Vol. VII. Xo. 161. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



201 



ilainfall at Dominica. 



According to the statement of rainfall returns for 

 Dominica during 1907, the highest rainfall for the year 

 •was recorded at Lancashire Station, this being 247 59 

 inches. The station recording the second highest rain- 

 fall was Glean Manioc, which received 227'2.5 inches. 

 Batalie received the least amount of rain — 40 2(Hnches, 

 Maconehcric coming next in this respect with 

 542ti inches. September was the month in which the 

 maximum rainfall was registered at most stations, but 

 July, August, and December were also wet months. 

 The highest monthly figure recorded, however, was 

 4.5'3.5 inches of rain, experienced at C'astle Bruce in 

 November. Feltruary and March were the driest 

 months. The mean rainfall of Dominica for the whole 

 year, based on the returns from thirty-three stations, 

 was 108 51 inches, this being 20 inches less than that 

 registered in 190b. 



Sugar Industry in Reunion. 



The sugar crop of Reunion, for the j'ear 1907 

 reached 87,-500 metric tons [1 metric ton = 2,200 lb.], 

 -of which 17,(j(S5 tons had been exporteil up to the end 

 of November last. The net price obtained by the 

 planter varied from 17 s. Qd. to l<S.s. id. per 220 lb. of 

 sugar. In common with many other cane-growing 

 countries. Reunion suffered much from drought towards 

 the end of 1907, and this is expected to reduce the 

 yield from the present season's crop. 



In his latest report, the British Consul at Reunion 

 refers to the bad organization that exists in connexion 

 with the sugar industry of the island, which is carried 

 on with out-of-date machinery, and largely by the aid 

 of capital borrowed, at a high rate of interest, on the 

 .security of the coming crop. With improved conditions, 

 the Consul expresses his opinion that cane sugar 

 cultivation in Reunion would become a remunerative 

 industry. 



Rubber Extraction from Small Trees. 



The Secretary of the West India Committee has 

 forwarded to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture 

 a copy of a letter received oy him from Dr. W. A. Dyes, 

 of Manchester, dealing with the extraction of rubber 

 from very young trees and rubber-yielding bushes. 



Dr. Dyes states that by a method of extraction 

 lately invented, it is possible to obtain rubber of a high 

 degree of purity from small trees and bushes, the latex 

 of which contains no more than 12 to 15 per cent, of 

 rubber. He further mentions that one factory has already 

 been estal)lished on the continent, which is working 

 successfully by this system, the necessary rubber plants 

 being imported from Mexico and Africa. 



Dr. Dyes is anxious to receive from the West Indies, 

 samples of plants (small trees or bushes,) containing 

 from 10 to 15 per cent, of rubber. 



If planters who are interested in this matter, and 

 who are able to obtain a supply of plants such as 

 are required, will communicate with the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture, Barbados, arrangements 

 could be made to forward samples (of from 5 to 10 lb. 

 in weight) for purposes of experiment by Dr. Dyes. 



Agricultural Science Lectures at Trinidad. 



In farther reference to the subject of Agricultural 

 education at Trinidad (Agrieidtural News, Vol. VII, 

 p 185) it may be mentioned that a circ\ilar has been 

 received from the Education Department of that 

 colony containing details of a course of lectures on 

 agricultural science that are being given at the Port- 

 of-Spain Training School, and repeated at the San 

 Fernando Training School. The course consists of 

 thirty-six lectures, each of one hour's duration, and one 

 lecture will be given weekly at each centre. The 

 subjects treated in the first twelve lectures include the 

 soil and its formation, the structure and function oftln' 

 different plant members, e.g., stems, leaves, etc.: fruits, 

 seeds, and their dispersal ; the processes of absorption 

 and assimilation, as well as an elementary study of 

 fungi, and the diseases of cacao and the sugar-cane. 



In the second term the lecturer will devote atten- 

 tion to the preparation of potting soil and vegetable beds, 

 seed sowing and treatment of seedlings, propagation 

 by cuttings, grafting, budding, etc, manuring and 

 mulching, as well as the elementary study of insects, 

 an<l the {)reparation of insecticides and fungicides. 



The final twelve lectures will deal with the foruia- 

 tion and maintenance of a .school garden and herbarium, 

 the principles and practice of pruning, draining, 

 tillage, etc., and also further instruction in regard to 

 insects and fungi. 



There is to be an examination on the work done 

 at the end of each twelve lectures. 



Minor Agricultural Industries of Java. 



Apart from sugar, the chief agricultural products 

 of Java are tea, coffee, tobacco, cinchona bark, copra, 

 and rice. The latest report of the British C'onsul in 

 the island shows that the tea industry is in a prosper- 

 ous condition, the exports of this commodity increasing 

 annually. The shipments were 27,517,615 If), in 190(i, 

 and reached 29,28(i,402 ft. in 1907. Larger areas have 

 of late been planted with tea, and the cost of produc- 

 tion is low, since labour is so cheap. The average 

 cjuality of the Java product is said to be not quite so 

 good as that of China or Indian tea. but some grades 

 compare very favourably with tea grown in the latter 

 countries. 



Both Arabian and Liberian coffee are grown in 

 Java, the former in much larger quantity than the 

 latter. The crop has tended to decline during the past 

 three years, but the estimate for the crop of 190S 

 indicates a large increase in the output. About 19,000 

 tons of coffee were exported during 1907. 



Weather conditions had an unfavourable effect on 

 the rice and tobacco crops of 1907, the yields, in the 

 case of both crops, being diminished in quantity and 

 quality. Rice is usually grown in Java in regular 

 rotation with the sugar-cane, but it is stated that 

 during recent years the area under rice culture has 

 annually declined, and the land is being used for other 

 produce. 



The exports of cinchona bark were 8,540 tons 

 in 1907, as against 6,565 tons shipped in 1906. 



