Vol, XVIII No. 460. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



389 



heavy lands of St. Joseph there are many acres as yet 

 untilled. Of course in this area planting is, as a rule, 

 deferred until a later date, although it would, we think, pay 

 to plant the B. 6450 in these parts as early as anywhere else. 

 This would, in all probability, relieve the congestion which 

 takes place during the reaping season. Early leaping is 

 often an advantage from many points of view. 



Sheep manure is still being carted from Bridgetown in 

 fairly large quantities for the fertilizing of the fields now 

 being planted, and it would appear that this will continue 

 for a few weeks to come. The supply of this manure is 

 unequal to the demand. 



The plants put in during October and the early part of 

 November, chiefly the B. 6450, are growing well. The 

 showers have been fairly seasonable, and planters are hoping 

 for satisfactory results. 



The other seedlings are now being planted, and in a 

 short time the supplying of the first fields planted will 

 have betn begun. With the first supplying only one 

 plant is usually put in each dead hole, but we learn 

 that many planters, with the trouble of the last jilanting season 

 fresh in memory, intend putting in two plants with the first 

 .supplying. We have even beard that an attorney in the 

 north of the island has issued orders that planting be done 

 with two cuttings in each hole. This, we think, is carrying 

 anxiety to an extreme. We may assure ourselves of satis- 

 factory germination where healthy cuttings are put in and 

 where the land is in good heart, even if the rainfall be a 

 moderate one. Last season's experience was exceptional- 

 There are two paragrajihs in the last report on Sugar- 

 Cane Experiments, published by the Government Department 

 of Agriculture, which should prove of interest to planters 

 just at this tiir.e when they arn selecting plants for their 

 fields The one is on experiments with cuttings made from 

 lar^e and small canes. The other is on experiments with 

 cuttings taken from plant canes, and from first and second 

 ritoons. The experiments made with cuttings from large 

 and small canes prove that the start made by the former is 

 decidedly the better, and if the start be better, the race 

 .should also be in their favour. 



The experiments with cutting.s from plant canes and 

 from first and second ratoons show that cuttings from 

 first ratoons yield slightly better results than those from 

 plant canes, but those from plant canes give a much higher 

 yield per acre than those from second ratoons. We have 

 heard of similar results having been obtained by Professor 

 Harrison. Planters ^should therefore note that cuttings 

 from second and third rntoons .should not be made if they 

 desire to get the best yield from their crops. Of course 

 these experiments presuppose that as healthy plants are 

 .selected from the first ratoons as from the plant canes. 



We would also refer to another paragraph in this 

 report, which summarizes the results of the most recent 

 experiments made with the best seedlings. The balance i.s 

 distinctly in favour of the B.H. 10(12). This seedling 

 yielded 4,100 Bb. saccharose per acre more than the B.6450, 

 and the Ba. 603,2 yielded, under similar conditions, 1,020 ft) 

 saccharose per acre more than the B. 64.50. It wa.s also calcu 

 lated in a subsequent paragraph of this report, that if the 

 crop for 1919, taken as o5,000 acres, had been planted in the 

 B H. 10(12), the yield on the basis of these experiments 

 would have been 23,333 tons mors- of dark crystal sugar. 



These figure.s are interesting, and planters would do well 

 to think about them now that tkey are planting their crop 



for 1920. We know that results on the estate do not always 

 place the B. H. 10(12) so high, while in some instances the 

 B 6450 is considered the most satisfactory seedling; but there 

 is a consensus of opinion as to the richness of the iuioe of th« 

 B.H. 10(12). 



Everywhere the cotton crop has been viciously attacked by 

 the worm. Where the plants were very young there will prob- 

 ably be a total loss, while the pods in the more advanced fields 

 will yield only a moderate return. It would be a great booB 

 if a treatment could be discovered which would make tha 

 plant immune from the attacks of its bitter enemy. 



Potatoes are more plentiful than at the date of our last 

 report. They are being generally sold at $1-20 per 100 lb, 

 and in St.Lucy's parish they have been retailed at lOlb.for 1§ 

 cents. 



WEATHER IN ANTIGUA. 



The following report, uuder date of Noveruber 1», 

 1919, Jias been received -from "Mr. A. K. CoUens, F.I.C., 

 Acting Government Chemist and Superintendeat of 

 Agriculture for the Leeward Islands, relative to 

 recent weather conditions in Antigua : — 



I liave to report that recently the island ha^i beea 

 visited with a moderately heavy but continuous downpour of 

 rain, for two days, and in some places 9 and 10 inches of 

 rain have been measured. Sunday and Monday, the 9th and 

 10th instant, were wet days with light westerly breezes — and 

 iu the early evening continuous sheet lightning to the North. 

 During the night showers were experienced, and the tempera- 

 ture firopped considerably — in the early morning 59° F. being 

 the minimum temperature registered at the Botanic Station 

 — while in many country houses 60 and 6rF. were reported 

 at 6 a.m., and in St Johns 63° and 64°F. being experienced 

 at daybreak, and in many instances 68° F. being the tempera- 

 ture at midday. In this laboratory 70° F. was registered at 

 noon of the 1 1th. 



The following are the data for the rainfall and 

 temperatures registered st 8 a.m each day at the Botanic 

 Station : — • 



Date. Rainfall. ^I^i^"^ Minimum 



temperature < temperatore. 



xVov. 10 0-55 86* F. 71* F. 



Nnv. 11 4 41 65* F 59* F. 



Nov. 12 270 74* F- 61* F. 



Nov. 13 0'70 82° F 65° F. 



S-36 



The 14th and loth have been hot, steamy days with 

 prevailing light NW. toS.W. breezes, a sharp and prolonged 

 shock of earthquake being experienr.-d on the 14th instant 

 at about 4*30 a m. (probably between 4'15 and 4'30 a.m.). 



The Alliance Trading Co., Ltd., has informed this C)tiice 

 concerning a trial of the 'Revolt' Drain Excavator, which was 

 arranged t<> take place in England on November 4, 1919. 

 This excavator ."_rou>ed considerable interest at the Koyal 

 Agricultural Society's show \t Cardiff xhia year, ami appears. 

 to be a useful laboursaviug implement. Detailed infor- 

 mation can be obtained fruui ths Ci«panj's Offices, Holland 

 House, Bury Street, London, R.C. 



