ToL. VII. Xo. i; 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



The .sum of £195 o.s. 2^/. was expended on the bianch 

 station at Nevis during the year under review, while £90 8.v. 

 was received finm tlie sale of^ phints and [iroduce at tliis 

 station. '■>, 



The experimental work in progress at Nevis deals chiefly 

 witli yams, cow peas, Nepaul pepper.s, cassava, and sweet 

 potatos. A considerable number of lime plants have also 

 licen raised at the station and distributed. 



ST. KITTS-XEVIS: REPORTS OX TIIK /!OTA.V- 

 IC STATION, ECOXOMIG EXl'ERl M EXTS, A.\l> 

 AdlilCJ'LTrUAL EUrCATIOX, lund-r. 



In connnon with other rei)orts deali»ig with the work, 

 during 1906-7, of the various Botanic and Experiment 

 Stations under the supervision of the Imperial ])epartment (if 

 Agriculture, that reUating to St. Kitt'ssNcvis opens witli 

 a short historical account of the establishment of the Botanic 

 Station. This is followed by a summary of the work of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture in St. Kitt's-Nevi.s 

 during the period 1898 to 1907. The interest of the report 

 is enhanced by the inclusion of eight photograiiliic illustra- 

 tions. 



In additiim to the Botanic Station at St. Kitt's a small 

 branch station was started at Nevis in 1903. In the follow- 

 ing year this was placed under the charge of an ollicer who 

 also acted as Agricultural Instructor for Nevis. 



Experiment plots on which trials are made in the 

 cultivation of food-producing and other crops were established 

 at LaGuerite in 1901. The best varieties of sweet potatos, 

 <-assava, yams, onions, Guinea corn, tolia'cco, etc., have been 

 planted, and cuttings or seeds of these plants have been 

 distributed among i>lanters and small growers with a view' to 

 improving the quality of the crops grown in the presidency. 



The question of agricultural education in St. Kitt'.s- 

 Xevis has received considerable attention from the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. Courses of lectureson the principles 

 of agriculture have been given to teachers in elementary schools 

 by i)r. Francis AVatts, C.iNt.G, and :Mr. .John ISelling, B. Sc. 

 By the provision of an Agricultural and Science master, as well 

 as scholarships and equipment for the agricultural side at the 

 St. Kitt's-Nevis Grammar School, the Department supplied 

 facilities by means of which promising boys might obtain 

 both practical and theoretical instruction iu chemistry, botany, 

 and agriculture. 



The wiirk done during the pa>t nine years in connexion 

 with sugar-cane experiments, the re-introduction of cotton 

 cultivation, and the ettbrts made to inqirove the local breeds 

 <if stoc!; l)y the importation of superior animals has been of 

 very great value to the agricultural c immunity of St. Kitt'.s- 

 Nevis. 



During 190(5-7, the total expenditure on a.uricultural 

 service in St. Kitt's-Nevis was £1.2:'>1 19.',-. 'kL Of this 

 • amount, the sum of £25.'l Gk. M. was expended on the ecouounc 

 experiments with sugar-cane, cotton, etc. The receipts from the 

 sale of plants, etc. at the Botanic Stafion, and of produce 

 grow-n in the experiment ])lots amounted to £106 16.s-. 2(/, 



During the year, 1,038 economic jilants were distributed. 

 Of these 71 1 were Castilloa elatlica. Interest in cacao plant- 

 ing also continues, and onions are still grown to considerable 

 •extent. _, 



I'nder the head nt' Economic Experiments interesting 

 particulai's are given in regard to the results nf the trials 

 ■carried out with various crops, ni'jre especially cotton, 

 tobacco (shade-grown and sun-grown), cassava, sweet potatos, 

 -and yams. 



ST. irC/A : AXX/'AL REPORT OX THE 

 HOTAXW STATIOX. ACrRWrLTrRAL SClfOOL, 

 A XI) EXPERIMEXT PLOT-% I'MH-T. 



This report, which contains fourteen illustrations; 

 is prefaced by a brief historical account of the Botanic 

 Station of St. Lucia. 



From this it appears that the station was established at 

 the close of 1886, when ilr. John Gray of .lamaica was 

 appointed Curator. Mr. ,1. C. Moore, of Kew, succeeded to 

 Mr. Gray's ]xist, on the death of the latter in 189-"). 



Following this comes a short review of the work of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture as regards the island of 

 St. Lucia. One of the most important and useful branches of 

 w(jrk of the Department has been the raising of plants at the 

 I^otanic Station, and their distribution to planters. The total 

 number of plants distributed, since January 1 899, amounts to 

 199,34-1, of which number 20,670 were distributed free to 

 piurchasers of Crown lands. 



The Imperial Department has also endeavoured to 

 assist the planting community of St. Lucia by providing 

 a travelling Agricultural Instructor, by the institution of an 

 experiment .station and experiment plots, by the establish- 

 ment of the Agricultural School ; and by the founding of an 

 agricultural science scholarship at Harrisdu College, liarba- 

 dos, and open to boys in St. Lucia. 



Coming to the report iju the work of the past year, it is 

 stated that the total expenditure in connexion with the 

 Botanic Station and the experiment plots, during 1 906-7, 

 amounted to £809 IS.". 9(7. The amount derived from the 

 sale of plants was £64 '2s. 



The general condition of the llotajiic Station appears 

 .satisfactory, and a con,siderable increase in the demand for 

 nursery plants is reiiorted. The total nundser of plants 

 distributed, during the past year, was 64,850, which is the 

 highest figure yet reached, and 39,775 more than in the 

 previous year. Of these, 5,864 were cacao, 18,177 Ca.stilloa 

 rubber, and 37,116 limes, as compared witii 708 cacao 

 plants, 531 rubber plajits, and 11,83-4 lime plants distributed 

 iu the previous year. 



In regard to the St. Lucia Agricultural School, the 

 expenditure during the year amounted to £586 14-<. \d., 

 exclusive of the salary of the Otiicer-in-charge. The health, 

 of the boys has been good, and^ faiily satisfactory reports on 

 the work of the school were given on the basis of the half- 

 yearly examinations. 



The experiment plots at the school, on which are grown 

 cacao, bananas, rubber trees, limes, and oranges, are also of 

 value for deiuonstration piti-jioses iu the practical instruction 

 (if the boys. 



The report of the Agricultural Instructor states that 

 a new series of cacao experiments was started in St. Lucia 

 during the year under review. This report also gives 

 a brief account of several diseases of cacao, and recommenda- 

 tions for dealing with them. Seedling canes are .stated to 

 be gaining in favour with the planters. Some interesting 

 results of tapping Castilloa iiibber trees are given. The net- 

 pirofit iier tree per annum (two tappings) was lOi'^. With 

 older trees it is thought this profit would be largely increiused. 



