Vol. VI r. No. 1.j3. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



Cacao Pests of Trinidad. 



AckiiowledgeniPnt must be made of the receipt of 

 copies of Mr. 0. \V. Barrett's report on fungus dise.ases 

 and insect pests affecting^ cacao trees in Trinidad. 

 This report lias been issued as Society Paper No. ..'■s'l/ 

 of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago. 

 and in ad(!ition to information dealing specially with the 

 insect and fungus enemies of cacao, it contains also hints 

 and suggestions in reference to treatment of the soil, 

 cover crops, shade, windbelts, pruning, etc., as well 

 as notes on miscellaneous crops. 



A review of Mr. Barrett's report will shortly appear 

 in the Agrii-aliurcd Ni-h-k. 



Cassava Refuse as Stock Food. 



Dealing with the cassava e.\|)erijtients that are in 

 progress in Jamaica, the Island Chemist (Hon H. H. 

 Cousins. M. A.) mentions that trials are being made as 

 to the possibility of converting the cassava refu.se 

 ('bitty') after starch manufacture into a useful feeding 

 meal for cattle. The bitty is first dried, and then 

 mi.\-ed with one-third its weight of guango pods. 



The results already obtained indicate that such 

 a nii.\ture is easily prepared, that ifc.possesses a good 

 iiavour, and a high nutritive value for cattle, pigs, and 

 other stock. 



IMany scores of tons of guango pods rot and waste 

 annually in St. Catherine parish that might be utilized 

 in this wa}'. 



Plant Acclimatization Work in India. 



Acclimatization work with large numbers of exotic 

 plants has for many years past been carried on at the 

 Saharanpur Botanic Gardens in India. Saharanpur is 

 the v.'estern district of t!ie United Provinces. The 

 altitude of the Botanic Gardens is 903 feet; the 

 average rainfall is about 37 inches, and the mean 

 temperature a little over 70' F. The maximum shade 

 temperature, however, reaches 105 F.,while in the 

 winter the thermometer may fall as low as 22 F. 



A report has lately been compiled by the Superin- 

 tendent of the Gardens giving an account of all the 

 trials that have been made with various plants. 

 Mention is made of the results obtained with many trees 

 and plants well known in the West Indies. The alligator 

 apple {Anoint 'pcijiistrt><, Linn.), a native of Jamaica, 

 grew well under shelter, but died when exposed to the 

 cold of winter. The climatic conditions seemed to 

 suit the jalap plant {Ipmnoea {Exoijo-niiMii) Pv.rga), 

 but a proiiiisingcrop was destroyed by a fungoid disease. 

 Guinea grass {Piinicum mn.rimum, Jacq.), introduced 

 into India from Jamaica, did well, and gave good results. 



The Mammee apple {Mommm americana, Linn.) 

 stands the cold of winter well. Plants set out twenty 

 years ago have developed into handsome trees, 15 feet 

 high. So far, however, they have not fruited. 



The Avocado pear (Persra- (jratixsima), first 

 planted twenty-five years ago, has done fairly well, and 

 borne a few fruits. It has apparently suffered more 

 from excessive heat than from cold. A more equable 

 climate is required for this tree. 'J'he sapodilla {Achras 



sapota) has grown to a handsome tree: it flowers 

 every year, but has not yet fruited. The Jamaica shade 

 tree ( Pithrcfjlohluhi Sa man), on the other hand, ha sbeen 

 utterly killed out by frost. 



Both the quassia tree (Quassia ainara) and the 

 Lignum vitae {Guiarum officinale) did well under 

 shelter, but would not grow in the open. 



Improved Breeds of Goats and Sheep. 



A good deal of interest is being taken by peasants 

 and others in the improved breeds of goats and sheep 

 now being raised as the result of the introduction of 

 selected rams from various parts of the world by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture. The improved 

 breeds of goats are of the Toggenburg, Anglo-Nubian, 

 and Punjab sorts. The sheep are of the woolless kind 

 described in the West Indian Bidh'tin (Vol. VI, p. ltS7). 

 Latterly foin- fine rams of this breed have been obtained, 

 at considerale cost, from Lagos, West Africa. One of 

 these rams measures 33i inches at the shoulder and 

 weighs 140 tb. 



With the view of assisting those who may wish tc 

 obtain kids or lambs of the above breeds, arrange- 

 ments have been made with Messrs. Garraway & Co., 

 of Barbados, to act as Agents for the Department, 

 and this firm will receive applications, and ship animals 

 when available, at reasonable rates. 



It is desired that correspondence on this subject 

 be addressed to ^Messrs. Garraway & Co., and not to 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



Agricultural Industries of British Honduras. 



The British Honduras Annual Report (IDOO) 

 indicates that the timber trade still holds the premier 

 position among the industries of the -colonJ^ In fact, 

 the mahogany exports are greater than in any previous 

 year, having a value of S.584,.598 as compared with 

 S549,099 in 1905. . The shipments of logwood show 

 a decline, while those of cedar are practically stationary. 



The year 1905 is mentioned as having been an 

 excellent one for fruit, but still better returns were 

 obtained in 1906. Bananas, plantains, and cocoa-nuts 

 are the chief fruits grown. The value of the banana 

 exports increased from ."^142, 925 in 1905 to S1S1,250 

 in 190<J. Plantains also were shipped in greater 

 quantity, and cocoa-nuts were exported to the value 

 of §83,077 as compared with .§74,804 in 1905. 



This enhanced value of the fruit trade has been 

 continuous for several years past. It indicates that 

 the inhabitants of the colony are paying more attention 

 to agriculture proper, instead of devoting all their 

 energies to wood-cutting. 



It is stated that forty-nine sugar mills are in 

 operation in the colony, seven of which are worked bv 

 steam. About 700 tons of sugar are annually produced, 

 and nearly the whole of this quantity is consumed 

 locally. 



Attention has been given to rubber planting j,j 

 British Honduras, and during the year 22,108 lb. of 

 rubber, having a value oi ^18,362, were exported. 



