t)2 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Mauch 21, 190S. 







».-;^r« 



Thu iiiiininit of sugar-cane pniilucts sliiiipwl fi-om 

 St. Kitt's-Xfvis (liirijig 1907 reached 14,179 tons of sugar, 

 "J.15."i puiiclicnns 111 molasses, and ."500 i)unelieons of i-iim. 



It is satisfactory to note that the exports of cacao from 

 .lauiaica during the past }-ear show a greater increase than 

 those of an}' other product. The amount of cacao .shipj)ed in 

 1900-7 was greater by 16, -500 cwt. than the shi|)ments of the 

 previous year, this being ecpial <o an • incn-eased value of 

 £.57,00(1.' 



GLEANINGS. 



During the year 1906, twelve grants of Crown land 

 verc taken up in British Honduras, the whole comprising an 

 iuXM of 716' acres. The cost of Crown land in British 

 Hiinilnras is 81 per acre. 



One Inmdred and thirty-one grants of Crown land were 

 .made in Rritisli (iniana during; 1906-7. These comprised 

 ,a total area of -.'-.Ju 1 acres. ThiHy-two grants were of 5 acres 

 and under. 



The J'nrt-nf-Sj'(iiii (liiietti- reports that from the begin- 

 ning "f tlic cMne-reai)ing season ftp to February 29 last, cane 

 fanners in the southern district of Trinidad had supjilied the 

 factories with 29,500 tons of cane, valued at 860,200. 



The intrcMbiction intn Pajnia. Xew (iuinea, of rabbits, 

 hares, foxe.s, monkeys, or any animal other than useful 

 domestic animals, has been forbidden under heavy penalties. 



(I'll/, III! (luvri)llll(llt (liV.itte.) 



Over 1,600 \>udded citrus plants, chiefly of the 

 AVashingloii Navel orange, were .sold from the Dominica 

 Botanic Station and .\gricultural School during 1906-7. It 

 is reported that tlieie is a steady demand for these plants. 



The output of balata in British Cniana during 1906 7 

 icailird 6.S7,O40 lb., a con.siderablc increase on the figure fur 

 190.5-6. I'rices are good, and the latest report (1906-7) on 

 the colony estimates the present year's production to be still 

 higher. 



The r.S. Con.-nl at Calculta, in a late rcpurl, diaws 

 attention to the great loss of cattle from disease ami other 

 causes, that took jtlace in the Madras i)rovince during the 

 Ihrce months ending -lune 30, 1907. The t.ital lo.ss is place.l 

 at 2:!,S01. Of the.se. 12,778 died fmni rinderpest. 1,979 

 ircm "anthia\. uliile 2.7>-^9 were killed b.\ »ild animals. 



The \'(ilr( <it St. Liiciii roniments on the great extent to 

 which doidvcys are used in jjarbados as compared with other 

 West Indian islands. It points out that the.se animals would 

 l)e most useful to small cultivators in St. Lucia, especially in 

 the more hilly districts of the interior, and suggests that the 

 Agricultural Societyniight start a movement to promote the 

 breeding of donkevs on organized lines in the island. 



The want of good transport fa('ilities has long i)i'event(<d 

 the utilization of the best agricultural land in British 

 Hcmduras. The railway that is abour to belaid in the Stan 

 t'reek ^■alley, however, will open up one of the most fertile 

 districts. 



.\ numbei' of Mangosteen jilants {(lurrinin .Uini;/oxhiiii() 

 are MOW established iu'Dominica, three of which are at the 

 Botanic Station, ll is stated that this jilant grows best on 

 fairly heavy .soils, and in districts where the rainfall is well 

 over 100 inches per annum. 



His MajOsty'sConstd at Palermo reports a good crop of 

 citrus Iruil (oranges and lemons) for the present .seasoTi in 

 Sieih. The fruit is small, but the return is more abundant 

 than la.st sea.son. A new company has just been formed for 

 citrate of lime mamifacture. 



The Tahiti or Persian Seedless has been reported on as 

 the chief variety of lime grown in t!uba. This is described 

 as a prolific variety, the fruit containing agood percentage of 

 citric acid, but not 'having good keeping properties. There 

 are, too, a considerable number of native varieties of limes 

 grown in Cuba, and growers of these report that the produce 

 is of excellent ipiality. 



The .Jamaica lioard of Agriculture has recommended to 

 the Government, that the provision of school gardens shall 

 become compulsory in coniiexion with all the elementary 

 schools of the colony. The ./(iinnir/i Tdeijiiijih a[iproves this 

 stej), but expresses an opinion that the best results will 

 only be obtained if the .Agricultural Instructors of the island 

 undertake the instruction work comiected with the school 

 g irden^. 



Several varieties of cas.sava have been grown experiment- 

 ally at the Agricultural Experiment Station. Bahamas. Part 

 (if the crop was raised after nine niontlis' growth, the 

 remainder being taken up twelve months after planting. In 

 all cases the most profitable results were obtained after twelve 

 months' growth. In the case of two varieties. White Top 

 and White Stock, the return after twelve months' growth was 

 greater by 7 tons |jcr acre than after nine months' growth. 



The Agricultural Instructor nf St Ann and Trelawney, 

 .Tamaica, reports that the |)eople of the Deeside district are 

 .show'ing very considerable interest in the possibility of the 

 establishment of jippi-jappa hat manufacture in their midst. 

 The Instructor has been requested to get all the information 

 |in>sil.le iiu the sid.)ject, together with a stock nf plants for 

 establishment in the district, so as to ensure a steady supiily 

 of straw before starting o|)erations. 



I!av. lime ]\\\vi- to the extent of 2.">4.2.'iS u.->llons was' 

 rxiiorted from Duminica during 1907. This shows an increase 

 of ()(),7t0 gallons as compaied with 1906. Of concentrated 

 lime .juice, 12(),S(lO gallons were shipped during 1907 

 a small increase on the .shiiunents of the previous year. 



Sisal hemp (,b/«ie c/f/Z'/a, \;\v. sisn/niia) and Mauritiu.s 

 \icu[\i (Fiirn-iic'i ;/i;/ante'i) ''^^''' 'lou being largely planted in 

 many parts of t^ueejisland. The agricultural re[)oit on the 

 colony fur 1906-7 .states that these plants thrive luxuriantly 

 on the coast lamls, and there appears to be every indication 

 that C^)ueenslaud will become an important centre for the 

 proiluctiiin nf M^al fibre. 



