Vol. VII. Xo. 152. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



57 



Corn Selection by Agricultural Pupils. 



A competition of ;ui interesting nature, and one 

 worthy of imitation in other parts of the West Indies 

 has been carried out at the Antigua Grammar School. 



In June hist Dr. Watts offered, on behalf of 

 Mr. A. M. Lee, prizes for the best samples of selected 

 corn grown by the boj's. The management of the 

 competition was taken over by the- Agricultural and 

 Science Master (Mr. A. H. Kirby, B. A. ), who instructed 

 the boys as to the qualities to be sought for in the ears 

 of corn chosen for seed purposes. Three ears were 

 selected by each boy, and the seed was sown in any 

 place where the boy could keep a watch on the growing 

 plants. Four boys succeeded in bringing the corn to 

 maturity, and each lad then chose, for ths purposes of 

 the competition, what he considered to be the ten best 

 ears on his plot. These were submitted to Mr. Kirby 

 who awarded the prizes. 



Arrangements are being made at the school to 

 hold a second competition of a similar nature. 



off by a flue built up on one 'side of the drier, and this 

 also affords additional heaf. In working, the small 

 cylinders would be about half filled with cacao beans, 

 and revolution of the large wheel, which is driven by 

 hand power, ensures the constant turning of the beans. 

 The apparatus costs about £150 for a small plant. 



Agriculture in Northern Nigeria. 



From the Annual Report (1906-7) on Northern 

 Nigeria, it is evident that although the Protectorate 

 possesses veiy considerable agricultural possibilities, yet 

 these are at present almost entirely undeveloped. 



Tobacco is grown for local cousumption, and it is 

 stated that great things may be expected of this indus- 

 try in the future. A considerable amount of experi- 

 mental work will have to be carried out, however, before 

 tobacco growing for export can be taken up. 



Ground nuts are grown thronghout the Protec- 

 torate in considerable quantitj-. Shea butter trees 

 {Butyriittiirrminn Purl: it) wee also fairly abundant. 

 Large forests of gum arabic trees (^4(.v(r(« spp.) exist, 

 tut it is stated that very little of the gum is collected. 



l^ubber forms the most valuable article of export 

 from Northern Nigeria, and large acres could be rei\ted 

 at small cost for rubber growing. Funtumia seedlings 

 to the number of 25,000 were planted last year at the 

 Oovernment plantation, and rubber seedlings of Para, 

 Castilloa, and Funtumia are grown at this plantation 

 and distributed free. 



New Cacao Drier. 



An illustrated description of a new apparatus for 

 drying cacao by artificial heat, patented by Mr. H. 

 Hamel Smith, appeared in the December number of 

 Tropical Life, of which j\Ir. Smith is editor. 



The principal feature of the drier is a large revolv- 

 ing wheel, on the circumference of which are a number 

 of hollow cylinders in a horizontal position, and contain- 

 ing the beans to be dried. This wheel is enclosed in 

 an outer case, and is fixed over a furnace, which 

 supplies the necessary heat. 



The provision ofan aperture atthelevel of the furnace 

 fireensurestheadmittanceof a current of air into the case 

 containing the revolving wheel. This air is heated by 

 passing around and over the furnace, before being led 

 into the wheel chamber. It finally passes off by an 

 aperture at the top. The smoke from the fire is led 



Suggested Oil Factory for St. Vincent. 



The need of an oil factory for St. Vincent in 

 connexion with the cotton industry of the island is 

 discussed in a late number of the Kingstcnvn Tinier. 

 This need is all the more apparent at present because 

 it is stated that the Barbados oil factory can take no 

 cotton seed from St. Vincent for a while, as the available 

 storage space is filled up with locally produced seed 

 Cotton growers in St. Vincent have in past years found 

 a ready sale for their seed at the Barbados factory, but 

 with the extension of the cotton area in the latter 

 island, outsiders have to wait until the oil factory has , 

 dealt with the home-grown seed before they can get 

 into the market. 



The value of the cotton seed forms no inconsider- 

 able part of the returns of a cotton grower, and this fact, 

 together with the additional one that the seed experi- 

 ences a loss of weight on storage, makes a planter 

 anxious to get his seed to the oil factory as early as 

 possible. 



The Ti nu's suggests that the ( iovernment should 

 erect an oil f^ictory in connexion with their central 

 cotton factory. 



Lemon Curing. 



Lemon trees are reported to flourish and to give 

 good returns in many parts of Australia, and an article 

 in a recent number of the Agricultural Gazette of New 

 Soutli Wales draws attention to the great improve- 

 ment in the general quality .of the fruit that would be 

 brought about by the adoption of a good curing system. 



It appears that this process is at present almost 

 entirely neglected. 



The writer of the article recommends that the fruits 

 be gathered just as they are turning ripe. They should 

 be allowed to stand for a few days in a large, airy 

 building, after which they are packed in paper-lined 

 boxes which may be stacked in such a manner as to 

 allow a free circulation of air throughout. The fruits 

 are looked over occasionally, and if the}' are found to be 

 keeping well, they may be left for several months until 

 they are thin-skinned and pliable, but they should be 

 marketed before the skin shows the least sign of hard- 

 ening. 



The object in curing lemons is to reduce the thick- 

 ness of the peel and make it tough : it also increases 

 the juiciness, and keeps the fruit in good condition for 

 a longer period than would be the case without curing. 



A further advantage of curing lies, of course, in the 

 fact that the fruits can, if necessary, be kept and put on 

 the market when fresh fruit is not available oris carce, 

 thus giving a better return to the grower. 



