204 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 27, 1908.. 



GLEANINGS. 



The Bi-itish Guiana I'xiard of Agi-iculturt' has granted 

 a sum of :?1,340 in support of country agricultural sliows in 

 the colony, during the coming year. 



During 1907-S, rubber plants to tlie nunibrr of 47,000 

 were sold by the Botanical Department of ISritisli (iuiana. 

 The amount realized from the sale was |;l,4^7. 



Koui' pedigree male goats are ofl'ered for sale at the Agri- 

 cultural .School, Domicica, Full particulars can be obtained 

 on application to the OiHcer-in-('hari;e of the School. 



The nundier of banana stems ex|i(irtcd fiom Jamaica 

 during l!)07-8 was 1.5,847,590. Of the.se the United States 

 took 14,50.5,911 bundles, while 1,239,500 bunches were 

 shijiiied to the United Kingdom. 



.\s the result of exainination at St. Kitt's Grammar 

 .School, four Agricultuial Scholarships, of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, have been awarded to E. Berridge, 

 !!. Perkins, K. .-\i-nold, and .1 Fletcher, respectively. 



Tlie prodnctiim of copra in .lava ha.s varied immenselv 

 of late years In 1 907. the output reached 68,000 tons, one 

 of the largest crops on record ; but owing to excessive rains the 

 quality was not satisfactory, and there was a great fall in 

 ))l-ice (hiring the year. (British Cniixii/,if Rijioii.) 



An Ayshiri' bull and a Devonshire bull have lately been 

 imported into St. Bucia, from Canada, by tlii' Agricultural 

 .Society of the islanil. The animals are' described as fine 

 and well-bred ami in splendid condition, and will be retained 

 for service in the colony. 



The .lamaica Board of .Vgricnlture at a recent meeting 

 passed unanimou.sly a resolution, expressing the appreciation 

 felt by the members for the long and valuable services of 

 the Hon. W. Fawcctt, B.Sc, as Director of Gardens and 

 Blantations during the past twenty-one years, and as a mem- 

 ber of the B.oaid of .\gric-ulture since its formation. 



.Messrs. Sandbach, Parker it Go's rice report, dated 

 .June 12, .states that the sea.son's rice crop of iiritish Guiana 

 is now well established, and with suitable weather there is 

 good prospect of exc.-llent returns. Planting is still in 

 progress in .some districts, an<l the wi'at her conditions, .so fur, 

 liave lieen most favourable. 



The llritisli ( invernment ha.s decided to establish a Bureau 

 for the collection and distribution of information witii regard 

 to .sleeping sickness. One-fourth of tlie cost will be borne 

 by the Soudan Governmcut. The duties of the Director of 

 the Bureau will for the present be undertakcH bv l)i-. A. G. 

 JJagshawe, of lln' Uganda Medical Staff. (London Timts.) 



According, to the Jamaica D(uly Tdviiraph, about 

 three-fourths of the tobacco crop of the island had been har- 

 vested liy the first week of ilay. It was stated that the por- 

 tion of the crop .still remaining in the field was in danger of 

 being lo.st, owing to dry weather. The Telegraph also- 

 states that there has been over-jiroductibn of tobacco in 

 •bimaica during the past year. 



The Hon. E. J. Cameron, Administrator of St. Vincent,, 

 has written to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 expressing the thanks of the Government of the island for 

 a collection of diagrams of plants and animals, as well a.s 

 framed pictures of Their Majesties the King and Queen, 

 lately presented to the St. Vincent Agricultural School by 

 Sir Daniel Morris. 



CoiLsiderable efforts are now being made in Brazil to 

 develop the cultivation of various kinds of fruits. The 

 grape vine is largely grown, and .several growers have lately 

 visited Italy in order to ac(iuire a knowledge of the best 

 methods of treatment. Increasing attention is also being 

 giveti to the jjroduction of bananas, oranges, and figs. There 

 is reported to be a promising future for the establishment of 

 canning factories, and also for the pi-oduction of wine. 



A French agi-icnltural journal contains an article on 

 a method of preserving egys which is being practised in Italy, 

 and which consists of covering the eggs with a coating of lard, 

 so as to stop the pores of the shell and })revent the entrance 

 of air, the egg.s being afterwartls packed in shavings, care 

 being taken that they shall not touch each other. The pack- 

 ing room must be as dry as possible. It is stated that eggs 

 treated in this manner when ijuite fresh have kejit in perfect 

 condition for a year. 



The returns fur 1907 show a slight increase in the [line- 

 applc exports from the Azoies to Hamburgh and London. 

 While in 190G, 402,870 |)ines were shipjied to London, the 

 number sent in 1907 reached 41:?, 208. T'he miinber export- 

 ed to Hamburgh was 878,617 in 1906, and 89;i,450 in 1907. 

 The freight from the Azores to London is 2.s-. 3f?. j)er case, 

 and to Hambiu-gh 3,v. 3c/. per case. A case contains from 

 nine to twelve pine-ai)ples, and it is stated that a price of from 

 i.<. 1'/. to Lv. \(l. per fruit was realized. ( P.|-itish ('itnuuhir 

 Jicport.) 



Tlir Mniiiliiu- O/lirinl (III Coinntirce (Paris) reports that 

 de[iosits of potash salts have recently been discovered near 

 Sonltz in Alsace, extending through a district covering about 

 78 s(p'iare miles. A superior deposit of the .salts (which are 

 estimated to contain from 30 to 43 [)er cent, of chloride of 

 |iotash) 1 metre in tliickness, and an inferior dejjosit 5 

 metres in thicknes,>;, have been found at a depth of from 500 

 to 700 metres. It is stated that the first factf)ry for turn- 

 ing out the salts has been establi.she<l, and that .shafts are' 

 being sunk. 



Seeds of Mii^a (lillrlii n\\U\\\\&\ from the Botanic Gardens 

 of the Congo Free State, were in 1905 distributed by the 

 Im|icrial Commissioner of xVgriculture to a number of the 

 West Indian P.otanic Stations. This is a species of banana 

 indigenous to the Congo district, and is described as a very 

 handsome plant. In reply to en(iuiries recently made at the 

 Botanic Stations to which the seed was .sent, it was in all 

 ca.ses stated that this seed .showed very poor germinating: 

 power. At one or two Stations a few- plants were raised, but 

 these soon died out. A single plant, however, is reported a* 

 being in existence at the Grenada Botanic Station, 



