296 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 19, 1908. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 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. Bo\\en & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Duiau & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 15, Seething Lane, E.C. A complete list of 

 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, 

 2s. 2d. Post free, 4.s. id. 



gigriciiltiirat |lnufi 



Vol. VII. SATURDAY, SEFTKMBEI! I'J, 1908. No. 1G7 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



Lead arsenate will be tried on several estates at 

 Barbados this year as an insecticide against the cotton 

 ■worm. The advantages and disadvantages attendant 

 upon the use of this material, as compared with Paris 

 green, are discussed in the editorial. 



An interesting article, dealing with the enzymes, 

 or soluble fermentative agents present in the growing 

 sugar-cane, appears on page 291. 



Notes on the propagation and cultivation of the 

 mango, a fruit to which increasing attention is being 

 given in ("uba, will be found on page 292. 



Illustrations of two interesting animals that were 

 on view at the Barbados ploughing match arc given on 

 page 29S. 



The cotton prospects for the coming season .-it 

 St. Kitts are stated to b(! good. Reports from the 

 Sea Islands and Florida de-^-cribe the crop as being 

 fair in condition (()age 29-J'). The full te.xt of the 

 resolution passed at the Lancashire Cotton Conference 

 re the Imperial Department of Agriculture is reproduced 

 on the same page. 



Attention is drawn to two articles on pp. 29S-0, 

 dealing respectively with Palm Trees and Their Uses, 

 and with Cacao Cultivation in Samoa. 



Feeding Cotton-seed Meal to Hoa^s. 



In further reference to the question of feeding 

 cotton-seed meal to hogs, concerning which an article 

 appeared in the last issue of the Agricultural A'«h.w, 

 and in view of past experience at Barbados and in other 

 West Indian Island.--, it has been thought advisable to 

 give a word of warning on the subjecc. 



The experiments I'eferreil to in the previous article, 

 in which small quantities of cotioii-seed meal, mi.xed 

 with maize meal and other foods, were fed to j)igs for 

 varying peiiods, without apjj.uent harm, were carefully 

 conrlucted at American Agricultural Experiment 

 Stations, by .'scientific officials, who themselves super- 

 vised the prepaiaMon of the mi.xture of foods. 



No reports have yet been received as to the 

 successful repetition of the experiments in onlinary 

 estate practice, and if any stock-owner in the West 

 Indies shoulil think of making a trial in feeding cotton- 

 seed meal to his hogs, this should not be left to the 

 management of the man who usually feeds the animals, 

 but bliould be carefully carried out under the super- 

 vision of an overseer, who should personally see that 

 the small quantities of cotton-seed meal mentioned are 

 not exceeded. 



It is probable, however, that <>n the majority of 

 estates in the We^t Indies, a sufficient number of profit- 

 able uses for cotton seed and cotton— seed meal will 

 always be found, apart from feeding it to hogs — a use 

 which, unless coiiducted with the greatest caution, 

 is bound to be attended with rsik to the animals con- 

 cerned. 



An a(!<:ount of the agricultural work carried on in 

 connexion with the B.irb.-idos Industrial School during 

 the season 1907-8 appears on page -i^l. 



Ginger Production in Jamaica. 



Although gingei- is now jiroduced in considerable 

 quantity in China and other pai-ts of Asia, the 

 .Jamaica product still holds a good place on the market, 

 and is justly apjiieciated on .-iccount of its superior 

 quality. 



The ginger crop of Jamaica is grown chieHy in the 

 s-outhern portion ot the island, and is m.iirdy produced 

 by peasant cultivators The plant is pro[)agated by 

 setting out cuttings or divisions of the rhizomes or 

 underground stems, care being taken that each cutting 

 planted shall possess at least one bud. In cultivating' 

 the crop it is iinportant th.it the ground should be 

 well tilled, and that a suitable manuring be given. 

 ]\Iaich and Apiil ;ire the best months for pl.mung in 

 .Jamaica ; t!ie crop blossoms in September, and is ready 

 for gathering in the following January or February. 

 In forking or digging the rhizomes, or ' hands' as the}' 

 are termed, from the ground, care must be taken not to 

 injure <jr bruise them in any waj-. 



The fibrous roots, and adhering earth ;uul other 

 mattei-, are removed from the 'hands,' which are 

 scalded for sonie minutes in boiling water, and after- 

 wards dried in the sun, when they become the ginger 

 of commerce. 



The Jamaica ginger crop of 1907-8 was a short one 

 on account of drought. About 1,400,000 ft. were 

 e.xporteii from the island, of which the United States 

 took appro.ximately 6.50,000 lb., and Croat Britain 

 000,000 It). The b.ilance was shipped to Canada. 



