Vol. XVIII. No. 458 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



365 



SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ST. 



OROIX EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Dr. Longfield Smith, Agronomist-in-Charge, Ex- 

 periment Station, St. Croix, United States Virgin 

 islands has recently published the following statement 

 indicating, the most important things accomplished 

 at the Station during the past few years : — 



Large numbers of new varieties of cane liave been 

 raised and tested at the Station, and of these one variety, 

 namely S.C.12/i which has taken a conspicuous place in 

 these experiments, has been raised on a large scale a«d 

 distributed to the plantatio.s. There are already growing 

 in tlie island more than .50 acres of this cane. Last year 

 we distriluted at the Station more than 150,000 cuttings. 

 The results obtained on the plantations gave an average 

 of more than 50 per cent, increase in the quantity of sugar 

 per acre above that produced by the standard canes of the 

 island. These facts can be verified by applicition to the man- 

 agers of the estates where this cane was grown — namely 

 Mt. Pleasant, Hogensborg, Sion Farm, and Bonne Esperance. 

 At St. .Johns plantation there are two large fields of this 

 cane close by the roadside which will repay investigation. 

 In spite of lack cf weeding and moulding in these fields, 

 the canes iire quite remarkable. Had tLe fields been better 

 weeded and moulded the results would have been, I venture 

 to say, at least 20 per cent, better. 



A cane which can add even 25 per cent, to the crop 

 of this island is worth to the planters annually, reckoning 

 a normal crop at 10,000 tons, and the value of the sugar at 

 $120 per ton, the large sum of v?257,000 a year. 



Judging by the results obtained hitlierto, this .seems 

 a conservative estimate of what S.C.12/4 is likely to 

 accomplish for this island. 



Contrast this sum with the modest $8,000 spent 

 annually on the Experiment Station 



A large amount of work has be?n in improving the 



Sea Island cotton of St. Croix by breeding and selection 



The results are plainly evident to day in the quantity 



and quality of the cotton produced on estates where the 



seed has been supplied by the Experiment Station. 



By selection and breeding the Experiment Station has 

 so far improved the quantity and quality of miize which 

 can be raised in the island, that from being an unprofitable 

 crop, hardly ever grown, we now find every planter and 

 near'y every labourer planting oar improved maize seed and 

 getting remunerative returns. 



All the pi inters and labourers in the island have been 

 benefited by this work. 



Soon after the Experiment Station was started, several 

 new varieties of sweet potatoes were introduced, and ooe 

 of these, namely ' Black Kock ', has practically doubled the 

 yield of potatoes in the island, and displaced nearly every 

 other variety. The parties benefitted here arc principally 

 the labourers As regards sugar-cane planting methods, 

 experiments at the Station have proved conclusively that 

 the best distance to plant is 4 feet by 2 feet instead of 

 4i feet by 3 feet, which is usually practised. Planting with 

 nothing but sound pieces of cane would add at least 25 per 

 cent, to the crop of the island. 



THE PORTO RICO AGRICULTURAL 

 COLLEGE. 



In view of the steps which are being taken to establish 

 in the near future an agricultural college in the British 

 West Indies, the account of the College of Agriculture and 

 Mechamc Arts in the Annual Catalogue and Announcement 

 (1919 20) of the University of Porto l!ico, may be of interest 

 to readers of the Agrlcultitral Ndus. 



The college originated with the organization of the 

 University in 1903. It was at first an agricultural school 

 located at Rio Piedras. In 1911 it was reorganized under 

 its present name, and tran.<?ferred to .Mayaguez 



The University funds, out of which the Agricultural 

 College is supported, are stated to be derived from the 

 following sources: — 



(1) The University Fond. The sources of this fund 

 are (a) all escheated inheritances in Porto Rico ; (b) 50 per 

 cent, of all fines imposed by the courts of Porto Rico, which 

 are paid into the Insular Treasury, except those imposed for 

 cruelty to animals ; and (c) royalties from all franchises 

 and public rights. This fund is available for current 

 expenses, repairs of buildings, and general expenses of 

 operation. 



(2) The Permanent University Fund. Twenty five 

 per cent of the sale of all public lands is converted into 

 this fund. Seventy-five percent, of the income from this 

 fund is available for the payment of current expenses, the 

 purchase of equipment, or th° construction of buildings. 

 The remaining 25 per cent, must be reinvested in suit- 

 able securities. 



(3) The Morrill Fund. Lender the provisions .>f the 

 Morrill Act the sum of §50,000 is furnished annually by 

 the Federal Government for instruction in agriculture and 

 mechanic arts. 



(4) Annual appropriations by the Legislature of 

 Porto Rico. 



(5) Tuition, laboratory fees, farm and miscellaneous 

 receipts. 



The following estimate of a year's attendance is believed 

 to be about the average: — 



As regards the collegiate courses, during the first year 

 the following subjects are studied: English. Gardening, 

 Chemistry, Poultry, Soils, Entomology, Pedagogy or 

 Elective. 



During the second year : Agricultural Chemistry, 

 Citrus Culture, Breeds and Judging, Feeds and Feeding, 

 Botany, Drainage, Political Economy, Commercial Law, 

 and Entomology. 



Third year : Plant breeding, Tropical crops, Veterinary 

 Science, Agronomy (fertilizers). Farm Management, and 

 Electives. 



Last year : Tropical crops, Bacteriology, Thesis, and 

 Electives. 



