Vol. XVIII No. 4. 58. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEW&, 



are a large number of concentiic layers in commi'.aicatioa 

 with one another. With lateral branches the number of 

 the laticiferous layers apparently depends largely upon 

 age. According to Arisz, the latex of secondary and 

 tertiary lateral branches cannot be drained by the tap- 

 ping cut, because such branches have only one latici- 

 ferous layer left, which is not; in communication vtith 

 similar layers in the stem. It is perhaps difficult to 

 reconcile this point with a further conclusion 1; ■ Ari.sz, to 

 the effect that latex from a tappiag cut at the i'ase of the 

 tree may come either from tha stem, the maia root, or 

 from lateral brandies possessing several latex vesssls in 

 communication with others. 



rite of over .30,000 9). per acrrt is neverchelp.>'s reuiarkaMe^ 

 and certainly points to the gisat capabilities rf this variety as- 

 a heavy yielder undt-r wet conditions. 



REMARKABLE YIELDS OF SWEET 

 POTATO IN MONTSEBRAT. 



During 1912-13, fifty-one varieties of .sweet potato 

 were growing in the experiment plots at the l?otaaic Station, 

 Montserrat. The yields obtained thowed so great a degree 

 of variation, and the average was so high, that it has been 

 thought likely that a reference to thc.^e may be of interest 

 to readers of chis Journal at the pre.sent time. 



The variety heading the list was Bed Bom-bon. This 

 gave a calculated yield of 30,2.50 Bj. per acre, ihe lowest 

 yielding variety was Duckfoot, giving only 3, .509 ft), per 

 acre, or almost ten times as little Barbado.s Biirre!, a well- 

 known and popular variety, yielded at t'ne rate of 1^,573 lb. 

 per acre. 



The fretjuency of the different yields may be expressed 

 as follows ; — 



A" \A /fls \ Number of varieties coming 



®^ ' within the ranges opposit*?. 



Between 35,000 and 30,000 1 



30,000 „ 25,000 7 



25,000 ., 20,000 U 



20,000 „ 15,000 20 



1-5,000 „ 10,000 f< 



10,000 ., .5,000 ... ... 3 



5 000 ,. nil I 



Total 51 



This shows that under the conditions of this experiment, 

 most strairs may be expected to yield from 15,000 fl)- to 

 20,000 ft), per acre. It shows that a 30,000 ft), yield is excep- 

 tional. The average yield of this variety, Bed Bourbon, for 

 fifteen years' experiments is 13,821 ft) , whilst the most fre- 

 quently occurring yield amongst all varieties is about 1 2,000ft). 



Such figures would seem to indicate that there 

 was something exceptional in the conditions of the 

 1912 13 expfriracnt. Mr. Kobson, Curatur of the 

 Station, who had charge of the experiments, writes 

 as follows: 'The crop previous to the preparat'on of 

 the land for the potatoes was ground nuts. Ordinary banks 

 were formed 4 feet apart, each row being 90 f^et in length. 

 Cuttings of the sweet potato varieties were planted on 

 November 5, 1912, 2 feet apart. The crop was reaped on 

 April-24,19i3. 



the rainfall , from thfl date of planting to reapmg was: 

 November, 761 inches; December, 6'05 inch's; .ftnuarv, 

 8-31 inches; February, 2-95 inches ; March, 5-82 inches ; to 

 Apiil 21, 3-39 inches. Total 33 9-5 inches. 



These figures show that the rainfall wa." heavy and well 

 distributed, and is probably the chisf fadtor lesponsibl-' for the 

 high yields obtained, The yield of Red Bourbon' at tho 



JIPPI-JAPPA 



■Jippi-.Tappa is the South American name for ili* plant 

 from which the straw is obtained to plait the well-konwn 

 Panama hats This plant is a native of South and OVntrAl 

 America, but has recently been introduced successfully into 

 some of the West Indian islands, where it is hoped that hat) 

 making may become a minor industry, especially suitable fo» 

 women in their homes In British Guiana the art is already 

 taught in some of the girl.s*' schools the material being sup- 

 plied from the Botanic Garden and the Experiment Station. 

 In Jamaica the manufacture of hats from Jippi-lapp* >traw 

 baa attained some dimensions. Plants of Jippa-Jappa intro- 

 duced into Grenada by the Agricultural Department are now 

 doing well, and it is expected that soon the art of plaiting 

 hats Ifically will be taught 



Apart from its industrial value, the Jippi-Jappa planti 

 [Car/udovtca paimata), is interesting from a botanical point 

 of view. It is often spoken of as a palm, although it really 

 belongs to the order Cyclanthacea', an order which seems to- 

 be a link between the screw pines (Pandai,ace*e) and the 

 arums. In appearance, however, it is very like one of the 

 palmate leaved palm.-, producing a clamp of leaves with 

 stalks (> feet to 8 feet long, eich leaf being from 3 feet to 

 4 feet in diameter. The ribs of these leaves are removed, and, 

 after a process ot curing, the leaves are .;ut into strips, from 

 which the hats are plaited. 



Recent Exports from St Lu 

 ing tigures show the quantities "f variou 

 from St. Lucii for the periods indicated 



19iy.. 

 From .Fany. 1 to 

 Sept. 15. 

 435 



Bay oil (galls.) 

 . Cacao (cwt ) 

 Coco-nuts (number) 

 Copra (cwt. > 

 Honey (ft). ) 

 Limes ibrls. i 

 Lime juice, raw (galls.) 3d6 

 conc'id. (galk.) -5,140 



7,977 



21.293 



114 



39,600 



2,596 



Lime oil (galls.) 215 



Logwood (tons) -'54 



Molasses (ealls.) 14,080 



Hum (p galls.) 

 SugT (CWt. ) 71,151 



Syrup or Fancy 



molasses (galls.) 27,193 



The largo increase in the exports of 

 sugir and fancy molasses, will be obseived 



,cia. —The follow- 

 produce shipped 



1918. 



From Jany. 1 to 



Sept. 15. 



175 



28.586 



73,967 



107 



35,100 



50!i 



8,707 

 454 

 430 

 24.740 



52,971 



12,050 

 c 'CO-nuts, and of 



An announcement appears in the Leeward hhmiii 

 Gazette iox October 16, 1 919. to the efifect that Hii Excellency 

 the Governor hts been pie laed to appoint Mr. F. 1! Shep- 

 herd, .Agricultural Superiotendent. St. Kiti;s-Ncvi<, to t« 

 provisionally an official member of the Legisktive < 'ouncil 

 of St. Kitts-Nevis. 



