72 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Makch 7, 1908- 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the ' Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

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 Agents will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



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g^igriciiltiirat Jlinufi 



Vol. VII. SATURDAY, MAltCH 7, 1908. No. 1.53. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



Root disease of the sugar-cane receives attention 

 in the editorial of the present issue of the Agricultural 

 News. Remedial and preventive measures are discussed. 



Useful information in relation to the causes of 

 souring of muscovado molasses appears on page G7. 

 There is also a note on the sugar industry in British 

 Guiana. 



Trinidad Cacao Exports. 



Cacao growers in Trinidad are certainly experienc- 

 ing a favoTirablc season and good returns for their 

 produce, and ever; if piices drop somewhat before the 

 whole of the crop Jias been gathered in, the increased 

 output as compared with last year should go far to 

 make ample ciimpensatrion to producers. 



During ]!)07. a total lA 2.51.7.5.5 bags of cacao were 

 shipiied from Trinidad, of which 134,(511 went to Europe, 

 1 14,749 to New York, and 2,388 bags to Canada. In 

 January 1907, the amount of cacao shipped was 1(3.308 

 bags, while during the corresponding month of 1908, 

 the exports reached 40,139 bags, or very nearly treble 

 the output for January of the previous year. 



Agaves and Soil Denudation. 



An excellent example ot the use of vegetation in 

 arresting soil denudation is rejjorted trum South 

 Africa, where rer.ioval of the soil through the agencies 

 of burning, excessive tnimpling, torrential rain, etc. 

 causes much trouble on the bare lands of the veldt. 

 It is stated, howe-ver, that a good deal of success has 

 attended efforts made to combat this evil b}^ planting 

 the American 'Aloe' [prob.ably Agarc americana] on 

 affected areas. 



An effective bariier is formed to the denuding 

 effects of torrential rain by the establishment of lines 

 of these plants across sloping lands, and since the 

 sediment washed down is stopped by the barrier, 

 periodical terraces tend to become formed on the hUlside 

 in the course of a few years. 



Further, shelter is provided for other plants which 

 grow up below the lines and form, an additional mass of 

 vegetation, while the young succulent leaves of the 

 agave afford a supply of palatable food for stock during 

 drv seasons. 



The varieties of citrus fruits that have given the 

 most satisfactory results in Cuba are mentioned on 

 page 68, where also will be found a brief article on the 

 orange growing industry in New South Wales. 



An account of the cacao experiments in progress 

 at St. Lucia is given on page 09. 



The Cotton Notes of the present issue include 

 market reports, together with other brief articles of 

 interest. 



A successful Agricultural Show was held at 

 St. Kitt's on February 13 last (page 71). 



An interesting article in regard to nutmeg cultiva- 

 tionwill be found on page 7.5. 



Sisal cultivation in the Caicos Islands has under- 

 gone rapid extension during the past few years, and is 

 now a valuable industry (jiage 79). 



Rubber in British Guiana. 



The jiossibilities of the rubber industry in British 

 (iiiiana are mentioned very favourably in the Rciiort 

 for lilOO-7 of the Lands and Mines Department of that 

 colony. 



Reference is made to the fact that indigenous 

 rubber trees, notably Sapium Jcinnani are growing 

 luxuriantly in the lower reaches of all the rivers in the 

 North West District, as well as on the banks and 

 islands of the Esscr|uebo river, and the Commissioner 

 ot Lands and Mines is strongly yf opinion that rubber 

 cultivation in the colony should receive every- encourage- 

 ment. The low. Hat, alluvial banks of the river are 

 especially adapted for the growth of the native species 

 oil Sapium, and tiiousands of acres of this land might 

 be utilized in the cultivation. 



The terms dii which land is leased for rubber- 

 jilanting purposes by the Government of British 

 Guiana were summarized in the Agricultund News, 

 (Vol. VI, p. 409), and they are certainly favourable 

 enough to encourage men of means to test the rubber- 

 producing possibilities of the colony. 



During the year 190()-7, 2,o03 lb. of rubber, and 

 034,222 11». cf balata were exported from British 

 Guiana. 



