404 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 27, 1919. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



.iRENADA. PUnt distribution during November ia- 

 eluded: lime.. 300 ; oranges (budded), 36: mangoes (gritted), 

 7 • sweet potato cuttings, 300; ornamental, 20 ; vinous 

 economic, 3 ; kidney beau seeds, 1 packet ; various seeds, 

 1 oz. Regarding staple crops, the Acting S ipenntendent ot 

 Agriculture, Vtr. W. O'Brien Doaovan, sta'.es t-.at cacao is 

 in heavy i' earing; the market continues firm, and a large 

 number of growers— boih large and smill— find ready and 

 apparently satisfactory sale lor their produce in the Port ot- 

 apain market; and there are indiciiions that growers will 

 continue to dispose ol their produce i . this market, ratder 

 than ship it direct l.i the London or New York markets. 

 The lime crop in Carriacou is said to be a good one. Aoout 

 12 acres at VVestethall have beeu cultivated in Mar e Gilante 

 cotton by settlers of Carriacou, who obtained land from the 

 Government under the Land Setilement Act. The cotton 

 has groivn beautifully, is healthy and in b'oom. Coco- ut trees 

 at the Westerhall experiment plot are affected with red ring 

 disease. Intermittent .showers fell during the month, the 

 raiufall recorded at Richmond Hill being 7 96 inches. 



ANTiouA. Heavy rains during November impeded 

 cultur.ll opeiations in the E<periraent Stations. Plant 

 distribution comprised: 2,000 Ai-ave sisalana, 16 cacao, 

 and 17 decorative. The sugarcane crop throughout the 

 island, Mr. Galwey, the Acting Curator states, continues 

 to make rapid growth under the influence of good 

 rains. The preparation of lands for the planting 

 of next year's cane crop, however, has been at a 

 8tandstill for the greater pare of the month. Severe 

 attacks of caterpillars were experienced during the 

 month, which entirely defoliated plants in most districts 

 of the island Cotton stainers were also common m 

 all fields. A small percentage of the bolls on the plants in the 

 English Harbour district were found to be infected by 

 internal boll disease. Mr. T. Jackson vacated the post of 

 Curator and Agricultural S ipenntendent on November 8. 

 and left for St. Vincent on the fuUowin'^ day. The rainfall 

 for the month was 15-43 inches. Within the space of six 

 hours 4 inches of rain fell on the morning of Nuvemb^ r 29. 

 The total precipitation for the year to date is 48t<l inches. 

 Five earthquakes of moderate violence were recorded during 

 the month. 



A sliort r'eport on agricultural instruction for the 

 month oINoveniber, appended to the foio.omv!, emphisizes 

 severe attacks of cotton caterpillar* and cot'on sainers in 

 the cot' on fields throughout tlie puasant boiaiiit;s. 



ST. KiTTS. Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Aarionltural Superin- 

 tendent, records u-sual routine work in the Botanic 

 Gardens du.ing the month of yovt-mtter. The sugar- 

 cane crop, 'he states, has responded, to the good rains of the 

 past inoiiih, *n i the pro.-.p. cis for the coming season are 

 mo.st iavonrable; thecan-s in tue Valiey district have con- 

 siderably inipr •>ed, and large reiuiusare expected. .The 

 planting of the young crop is ixing pushed on, and clfi.rts are 

 being made to secure the beit vnieties. The Barbados 

 ■eedlingfi 15.11.(10; 12, and B-.,6032 are in great demand. 

 It is expected that all the misciva I < e»ta es in the Nonhi-rn 

 di.sfri".t ^ ill make syrup, most of which h -s been already sold 

 tX is. 6(i yer gallon, pui.cheons supplied. The coiUjn crop is 

 now practically reaped, and the Uml put in cane.s. The 

 returns, on the whole, have been favourable, and the quality 



excellent. The cotton slainer has been considerably less 

 abundant than in the pievious year, and did no damage to 

 cotton on the e^ta'es. The cotton worm has been very 

 prevalent and troublesome during the month, but little d am 

 age has been done. S[)ecial efforts arc being made by means 

 of collecting in pins with kerosene and water, to keep the 

 stainers in check on th^ Government C ttou Farm, so as to 

 reap the .second bearing, which so far has been satisfactory. 

 Trials of calcium arsenate as a poison for cotton worms, are 

 also being undertaken. The rainfall for the m nth was 6 "2.5 

 inches ; for the year to date, 47 -.59 inches. 



MoNTsERUAT. Plant distribution during November 

 included: 1,925 lime plants, 1.300 biy, 56 loblolly (for a 

 wird break), and 18 packets ■ f virions bean-i. Trials with 

 calcium carbonate, Mr. Robson states, did not appear to be 

 very succcs.sful in controUiig co ton viorms The weather 

 has been too rainy and damp for the successful development 

 of the second crop of cotton, but if fine weather is experi- 

 enced in December, considerable pickings, it is expected, 

 will be made fmm certain areas. This applies more par- 

 ticularly to areas not severely infested with cotton stainers. 

 and where defoliation his not resulted from the attacks of 

 cotton worms Old plants have already been uprooted from 

 areas when the crop is practically over. Very serere 

 attacks of cotton worms were experienced during the 

 month, and quite large areas were denuded of foliage, (..'ot- 

 ton stainers w re found to be serious in one district, but 

 taking the island as a whde, are probibly not as plentiful as 

 in previous years. Samples of comiuprcial co,t m have been 

 sent to Canada at the request of a firm dealing in Sea Island 

 cotton- Thf> price paid looa'ly for Saa Island seed-cotton rose 

 from 6(/. to 6t/- per lb. ; baled lint i.s h°ini; tiou-ht locally at 

 3.f. 3(/ per lb. Arrangements are being made to proceed with 

 the destruction of tue rennining silk cotion trees in the 

 island. It is of interest to record that one grower of 

 a considerable area of bay trees has erected what 

 appears to be an effluent distilling apparatus At a meet- 

 ing of I he Agricultural Society, two delegates were 

 appointed to attend i he forthcoming meeting of the Associa- 

 ted Chambers of Commerce to be held in Barbados. The 

 rainfall recorded at the Grove Station during the month 

 was ir69 inihe% wiih a precipitation of 435 inches 

 on the 1 1th ; the total rainfall for the year to date is 

 55'64 inches. TberJ was a conspicuous lack of sunshine 

 during the month. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



The closing days of November, udike those of the same 

 month last year, were very showery. Indeed in some dis- 

 tricts, practically half i he amount of rain whieh fell during 

 November was registered between the 2.'JLh and the .lOth. 



The month of December, ther.tfore, found the earth 

 quite wet, and vegetati n making rapid strides The first 

 diy of the mo th was also showery ; the sky was overcast 

 and promised a general downpour. In 'he north and north- 

 eastern parts of the isl .nd a soaking rain fell, but the south- 

 ern parishes wore not so favourably tr aled. Since this date 

 comparatively no rain h id fall- n souh of a line drawn across 

 the island in the neighb -urhood of the row <if hills on which 

 the old (Jun Hill Signal .^tation stands, but notch of such a 

 line there have begn six showery d »y3 totalling 2 inches. 

 The result hi.s been a great contrast between the progress 

 made by the old crops, and the start made by the young 

 plants in tids part of th?, island, as compared, w.ith. conditions 

 in the southern part. ... ..',-.j ■ 



