56 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February •22, 1908. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Barbados. 



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^qriciilturat flmuji 



Vol. VII. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 22, 1908. No. 1.52. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



'file establishment and working of Agricultural 

 Banks, a question of considerable interest to small 

 holders and peasant proprietors in these colonies, 

 is discussed in the editorial. 



Some interesting particulars in regard to the 

 working of the (Government Central Sugar Mills in 

 Queensland will be found on page .")1. 



Fruit shipments from Jamaica in in0()-7 show an 

 increased value of .C:i7,0()0 as compared with the 

 previous year (page 52). 



The results of cacao experiments in progress at 

 Dominica and (Irenada are summarized on page 53. 



From the notes relating to the cotton industry 

 it will be seen that market prices show little change, 

 that the area under Sea Island cotton in Carriacou 

 has doubled during the past year, that a small export 

 duty has been jilaced on cotton and cotton-seed shipped 

 from St. Croi.\, and that the Barbados Co-operative 

 Cotton Factory is in a Hourishing condition. 



Rubber in Dutch Guiana. 



Some account was given in the Agricultural 

 News, Vol. VI, p. 313, of the agricultural industries of 

 Dutch Guiana, and it was mentioned that a beginning 

 had been made in rubber planting. 



A correspondent, writing from Surinam, states 

 that Herea guiaiicnsis, which grows naturally, but in 

 small quantity, in the interior, gives a fairly good yield 

 of rubber of high quality. He also mentions that Para 

 rubber {H. hrasUiensis) does well in the colony, and 

 that the area planted with this species is rapidly 

 extending. On one estate several thousand trees aie 

 already established, and it is expected that within the 

 next vear double the number will be set out. 



It lias been thought that the vegetable ivory 

 palm, from the seeds of which is manufactured 

 a ser\iceablc substitute for the genuine ivory, might 

 be profitably cultivated in parts of the West Indies 

 (pvge 58). 



lirief descriptions of some of the chief fungus 

 diseases affecting sweet potatos are given on page 59. 



Cacao Production in Ecuador. 



As is generally known, the jirincijial jjroduct of 

 Ecuador is cacao, and the condition of this industry is 

 reviewed in a recent report of the British Consul at 

 Guayaquil. 



From this it appears that the record crop of cacao 

 produced up to the j)resent was that of 1904, which 

 reached 25,000 tons. In 1905, and again in 1906, the 

 crop obtained was about 21,000 tons. The high prices 

 which have recently prevailed, however, have more than 

 compensated growers for the reduced output. The 

 average price of cacao in 1905 w^as about £3 per 210 lb. 

 at Guayaquil. In 1906 this had increased to £3 8s. 

 per 210 tb., and a further rise of nearly 40 per cent, in 

 the value of cacao took place in 1907, the average price 

 for the year being £4 4s. per 210 ib. 



The value of the cacao shipped from Ecuador in 

 1906 was £1,499,221, or somewhat more than half the 

 value of the total exports of the country. 



Fungus Diseases of Sweet Potatos. 



With reference to the note that appeared in the 

 last number of the Agricultural News (Vol VII, p. 41) 

 relative to the sweet potato crop, the Mycologist on 

 the staff of the l)epartment w'ishes to point out that 

 the black i-ot of sweet potatos in Alabama was in lcS91 

 attributed by llalstead and Fairchild to Ceratoci/stls 

 jimbriata, Ell. and Hals., but that this fungus was 

 subsequently found by the same authorities to be 

 SplLaeroneina ti inbriatum. 



The Mycologist further adds that he is aware of 

 but one fungus disease that causes damage to the 

 sweet potato crop of the West Indies. This is due 

 to a white mycelium, most jirobably of a species of 

 Marasmius, that envelopes the roots and eventually 

 renders them unfit for food (Agricultural News, 

 Vol. V, p. 285). Should any readers have knowledge 

 of other fungus diseases of sweet potatos in the West 

 Indies, it is hoped th.it they will communicate 

 information, together with specimens if possible, to the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agricidture. On another 

 page of this issue will be found details respecting 

 fungus diseases of sweet potatos in other countries, 

 wliich may serve as a guide. 



