Vol. YII. Xo. 150. 



THE AGllICULTURAL NEWS. 



23 



often uniiecestiary to purchase nitrogen, exceiit that it may 

 be profitable to apply about 50 lb. of nitrate of soda 

 before planting, to stinuilate the y'>uug seedlings to rapid 

 growth. AVhen commercial fertilizers are relied on, the 

 nitrogen is best derived from the cotton-seed meal or other 

 organic materials, such as tankage or dried blood, which 

 become available more .slowly and are more lasting in iheir 

 effects than the cpiicldy soluble nitrate'of soda or sulphate of 

 ammonia. 



A liberal suppily of potash is very important for Sea 

 Island cotton, and farmers outside of the bea Islands use too 

 little of it. Potassium influences the formation of starches 

 and sugars in the plant and appears to be indispensable for 

 protein formation. The lack of it in the case of Sea Island 

 cotton may lead to the appearance of ' rust,' a disease result- 

 ing from disordered nutrition. Fields or parts of helds 

 kifown to be subject to rust should receive an additional 

 application of potash. In amounts varying in accordance with 

 the severity of the disease. Kainit is the most common 

 source of potash, but as it contains only 1 2 per cent, of potash 

 it should be applied liberally. Muriate of potash contains 48 

 per cent, of potash, and is more convenient on account of its 

 concentration and is usually considered to be proportionately 

 effective. Fifty pounds of muriate of potash per acre would 

 thus be erpiivalent to 200 lb. of kainit. 



This element, in the form of \ihosphoric acid comiiounds, 

 is indispensable to the Sea Island cotton plant for its general 

 development, and especially for the seed and lint. Most soils 

 are deficient in phosphorous, which is therefore an important 

 ingredient of fertilizers. Acid pliosphate is the usual source, 

 and on account of its low price forms an unduly large propro- 

 tion of the average fertilizer. With the e.Kception of 

 occasional applications of marl, on the Sea Islands, lime is 

 not used by cotton growers, and there is little evidence that it 

 would be i>rofi table. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE LEEWARD 



ISLANDS. 



Interesting details relating to cotton, lime, and 

 cacao cultivation in the Leeward Islands are contained 

 in the Annual Report (VM)(i-7) on the colony, whicli 

 bears evidence to the very considerable ]jrogiess that 

 has been made of late in connexion with those 

 industries. E.xtracts from the Re [tori are given here- 

 with: — 



The cotton industry continues to make very consideralile 

 progress, and is now regarded as one of the most important 

 .staples of the Leeward Islands. The season, on the whole. 

 Las been an unfavourable one for Cotton throughout the 

 West Indie.s, but the industry appears to have been little 

 checked thereby. The quality of the cotton, jjarticularly 

 in Antigua, has been considerably improved during the last 

 year or two. 



At Antigua, .several estates that have not been under 

 cultivation for very many year.';, have been clearetl and 

 planted in cotton. A number of young men have [lurchased 

 land and settled in the island witli the intention of planting 

 cotton. Some of them are now reaping remunerative crops. 

 Two additional ginneries have been erected, and the ginnery 

 hitherto profitaldy worked by the l)e|ii«-tinent of Agriculture 

 has been transferred to a coini)any. There is thus much 

 activity in connexion with this industry. 



In St. Kitt's, the industry is very successfully cai lied 

 on in conjunction mth sugar : owing to the easily worked 



character of the soil of the island, a crop of cotton can lie 

 grown on the sugar fields immediately befoie the sugar crop 

 is planted, thus dividing the cost of cultivation lietween the 

 two crojis. Cotton has thus, in this island, become a valuable 

 ally to sugar. 



Ill Nevis, a large area, .some 1,700 acres, was planted in 

 cotton, liut, owing to uiiiiropitious seasons, the croi» is but 

 a small one. There does not appear, however, any disjiosition 

 to abandon the industry, whicli will be vigorously carried on 

 for the next year's crop. 



In Montserrat, the industry has been ipiite successfully 

 carried on and has now become a priiiciiial industry, ranking 

 in inii)ortance with lime juice. 



Very considerable progress in cotton growing has been 

 made in Anguilla, resulting in most marked changes in the 

 welfare and condition of this small island, which has thus 

 been restored to a degree of prosperity beyond what it has 

 enjoyed for a great number of years. 



Owing to conditions paculiar to the island, the crops of 

 cotton are not heavy ; they are however, quickly, and cheaply 

 grown, and are of excellent C|uality. Over 1,100 acres are 

 now under cotton, and there are three ginneries at work. 



The cultural work has largely lieen under the direction 

 of the officers connected with the Imperial Deimrtment of 

 Agriculture, to whose efforts the successful field work, the 

 comliating of pests, and the improved quality owe much. 

 The Department watches the industry very chwely in all 

 its stage.s, and is engaged in experimental work connected 

 with the improvement of the quality of cotton, the selection 

 of seeds, and the study of the various pests to which the crop 

 is subject. The manner in which the cotton growers and the 

 Department of Agriculture have worked together forms one 

 of the most striking illustrations of the functions and useful- 

 ness of such a Deiiartment. 



The lime industry both in Dondnica and ^Montserrat is 

 in a satisfactory condition and continues to make stead}' 

 advance. From both Presidencies citrate of lime is now being 

 >hip[ied on a large scale. The production of this article is 

 held to be an imiirovement on the manufacture of concentrated 

 lime juice. Concentrated juice is, however, still shipped in 

 large quantities. Considerable quantities of raw juice are 

 also shipped from both islands, for use in [ireparing beverages. 

 Lime fruits are also exported in increasingly large ipiantities 

 to Europe and America. Pickled limes also form an article of 

 export. The essential oils prepared from the lime, either by 

 hand or by distillation, constitute exports of some importance. 



Cacao continues to be one of the mo.st important indus- 

 tries in Dominica, where the cultivation is being steadily 

 extended. The Imiierial Department of Agriculture has 

 under its control a large number of experimental plots for the 

 cultivation of cacao in various districts of the island, designed 

 with the object of ascertaining the effect of various manures 

 and different methods of cultivation on the cro|i. Some of 

 these experiments have given highly interesting results, demon- 

 strating that the productiveness of the cacao tree can be very 

 greatly increased. The results obtained in certain of these 

 exiiei'iinents have attracted wide attention and are likely to 

 have considerable influence on the methods of cultivation. 

 The details are given in the Ainiiiu/ Rcjinrts of the Dominica 

 liotanic Station and in the Wc^t Indian Jiiillctin. 



The Imperial Department of Agriculture has continued 

 investigations on the pests and diseases affecting cacao, and 

 advises as to their control. 



In Nevis, small pioneer cacao plantations are making 

 good progress : small crops will soon lie reaped. It is not, 

 however, probable that any considerable area of Nevis will be 

 found suitable for cacao. 



