Vol. VII. No. 153. 



THE AGKICULTUEAL NE^VS. 



71 



COTTON INDUSTRY IN MONTSERRAT. 



Mr. W. Robson, Curator of the Montserrat Botanic 

 Station, writes as follows to the Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture, under date of February 19 last, with 

 reference to the present season's cotton crop of the 

 island : — 



The total shiiiments of cotton to tlate amount to 

 216,.'31.''i lb., of an estimated value of i^lGj^lS, so that it is 

 likely that the average return per acre will esfeeed considerably 

 that of last year, which was 160 If), of lint per acre, over 

 1,000 acres. 



On good land an appreciable second crop will be obtained, 

 especially on many of the peasants' plots, where the cotton is 

 grown under garden conditions. J" 



I am not able to state what prices were received for 

 the fir.st shipments. 



St. KITT'S AGRICULTURAL AND 

 INDUSTRIAL SHOW. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superiiitentlent 

 of St. Kitt's-Nevis, has forwarded an account of the 

 Agricultural and Industrial show, held at St. Kitt's 

 on February 13 last, from which it appears that the 

 meeting was a very successful one in every way. 



The show was opened by his E.xcellency the Governor 

 of the Leeward Lslands (.Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott, K.C.^M.G.), 

 who, in his speech, congratulated the Society on the quantity 

 and quality of the e.xhibits. He referred ^ to the presence at 

 the exlubition of Mr. W. G. Parmalee, Deputy Minister of 

 Trade and Conunerce of Canada, who coiild see, from the 

 numerous exhibits, that 8t. Kitt's-Nevis was capable of 

 jiroducing other products than sugar. Sir Bickham also 

 alluded to the great value of the AVest Indian sugar trade 

 with Canada, and pointed out the importance of doing every- 

 thhig possible to strengthen trade relations between the 

 Leeward Islands and the Dominion. 



In referring to the good work of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in the Leeward Islands, his Excellency 

 regretted the absence of Sir Daniel MorrLs, who was unable 

 to be present that day. A telegram, however, had just been 

 received from the Imperial Commissioner of .Vgricultnre 

 in which he sent his best wishes for the siicce.ss of the show. 



The exhibits were more numerous and of better quality 

 than last year, this being especially the case with the vege- 

 tables and sugar-canes on view. Nevis came well to the 

 front : exhibits of yams, maize, and a stool of plant canes 

 from that island all being awarded fir.st prizes, while the 

 Governor's prize for the best collection of vegetables also 

 went to a Nevis exhibitor. 



The horned stock, goats and sheep, as 'well as the [inultry, 

 formed good classes, many of them showing distinct advances 

 as corayiared with i)ast years. 



As regards school exhibits, the Itonian Catholic schoul, 

 and the Wesleyan school, Basseterre, sent creditable collections 

 of pot plants, etc., while fcau- schools 'sent collections of 

 vegetables. 



Two bales of broom corn were, shown, one from 

 Finney's, Nevis, which was awarded first prize, and the other 

 from Brighton estate. 



A separate exhibit was arranged for the Botanic Station, 

 on which was disi)layed all the different prodncbs grown at 

 the station and at La Guerite. 



SUCCESS OF IRRIGATION METHODS 

 IN INDIA. 



The success that has attended efforts to develop 

 agriculture in a portion of British India by means of 

 iriigation is thiis described by the U.S. Consul at 

 Calcutta : — 



The Chenab canal system was opened in 1887, and 

 waters nearly 2,000,000 acres of land that was comparatively 

 worthless before brought under irrigation, but which is now 

 rated at an average of >^50 [ler acre. The Chenab colony 

 is now one of the most prosperou.s in all India. It has no 

 fears hanging over it as to the outcome of crops on account 

 of uncertain rainfall, and the result is that the people com- 

 prising the colony are happy and contented. Before the 

 canal was oijcned and the colonization scheme carried out to 

 any degree of success, the land was practically a desert 

 country occupied by a few people engaged princii)ally in 

 raising goats and breeding camels. When the grazing was 

 fairly good by reason of sufficient rainfall, the population 

 increa.sed and the animals did very well. But when the 

 drought was on (which was the case most of the time), the 

 herdsmen moved their herds to a more favoured locality. 

 Now all this is changed. The Chenab canal has converted 

 the desert into a garden, and the peoiile living there have 

 plenty and to spare. 



PROSPERITY OF DOMINICA. 



The increasing prosperity of Dominica is evident 

 from the facts and figures brought forward in the 

 course of an address delivered by the Administrator of 

 the island (lion. W. Douglas Young) at a meeting of 

 the Legislative Council on February 1.3 last. The 

 following notes are taken from Mr. Young's address: — 



In 1906 the trade of Dominica reached the mipre- 

 cedented value of £209,470. During the past year (1907) 

 this prosperous state of the island was maintained, and the 

 value of the trade advanced to £'.^.52,943. 



The imports of the island for 1907 reach the figure of 

 £11.5,297, an increase of over £22,000 over the previous 

 year, while the value of the exports totalled £1 1S,701, an 

 advance of £23,000 on those of 1906. 



The output of the lime industry during 1907 was most 

 marked. The lime croi) of the year was the largest ever 

 reaped in Dominica, and was estimated at 24.5,000 barrels, an 

 increase of 28,000 barrels over the crop of 1906. 



Concentrated lime juice formed the chief exported 

 product of the lime industry, the increased value of the 

 shipments of this article being £11,000 as compared with 

 those of the previous year. 



The trade in raw lime juice, citrate of lime, and green 

 limes has also shown advance during 1907. The total value 

 of the exports of the lime industry during 1906 was £54,874, 

 and those for the yeav 1907 were valued at £77,407, this 

 latter figure representing 65 per cent, of those exports which 

 are the produce and manufacture of the island. 



There was a small increase in the amount of cacao 

 shipped from Dominica during 1907 as compared with 1906. 

 In the latter year, ll,3iS0 cwt. of cacao were exported, while 

 in 1907 the figure was 11,628 cwt. In 1906 the value of 

 the exports was £35,185. Owing to the higher average price 

 of cacao in 1907, however, the value of the year's exports 

 of the crop is placed at £49,000. Some sales of Dominica 

 cacao in the London market during the }ear fetched as n.uich 

 as 120.5. per cwt. 



