provided by the Imperial Deparlmeid of Hcientific and 



Industrial Research. 

 *Seronded for Military Service. 



gigricaliiiral |]eiujj 



Vol. XVIII. SATURDAY, AUOUST --'3, 1919. No. 452. 

 NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue deals with the status of 

 agricultural officers and it is maintained that their 

 position should be raised on account of the changed 

 character of their activities. 



On page 270 will bo found a review of the Report 

 on the Agricultural Departnient, St. Kitts-Nevis, 

 1917-18. 



An article on cacao production in the British 

 Kmpire appears at page 2()7. 



Insect Notes inthisi.ssue deal with bean and pea 

 weevils. This is the first part of an article which 

 will be concluded iD|the next issue nt the Agri.cvUv/ral 



Nev'9- 



The Recent Atmospheric Disturbances. 



Un August 7 a disturbance passed west ef Bar- 

 bados, travelling in a northerly direction. Strong 

 southerly winds were ex])erienced, and two schooners 

 were driven ashore in Carlisle Bay. The barometric 

 readings were not abnormally low. At the time of 

 writing (August 18), and during the past, wpek, the 

 barometer has Lecu hjgii, in the neighuourhood of 

 .3040. There have been heavy and frequent showers 

 of rain. 



In connexion with the atmospheric disturbances 

 on August 7, and the rough weather that was exper- 

 ienced in St. Lucia, and Dominica, it may be desirable 

 to place on recoid the barometric and other data 

 obtained in St. .Johns, Antigua, which have been 

 supplied by Mr. A. E. Col lens, F.J. C, acting (jhemis!) 

 and Superintendent of Agriculture for the Lee- 

 ward Islands. 



The barometer readings corrected to 0°C. and sea 

 level were as follow.^: — August 7, 3 p.m., 30011;. 

 August S, 10 a.m., 30033; 12 a.m., 33039 ; 1 p.m., 

 30021 : 2 p.m., 30017 ; 3 p.m.. 30000 ; 4 p.m., 30004. 



lip to 12 am. on theSth, the wind was from the 

 north-east, and gusty; sky overcast, with showers. After 

 12, the wind veeied east, and about 12 30 was east-south 

 ea-st, remaining so till about 3 p.m., when it set south 

 east, but<lying down. At about.'), 30 p.m. a sharp vivid 

 flash of lightning occurred in the west — no thunder 

 audible, — and shortly after ").")() p.m. very heavy rain fell. 

 No further lightning or thunder was observable. 

 From <i..3() the weather was calm During the night of 

 the Sth, slight southerly breezes were experienced, with 

 slight showers. 



High winds were reported on August 10 from 

 l''itches Creek, iMiglish Harbour, and Jolly Ildl, but in 

 town there was nothing to leport, except cool north- 

 east breezes. The barometer remained high at 30"06. 



Swine Fever and Hog Cholera. 



A correspondent has written from Ecuador, faying- 

 that he has been trying to raise pigs in the tropical 

 zone of that country, but. so far without succes.s, owing 

 to the animals dying. It is not staled what is the 

 cause of the deaths, but we may suspect bog cholera. 

 If that is the case there should be some hope of 



