88 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



:\[ Alien -n, 1908. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Lettcns and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, slionld be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the ' Agricultural 

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

 the Department. 



Loccd Agents: Messrs. iiowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 15, Seething Lane, E.G. A complete list of 

 Agents will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural Neivs : Price Id. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Post free. 4s. id. 



Agricultural Apprentices in British Guiana. 



Just over tliree years ago the scheme for ti-ainmg 

 a limited number of lads in the principles of agriculture 

 at the Botanic Gardens was put upon its trial, and the 

 work was started with si.>: lads iiesh fron; .school. In 

 this initial experiment, however, only two boys, both 

 from the F]ieudshi|) Wesleyan School, East Cu.ast, had 

 sufKcient peiseveraijce to take full advantage of the 

 opportunity, and to continue the course to the end. 



A second lot of six students entered for a three- 

 years' couise at tlie beginning of the f)reseut year. 

 These are housed at the (Orphan Asylum, aiul ;i y.ul of 

 their pay is deducted eacii week, to go towards the 

 e.xpeiise of their board and lodging. 



It is hoped that later it will be fuuu(i possible to 

 take on a (kizen boys at a time. 



^ijririiltiiral ^tm 



Vol. VII. SATURDAY, .MAIU'H lil, 1908. No. 1.53. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



An account of the origin and results of working, 

 during the past three years, of the Antigua Ontral 

 Sugar Factory is given in the editorial. 



Some interesting notes on the chai-acteristics of 

 the chief varieties of seedling canes under trial at 

 Antigua and St. Kitt's will be found on page 83. 



The spineless variety of lime, which is being tried 

 on a fairly extensive scale in Dotninica, gives 

 good results as compared with the ordinary variety. 

 (page 84.) 



Mr. Jones' paper, dealing with cacao grafting 

 experiments at the Dominica Botanic Station, is 

 reprinted on page 8.5. 



Some brief notes of interest relating to the cotton 

 industiy, including market reports, appear on f)age 8U. 



Fvxporimental work in relation to the hydrocyanic 

 acid content of cassava, carried on in Trinidad, 

 Jamaica, and the I'liited States, is reviewed on 

 l)age S7. 



Some ))ractical remedies tor insect pests are 

 discussed under ' Insect Notes ' (page 90). 



It is hoped that the West Indies will contribute 

 to the international Rubber Exhibition to be held in 

 London in September next (page 94). 



Seedling Canes in Antigua and. St. Kitt's. 



The figures given in Pamphlet No. 50, just 

 published by the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 indicate the increasing e.xteHt to which seedlmg canes 

 are displacing the Bourbon and White Transparent 

 varieties in Antigua-and St. Ivitt's. 



Sixty estates in Antigua reaped 8,879 acres of 

 canes in the crop season of 1907 of which 1,902 acres, 

 or 2r4 per cent, of the whole, were plantiid with 

 seedling canes. For the crop season of 1908 on the 

 same estates, the area devoted to seedling varieties in 

 Antigua had increased to 2,121 acres, or 241 per cent. 



In St. Kitt's, no less than 5,314 acres out of 

 a total area of 7,506 acres, or 71 per cent, are planted 

 with the newer seedling varieties. This relatively 

 large proportion, as compared with Antigua, i-; due u, 

 the fact that the White Transparent cane, grown in 

 St. Kitt's, does not exhibit the immunity to tlisease it 

 has shown elsewhere, and hence it has been necessary 

 to look for more resistant varieties. 



Labour in Trinidad, 



The proper adjiistment of the wages to be paid for 

 indentured and free labour respectively, in Trinidad, has 

 been causing some trouble of late. 



Under a previous enactnjont the rate of wages 

 paid for indentured labour must not be less than would 

 be paid to a free labourer for the same work. Under 

 these conditions it was impossible to raise the wages of 

 the Creole workman, without at the same time increas- 

 ing those of the indentured East Indian as \vell. But 

 inasmuch as the latter also obtained perquisites of the 

 value of from lie. to 18c. per day, besides being entitled 

 to constant em[)loyinent, it is h.irdly to be wondered at 

 that tliis arrangement should require modification. 



As the residi, of inquiry into the question by 

 a Select Connuiitee, the Secretary of State has .sanction- 

 ed an alteration in the Immigration Ordinance, the 

 effect of which will be to enable employers to raise the 

 wages of their free labourers by an amount equivalent 

 to the free quarters and medical attendance pmvided 

 for the indeiituidi l',ast Indians. 



