■Vol. VII. Xo. 1G.3. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



231 



Planters in Antigua were experiencing difficulties owing 

 to the present scarcity and unreliability of the labour supiily, 

 but Dr. Watts pointed out that these difficulties were being 

 met and overcome by the introduction of labour-saving tillage 

 implements. 



It was very important that the cultivation of cotton 

 should be maintained on sugar estates in Antigua, since, 

 owing to the jjrevalcnce of root disease of the sngar-cane, the 

 .introduction of the cotton croj) into the rotation gave infected 

 .cane fields an opportunity of recovering from the disease. 



In the ijast, some planters had shown a tendency to 

 plant larger areas of cotton than they could properly super- 

 vise. The cotton crop was one which needed special care and 

 attention, and in order to produce the best results, not more 

 than- 50 acres of cotton should be placed under the care of 

 one man, who should be able to devote his whole time and 

 attention to this area. 



The importance of seed selection was then dwelt upon by 

 the speaker, and it was mentioned that the Antigua Cotton 

 ■Factory Company and otliers would supply suitable selected 

 seed for planting at the same rates as in past years. 



Planters who could give time and attention to the matter, 

 .however, were strongly advised to do their own seed selection, 

 and to raise their crops from seed .selected on the estate in 

 the jn-evious year. 



Finally, Dr. Watts ^.espressed the opinion that the kind of 

 cotton which it was desirable to secure was a cotton of moder- 

 ate length combined with strength ; he believed it was better 

 to .sacrifice length than strength. 



A vote of thanks to Dr. Watts foi- his address vi'as carried 

 unanimously at the close of the meeting. 



CANADIAN EXHIBITIONS, 1908. 



Barbados and St. Lucia Exhibits. 



An editorial article that appeared in the Agrl- 

 Ci'iiy.ra? i\T'(r.s- of May Iti last (Vol. VII, p. 1-1.5) j^avo 

 full particulars of the Canadian E.xhibitions to be held 

 in 1908, together with detailed information as to the 

 steps that shoiUd be taken by Permanent E.>chibition 

 Committees and others in the West Indies in collecting, 

 packing, and forwarding exhibits from these colonies. 



Since the Toronto and ' Halifa.K E.xhibicions for 190S 

 will be in progress at the same time, it will not be possible, 

 as on previous occasions, for exhibits that have been on view 

 at Toronto to be afterwards shown at Halifax, and therefore, 

 .since sufficient funds are not available for sending Ufo sets of 

 exhibits, the West Indies will this year be represented at 

 Toronto only. 



The Exhibition at Toronto opens en August 29, and 

 closes on September 14. 



As pointed out in the article referred to, the latest 

 steamer that can take exhibits from the West Indies 

 will be the ' Dahome ' leaving Barbados on July 2(5; 

 St. Vincent, .Tuly 26 ; St. Lucia, .July 27 ; Dominica, .July 28 ; 

 Montserrat, July 28 ; Antigua, .July 29,and St. Kitt's on .July 

 .31. It may be \\ortli while to mention, however, that the 

 'Ocamo', which leaves I'ritish Guiana on August 1, and is 

 due at Halifax on August 20, will accept fresh fruit intended 

 for exhibition from Dominica and other islands. The 'Ocamo ' 

 will call at the several islands, in each case twelve days later 

 than the 'Dahome,' e.g., it \\\\\ be due at Dominica on 

 August 9. 



Recognizing the value of these exhibitions as a means of 

 making the nature and quality of West Indian produce more 



widely known in Canada, the Permanent Exhibition Commit- 

 tee of Barbados despatche+1 a krge collection of samples of 

 the products of the island to Toronto, by the C.L.S. 'Cruro,' 

 on .July 13. The samples sent included white, yellow, and dark 

 crystal sugar ; centrifugalled and ordinary muscovado sugar, 

 .syrup, ' Prime,' ' Fancy,' crystal sugar, and muscovado sugar 

 molasses ; rum, falernuni, bitters, nianjak, green tar, in fusorial 

 earth, Sta Island seed-cotton, cotton lint, an<l (,'ircassiau 

 beans. The total number of exhibits sent from Barbados 

 was eighty-six. A handbook of Barbados, issued in connexion 

 \\ith Canadian Exhibitions in previous years, has been 

 brought up to date, and a new edition published for distribu- 

 tion to persons visiting the West Indian Court at Toror.to. 

 This contains a list of the exhibits sent, together with the 

 names of the persons forwarding them. 



The Agricultural Society of the island have undertaken 

 the responsibility of collecting and despatching exhibits from 

 St. Lucia, and the following is a list of the products which 

 it is intended to forward : cacao (about 10 ft).), sugar 

 (various grades of usine, 10 ft>.), molasses, rum, molascuit, 

 nutmegs and mace (1 quart of each), cassava starch and meal 

 (2 (prarts), copra, kola nuts, nuisk seeds, Cassia Fistula, 

 a full assortment of guava and other native jellies and 

 marmalades, logwood, pimento sticks, samples of native 

 woods, honey and wax, oranges, Pere Louis and grafted 

 mangos, limes and lime juice, and bananas. 



DRY LAND CULTIVATION IN MADRAS. 



In countries and districts where there is a limiteil 

 rainfall, agricultural operations have to be carried out 

 so as to ensure the conservation of soil moisture, and to 

 reduce evaporation to a niinimuin. This question is dealt 

 with, in special reference to the conditions prevailing in 

 Madras, in an article in the Agricultural Journal af 

 India (Vol. Ill, part 1). 



The physical condition of the soil is an important factor 

 in determining the amount of rain-water that will be absorbed, 

 and it is of the greatest importance that the land should be 

 in a fit state to receive and retain the rain when it comes. 

 A hard-baked surface cannot absorb much water, therefore 

 cultural operations should precede the rain. 



The retention of soil moisture is greatly helped by 

 surface cultivation, which provides a mulching of dry loose 

 earth, and thus reduces the raising of moisture to the surface 

 by capillary action, and its evaporation. Deep cultivation 

 and a firm soil assist in keeping the soil particles together, 

 and thus cause a more even distriliution of moisture through- 

 out the soil. 



In the cultivation of the heavy lands in the dry districts 

 of Madras, the soil is ploughed, to the depth of a foot or 

 more, in the dry season. As the result of this operation, the 

 earth is broken up into huge, dry clods, and left exposed to 

 the air. jVftcr the first rains, the soil is broken down by 

 a heavy btdlock hoe, which produces a fine, firm condition of 

 the land, and firings any larger clods to the surface, which are 

 broken down by subsequent rains, (.'otton is usually grown 

 on land of the above type, ami with the arrival of the second 

 rain, the seed is sown by drill. 



Frequent hoeings, both by di'aught imijlemcnts and by 

 hand, form the principal feature of the after-cultivation, the 

 object being to remove all weeds, and so prevent the trans- 

 piration of moisture by their means, and to maintain the 

 surface mulch ■ of loose soil. These hoeings usually take 

 place after rain has fallen, when the soil tends to cake oa 

 the surface. 



