286 



THE AtiKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



Septembki! 6, 1919. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



INTEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



ST. LUCI.\. Mr. .\ .1. Brooks, tho .\gtijultnral S iper- 

 intenf^tni sta'es iL.it duiing July, work in tlio Experiineiit 

 Stations consisted of plaiiluig siv ec polaioes, rice, cassava, 

 peas, beans, and vaiiou.s green dressing crops. In addition, 

 manurial and cultural opentions wore performed Plant 

 distribuuon included, limes, I 300 ; grafted mangoe.s, 4 ; 

 c ffee (robusta), 100 ; caca.), .500 ; nutmegs, 100 ; ornamental, 

 29; miscellaneous, 2; ricseed, v.5 B). 6 oz. ; vegetable 

 seeds, 1 37 packets. Mr. Niles has been appointed to sacceed 

 Mr. Beanbrun as Inspector of Aaricu'tural Credit Societies. 

 The rainfall rei^crded at the Botanic Girdens, Cistries, 

 during the month was 8 69 inches, and at the B'tanx Sta- 

 tion, Choisuel, 8 96 inches. 



.\NTIG'TA. Mr. T. .Jackson, Unrator and Aaricultural 

 Superintendent, rep irts that during Jidy plots of Kaffir corn, 

 garlic, and Sudan grass, were planted at the Experiment 

 Station. I 1 addition, ordinary roitine work including cultural 

 operations was performed. The foU-wing represented 

 plant dis'ribiuiori during the month : 100 Eucalyptus. 41 

 miscellareous plan's, 149 packets vegetable seeds, 41 packets 

 seeds of deci.r.tive plants, 626 a. cotton seed, 29 ft. onion 

 seed. In the B tanic Gardens, Eucalyptus and other seedlings 

 of economic plants wtre transplanted during the month. Fifty- 

 four crates of onions were shipped by the .\ntigua Onion 

 Growers' Association. During the past season the ( 'otton 

 Growers' Assooia'ion purchased from peasants .56, 108 lb. of 

 seed-cotton. The work of examining selected cottons has 

 been completed Daring the month 2-.59 inches of rain fell, 

 the total rainfall for the year to date being 195.5 inches. 



NEVIS. The plots in the Experiment Stations have been 

 kept in good order, and all the crops are loDking somewhat 

 bet er inconsequence of a few showers during July, the 

 Agiicultural Instructor writes to say. The cotton in the 

 denionstratio.a and other plots have very much improved 

 since the rains. There are 3^ acres under cotton experiments. 

 and ail the crops are lonking" promising. During the month 

 600 cas.sava an I 1,000 sweet potato cuttings were distributed 

 from the Siaiion. Kegarding staple crop.s, Mr. Howell 

 states that the y ung canes throughout the island are 

 looking somewhat better since the rains, but they are still 

 backward and i.eed very much more r«in. It is of interest 

 to note that pen manure is now n.ore generally used, and 

 every tfifrtis made to manure all the fields. The cotton 

 crop was very much kept back by the dry weather, but since 

 the rain, the crop is looking very much better. A fair 

 amount of planting and supplying was done in the lowlands 

 during the month licking has begun in some of the early 

 planted fields, but the returns will not be very great as 

 the crop wa^ affected by the dry weather. Thi cot'on 

 worm made its appearance during the mouth but was kept 

 in check by poi-on. A few cotton stainer.M are found about 

 the island and are immediately destroyed whenever found. 

 The rainfall for the month was 4'02 inches ; for the year 

 to date, 15 91 inches. 



BARBADOS CROPS AND WEATHER 



On Monday ra"rhing, August 25, Birbidos received the 

 heaviest fa I •>( rain experienced for many years. In several 

 places over 7 inches fell in the course of about Bve hours. 



lielow are tha returns from the various districts for 6 a.m. 

 Monday to 6 a.ui Tuesday, as published in the Barbados 

 Advocate of August 27 : — 



Central Police Station 7 00 inches; District A 5 33; Dis. 

 trict B 1-51; District C 98; Dis'rict D 9 37; District E 3 74; 

 Holetown 4 70 ; Bush Hall, St. Michiel 10 OJ ; Warrens 9S ; 

 Goodland 8- 10 ; PineSOO ; Claphara 5 65 ; Waterford 700 ; 

 Hastings, Christ Church 5'28 ; Ventnor 5-35 ; Andrew.s. 

 St. Joseph 5 25; Carrin^ton, St. Philip 110: Three 

 Houses 1 00. 



The extraordinary variations in the quantity of rain 

 received at the different stations will be at once noticed. 



This was due to the rain falling in two extremely 

 heavy showers, of limited area, which approached the 

 leeward coast of the island from the south. 



Such heavy showers from an agricultural piint of view 

 do more harm thin good They al.-o cause much damage 

 to house property, and especially to roiids w lich, in Barbidos, 

 was quiie bad enough as it is, without being made worse 

 by the weather 



Writing on weather and crops during Auga?*; previo is 

 to this downfall, the Bartalos Agricultaral R/porlcr for 

 August 23, in- referring to the heavy showers received 

 throughout the month, says : — 



' There has been, ind ed, a magic change in vegetation 

 of every kind Even the driest districts are putting on 

 their best garb, and, so t ■ speak, whispering words of hope 

 ir. rp.^^^ :> de'^posdent p'aatcr. There can not be he return 

 from certain crops which would, under other circ irastances, 

 have been reaped ; but, with the continuance of favourable 

 weather, cereals, greens and fod ler should do well and 

 assist in relieving the present strained situation. 



' The wet weather during the past fortnight, while it 

 hindered progre.ss in ploughing on one or two occasions, lias 

 not interfered witli other forms of agricultural work on the 

 estates. Fair progress seems to have been made with the 

 opening of cane holes, but on some estates there are some 

 fields which are very gras.sy. Some of these have not been 

 tonehed in anv wiy since the canes were removed, but 

 oihcrs, in wlitcli lioles have been already opened, are also 

 in this condition. The rainy weather has iniuced the rapid 

 growth of grass, and some planters find it very difficult, 

 sometimes impossible, with the amount of laboir at their 

 disposal, to keep the grass under control Of course, a 

 good deal depends on the way in which an estate is kopf. 

 We know of some planters who have been undisturbed in 

 this respect because their fields have been well cleaned for 

 years past. 



' With the change in the weather there has come a 

 most pleasing and welcome change in the condition of the 

 young cane croi>. !-onie planters in the more favoured districts 

 of the island are expecting, that with the continuance of 

 good weather, their crops next year will bear a favourable 

 comparison with this year's results. Verily, our planters 

 are like those sensitive instrumejits which indicate weather 

 changes, — easily depressed, but as easily made buoyant. 



'The corn cr.)p is developing wed, but there a- e some 

 fields which have grown very irregularly. In all probability 

 the seed was not healthy. The finest field which has come 

 tinder our observation is at Hope in Christ Church. Here 

 and there are fields which have begun to bloom, but, except 

 for roasting purposes or for the boiling of the famous corn 

 soup, no reaping has been done. Our peasants should be 

 warned not to indulge in the eating of young vegetables of 

 any kind. 



