332 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



-OUTOBEK 17, 1908. 



GLEANINGS. 



Eiglit grants of Crown lands, comprising in all 334-| 

 acres, were made in British Honduras during 1907. The i)iice 

 paid varied from $1-00 to .$2-.")0 per Mi-re, acM'ording to the 

 locality of the land. 



The fortnightly riee report of Mes.sr.s. Sandbach, Parker 

 & Co., of British Guiana, dated October 2, states that weather 

 •conditions during the preceding fortnight had been dry and 

 favourable. The rice crop was being reaped in several dis- 

 tricts, and harvesting operations would soon lie general 

 throughout the colony. 



There are about 7-5,000 acres under cotlee in Costa Rica, 

 and this area remains stationary from year to year. The 

 average production of dry coflee per acre is from -5 to 6 cwt. 

 The total export during 1907 was 17,32.3 tons, of the value 

 of £683,97.5. 



Increasing attention is being paid to the cultivation of 

 ■cacao in the Sao lAiulo State of Brazil. The crop thrives in 

 many parts of the State, and the (Tovernment are ottering 

 a bounty of £70 for every 2,500 trees planted. (British 

 CiDtKii/iir /^'/tiirt.) 



The lately issued statistical report of Messrs. Hecht, 

 Levis and Kahn, rubber brokers, shows that during the year 

 1907-8, the rubber exports from Para to Europe reached 

 21,780 tons, while 14,690 tons were shipped to the United 

 :States. In 1906-7, Europe received 19,325 tons and the 

 United States 18,316 tons from Para. 



Rice is extensively grown in Peru, the annual output 

 being about 30.000 tons. The: grain of Liest (.]Uality is 

 produced in the Departments of Lambaye(]ue and La Libeitad. 

 There are some twenty rice mills in the country, of which the 

 largest and most important are said to lie equijjped with 

 ■up-to-date machinery. 



The (r'ardriK ri ('hvduirli', in a note on the jirogress of 

 «old storage methods of fruit preservation, iiustances a case 

 in v/hich a collection of dessert pears, gathered seven months 

 previously, was exhibited in perfect condition at l.yons. 

 The fruits had not undergone the least degree of shrivelling, 

 they bore transit well, and tlie flavour was good. 



In reference to tiie artich- dealing with rice cultivation 

 in Hawaii, which appeared in the Af/n'cu/tiinil A'iir.< of 

 August 8 last ( i)age 245), Mr. !•'. (i. Krauss, the expert in 

 diarge of rice-growing investigations at Honolulu, writes to 

 point out that the total rice area of the Hawaiian Islands is 

 10,000 acres, instead of 1,000 acres, as originally stated in 

 the A'/ririi/tiirii/ Xi n'.i. 



lieports from St. Croix state that the Sea Island cotton 

 crop has sutt'ered .severelj' from the drought of August and 

 September. In many cases the ttowers and young bolls have 

 been dropping ott' iri considerable quantity. 



The latest annual British Coiixti/ar Rejiort on Dutch 

 ( iuiana states that the number of small settlers in the colony 

 is increasing. At present, over 21,000 acres are held from the 

 ( lovernment and from private individuals liy immigrants 

 from the British East Indies. During 1907, indentured 

 immigrants to the numlier of 2,924 entered the colony ; 

 rather more than half of these came from British India and 

 the remainder from the Dutch East Indies. 



The total proiluction of cane sugar in British India for 

 the year ended March 31, 1907, was 2,076,250 ton.s. In 

 addition to this amount, however, a total (juantity of 486,53.5 

 tons, valued at 827,276,092, was imported. The greater 

 portion (296,344 tons) of the imports consisted of cane sugar, 

 while the remainder '(190,192 tons) was beet sugar, imported 

 chiefly from Austria-Hungary and German}-. (V . S. C'o>isn/,tr 



Jirjioffs. ) 



Mr. Robert Newstead, Lecturer on Economic Ento- 

 moliigy and Parasitology at the Liverpool School of Tropical 

 iledii'ine, has arranged to pay a visit to .lamaiea from the 

 first week of November onwards, for the purpose of investi- 

 gating the ticks there which are responsible for certain 

 diseases in animals, and also the di.sease-bearing insects of 

 the island. He may be accompanied by a medical research 

 investigator, whose duties would be to study the indigenous 

 diseases of .lamaiea. (Srieuce.) 



A note in a recent issue of the HV.</ Jiu/i<i Committee 

 Cirrii/'ir mentions that an area of about 50,000 acres has- 

 lately been taken up in Natal, which will in large part be 

 cultivated with sugar-cane. A central factory has already 

 been erected capable of turning out 7,000 tons of sugar |)er 

 annum, and the prop'rietor.s of the factory will purchase canes 

 from the cultivators at rates varying witli the market price 

 of sugar. As the cane-growing area increases, another fac- 

 tory will, if necessary, be erected. 



Owing to the long drought experienced at Barbados, 

 planters in some districts have been forced to dig up canes 

 planted last Xovember and December, since their condition 

 was so backwaid that but little return could be expected at 

 ihc coming reaping season. Late planted cotton may 

 |M)ssil]|y be successfully grown in place of the.se cane.s, if 

 favourable rain.s soon arrive, but in most ca.ses provision 

 cro[)s will probably be planted. In a few cases the land 

 will lie replanted with cane next month or in Decendx-r. 



One or two notable agricultural developments M liich took 

 place in 1907 are reported from the Transvaal and Oran"e 

 Kiver Colonies. A fa,irly large amount of maize was exported 

 during the year. Cotton has been successfully cidtivated, 

 and a first ex|)ort, amounting to 2\ tons of cotton ami 6 ton* 

 of seeil was made. Tobacco growing has matle rapid prcress 

 in the .Magaliesberg district, and a large factory, costin{f 

 £15,000. has been erected. Several comi>anies have started 

 the jtreparation of higher grade tobaccos. It is also mention- 

 ed that trial shipments of oranges were made to Euro])© 

 during the year, and the fruit nut with a ready market. 



