268 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



Auoi'«T 23, 1919. 



In regard to our editorial in the last issue on the decline 

 of sucrose content in central factory cane, the Antigua Smi 

 •bserves, in relation to Gunthorpe's Factory, that the decline 

 may be due to stale cane, but that ibe fault s to some extent 

 on the side of the factory, vhicli very often fails to supply 

 the necessary trucks to convey the o*ne to the mi Is. 





GLEANINGS. 



The exports i f gasolene from Trinidad in 1917 were 

 1,248,098 gallons, valued at £.52,86.3. This works out at 

 approximately lOrf. or SOc. per gallon. The retailed price 

 for this gasolene in Barbados is about 48c. 



According to Farmers' Bulletin, 969, United States 

 Depart nent of Agriculture, the seed of horse beans retains 

 its vitality for a long period. In germination tests, seed four 

 years old showed little, if any, deterioration. 



Good growth is being made by sugar-cane in St. 



Lucia accdding to a recent report. During July the 



lime crop was in full swing, and the cacao treej were 

 flowering and setting pods. 



iJurirg July the young cane crop throughout the island 

 of Antigua was in a mo.st i roiuising condition, nnd should 

 good weather be experienced during the next few months, it is 

 believed that a got d crop will be reapeii next year. 



The monthly summary of animals that have died in 

 St. Vincent again shows a complete absencn of anthrax 

 mortalities in that island. The total number of deaths 

 recorded from di-sease or natural causes was fourteen. The 

 general health of live stock in St. Vincent appears to be 

 good. 



Anyone who has a .surplus of pineapples can manufac- 

 ture a beverage whic'i has ii good sale on the market. This 

 ia known as pineapple cider, and .Jamaica exports a certain 

 amount, which sells at \s. 6//. per bottle in England. This 

 information is taken from the Queensland Agricultural 

 Journal for May 1919. 



According to the Bulktin af tlw Imperial Institute 

 for January- March 1919, the commercial value of Java kapok 

 for life saving appliances is greater than that of Indian 

 kapok, owing to the fact that tiie Indian fibre contains more 

 sand, leaf, etc. Properly cleaned kapok is really superior 

 in buojancy to genuine .lava kajxik of good (juality. 



Valuable inforniatir)n nn the different a.'pccts of poultry- 

 keeping in Maiiriliiis, but more particularly their diseases, is 

 contained in liullelin Nu. u. General Serie.", Department of 

 Agriculture, Mauritius. The bulletin contains useful bints 

 concerning the housing, feeding, and management of poultry. 

 It is illustrated by several plates. 



It has been suggested that central factories might be 

 set up in Ind a for the production of refined palm sugar in 

 suitable areas. According to iVatnre for June .'J, 1919, 

 Mr. H. E. Annett, Agricultural Chemist to the Government 

 of Bengal, now considers such a scheme would be unwork- 

 able in practice, unless the owner of the factory also 1 ad his 

 own trees. 



A note appears in the E.xpoimenl Station Record, Vol. 

 40, Xo. ^, on sisal in the Hawaiian Islands. It refers to an 

 article in the Haivoiian ForesUr and Agriculturist on Agave 

 rigiJa var. eloiigaia and A. rigida var. sisalana in those 

 islands. An effort to produce a hybrid sisal derived from the 

 two varieties named is briefly noted, together with chemical 

 investigations of the waste products of the industry. 



The conclusions to be drawn from Bulletin A/o. Sj, 

 Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, on the progress of the 

 sugarcane industry in India during 1916 17, are tliat exotic 

 cane generally Icds the way in the matter of yield ass 

 cnnipared wiih local varieties, that is seedlings native to 

 India. In the r.orthern provinces D.74 lias given very 

 satisfactory results, while in Bengal B. 147 and B.208 are 

 still very popular. 



Fig growing in the Tviuth .Vtlantic States is the subject 

 of Fanners Hiilletin Ni.. 1,031, United State') Department 

 of Agriculture. Fig trees thrive on well drained, ren.son- 

 ably fertile soils, containing' plenty of humus, aad well supplied 

 with moisture. They also require care in tillajje to avoid 

 injury to the fine fibrous roots which are characteristic cf fig 

 trees. The bulletin contains a useful section on the 

 characterization of fig varieties. 



The certificates of the Home Reading Agricultural 

 Course, conducted by the Imp' rial Dtpartmentof Agriculture, 

 were distributed to successful candidates in Antigua last 

 July by His U.vellency the Governor at the Grammar 

 School on Commemoration Day, the L'.5ih instant. At His 

 Excellency's request, prior to the distribution of the certifi- 

 cates, -Mr A. E. CoUens, F I.C, acting Governinent 

 ("liemist and Siipcrintcndeit of -Vgriculiure, reviswed the 

 scope and purpose of the cimrses. 



Farmers' bulletin, ^o.^i\)?i, United States Department 

 of Agriculture, deals with co-operative bull associations. 

 These are formed in the United States by farm-rs for the 

 joint ownership, use, and exchange of pure bred bulls. The 

 organization also helps its members to market dairy stock 

 and dairy products, to fight contsigious diseases of cattle 

 intelligently, and in other ways assist in improving the 

 dairy industry. IVrusal of this bidletin will probably 

 prove interesting to many planters in islands like Antigua 

 and St, Vincent, where the spirit of co-operation has become 

 firmly established. 



