A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THB 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



Vol. XVIII. No. 460 



BARBADOS, DECEMBER 13, 1919. 



Pbicb Id. 



CONTENTS. 



Paoh. 



Ai,'iiciilttire in Barbailos 38S 

 Be;in Dish. A New 

 Cauiplior ... 

 ('an:io;i-\\'est Indian 



Trade... 

 Cotton Notes : — 



Origin of Sea Island 

 Cotton 



So I Island Cotton 

 INIarket 

 Gleanings... 

 Insect Notes : — 



Locust in British 

 Guiana 



Summery of Entomolo- 

 gical Information 1919 3'.I4 

 Items of Local Interest 388 

 Momordica cochinchinen- 



sis 393 



Note- and Comments ... 39 J 



Paob. 



387 

 387 



392 



390 



390 

 39<i 



394 



I if 



398 



399 



I'laiit Diseases: — 

 Kf d Ring Di.sea.ses 



Coco-nuts 



Rats and their Extermin- 

 ation 



Report of the Imperial 

 Department of Scientific 

 and Industrial Research 393 

 Root Nodules and Casu- 



j avina 393 



Sea-side Grape Tree ... 397 



Transiiort.A New Form of 387 



1 Trinidad, Agricultural 



Re-organization in ... 



Umney, John Charles, 



Tlie" Late 



I War Materials as 



: Fertilizers 



Waste in Movement. 



' Stop}ied 



West Indian Products ... 

 Weather in Antigua ... 



393 

 392 

 393 



395 



399 

 389 



Camphor. 



^AMPHOR shortage in the United States 

 has now reached the point where the 

 _ __ existence of the American refiners' 

 business is in danger of extinction. Coupled with the 

 practical elimination of American lerining, is the cur- 

 tailment of Japanese refined camphor shipments to 

 the ("nited States.' 



The above statements, reproduced recently in a 

 contemporary journal, ^ taken into consideration with 

 the present high prices that are ruling fop' ca:nphor 



(for 'white' 200s. per cwt.) '- , make it appear probable 

 that camphor cultivation is and will continue to be^* 

 very paying proposition. 



The principal points connected with the cultivation 

 of the camphor tree ((7*wi?>rt//iO»i(',//( ('/implmra) have 

 already been published in this Journal,' and reference 

 has been made to the Japanese monopoly. The object 

 of the presenn article is to discuss briefly the dift'erenb 

 kinds of camphor trees the degree of success that has 

 attended the cultivation of camphor in different coun- 

 tries, including reference to pests and diseases, and 

 finally to arrive at some decision as to the pros- 

 pects before the establishment of a camphor-grow 

 ing industry in the West Indies. 



As already intimated, the production of camphor 

 is at present almost entirely in the hands of the 

 Japanese, who produce large quantities in the tropical 

 territory of Formosa. 



Organized efforts have been maile, however, to grow 

 camphor trees on a commercial scale in other countries, 

 notably in the Southern United States, and in the 

 Federated JIalay States, and in Ceylon and Mauritius. 

 For various reasons which are difficult to arrive at 

 definitely, these efforts have not been particularly 

 successful. In some cases it appears that disappoint- 

 ment has resulted through planting inferior strams| 

 in some instances it would appear that some trouble 

 has been occasioned by pests and diseases. In most 

 circumstances, however, it is probable that, owing to the 

 greater attractiveness of other crops which in former 

 times were likely to p\y. better, the cultivation of 

 camphor on plantation lines in the tropics has never 

 yet been given a I'air trial. 



