232 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 25, 1908.. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the ' Agricultural 

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

 the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bow en & Sons, Bridge- 

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 Agents will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News: Price Id. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

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Agricultural ;|lnufi 



J 



Vol. VII. SATLTKUAY, .ri'LV i'.'>, 1908. No. 163. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The remunerative roturns that may be obtained 

 by judicious applications of manures to cacao planta- 

 tions is evident from the results of experiments carrii-d 

 out at Dominica under the auspices of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, an account of which is 

 given in the editorial of the present issue 



JloJasses has long been used as a fertiliz(;r for 

 sugar-cani' lands in Jlauritius. Apart from the plant 

 food constituents contained in the molasses, it is 

 possible that this material inHuences the soil fertility 

 by serving as a source of energy to the nitrogen- 

 iissimilating organisms present (page 227). 



Brief articles on the pim'-applc canning industry 

 of tiie Hawaiian Islands, which hasduring the j)ast few 

 years undergone raf)i<l development, and on West 

 Indian Produce at the Colonial Fruit Show will be 

 found on page 228, and on the following page appears 

 a note, with illustrations, dealing with the comparative 

 characteristics of spindrss and ordinary limes. 



It is satisfactory to note that the condition of the 

 Sea Island cotton market is somewhat improved, and 

 much more cotton has been sold. A Cotton Growers' 

 Conference was held at Antigua, in which the condition 

 and prospects of the industry in the island were 

 iliscusscd (page 22.5). 



Samples of produce for the Toronto Ivxhibition 

 liave been forwarded from Barbados and St. Lucia 

 {page 231). 



Agricultural Conference Picture. 



With this number of the Agricultural News is- 

 issued, as a loose supplement, a full-page reproduction 

 of a photograph o,f. the delegates to the West Indian 

 Agricultural Conference, held at Barbados from Janu- 

 ary 14 to 21 last. The photograph was taken during- 

 the course of an ordinary sitting of the Conference at 

 the ]\[utual Life Assurance Buildings, Bridgetown. 

 Most of the delegates are included in the picture, but- 

 it is to be regretted that a few members of the Con- 

 ference were absent from the room at the time, being' 

 engaged oh Committee or other business. If desired, 

 this illustration can be bound up with the complete 

 volume of the Agricultural Xeirs-at the end oftheyear. 



. ^—^^^•-♦--^ • 



Dominica Limes, r^' •' '■" 



The Domiiiii-a Guardian reports considerable 

 shipments of green limes from the island. Nearly 

 4,000 barn-Is were exported earl}- in June in one ship- 

 ment; on June 14 the ' Korona ' took l.-'JOO barrels of 

 green limes for New York, and on June 2 another 

 cargo of 3,200 barrels was despatched. At present the 

 price of limes and lime products is distinctly low as 

 compared with that prevailing a year ago, but the 

 tendency is again evident!}- in an upward direction, 

 and prices are higher than a month or two since. 



On account of the drought that has been experi- 

 enced at Dominica, the first lime crop will probably be 

 a poor one, but with an improvement in the weather 

 conditions, a good second crop may be expected. The 

 success attained by the exhibits of Dominica limes at 

 the Colonial Fruit show, held in London last month, 

 was very gratifying, although, owing probaldy to the 

 drought, the fruit was reported upon as being inferior 

 in quality to that .sent to the two previous shows. 



The Permanent Exhibition Committee of the 

 island have decided to be represented at the Toronto 

 National Kxhibition, .-uid since they are confining their 

 efforts to the organization of an exhibit of limes and 

 lime products, a really fine display should be madt^ 



Tobacco Growing at St. Vincent. 



Experiments in tobacco growing have for some 

 years been carrie(l out by Mr. Charles Duncan, of Sion 

 Hill, St. Vincent, who has produced tobacco and cigar* 

 that have been awarded diplomas at various exhibition* 

 within the colony. Since it is desirable that the pos- 

 sibilities of tobacco growing in the island should be 

 given a careful trial, the Secretary ofSt-ite, on the 

 recommendation of the In)])erial Couuuissioner of Agri- 

 culture, has approved of a grant of £1.5 being made to 

 Mr. Duncan, to aicj. in these experin;ents, and more 

 espec-ially to assist towards the erection of a tob-icco- 

 curing house. 



It is intended in the first instance to grow at least 

 1 acre of tobacco, and the curing-house, designed on 

 the Jamaica model, is in course of erection. It has been 

 arranged that the Superintemlent of Agiiculture, and 

 other oHicers of th^ Agricultural Department shall visit 

 the work from time to time, .and keep in touch with its- 

 progress, and Jlr. Duncan will also supply samples of 

 the cured tobacco to the Agricultural Dejjartment. 



