Vol. VII. No. 1 69. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



333 





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,S7'. VIJCEJT: ANXUAL REPORT OX IIOTAX- 

 JC STATIOX, AOHICULTURAL fiCUOOL, LAX I) 

 .SETT L EM EXT SCHEME. AXD Ot^ GOVEKXMEXT 

 VETEIIIXARY .SUMUEOX, 1907-8. ' 



The total pxpeiiditure in connexion with the St. A'incent 

 Botanic Station iluriny 1907-8 was £.530 lis. 'j>l., there being 

 a decline of £40 llx. lil. ;is conijiareil witn the expenditnre of 

 the pievious year. The receipts were £24 lO.v. 3(/., showini;- 

 a slight increa.se on those of 190G-7. 



One result of the increasing amount of attention given 

 to the cultivation of Sea Island cotton in the island during 

 the past two years has been a great falling off in the demand 

 for economic plants from the Botanic Station. In 1900-7 the 

 nundjcr of economic i)lants distributed was 10,143, including 

 •(i,46.") cacao trees. During the year under review 5,148 

 •economic jilants were sent out, of which 4,-520 were cacao. 



The cacao industry of St. Vincent is' evidently making 

 ■excellent progress, and the cultivations would appear to have 

 nearly recovered from the effects of the hurricane of 1898. 

 In I 905-G the cacao exports weie 137,073 lb. They advanced 

 to 193,073 lb. in 190G-7, and t<i 216,380 lb. in 1907-8. 



The area under cultivation with Sea Island' cotton has 

 now reached 3,200 acres (an increase of 100 per cent, over the 

 cotton area of 1906-7). This is believed to represent the limit 

 to which cotton can he pj-ofitably cultivated in the island. 

 The weight of lint exported during 1907-8 was 388,833 Iti., 

 this representing an average return of ] 35 lb. per acre. In 

 1906-7 the average yield of lint was equal to 175 lb. per acre, 

 and the falling off was due partly to bad weather, and 

 iittacks from in.sect pests ; but in many cases, bad management 

 -of the crop also contributed to the decline. 



In regard to the Agricultural School and Stock Farm, 

 the totiiJ expenditure for the year 1907-8 amounted to 

 £614 l.<. 11'/., while a sum of £42 On. \X)d. was derived from 

 the services oi animals and the sale of seeds and plants. 



There are now twenty-three boys at tlie school. The 

 health of the pupils has been good throughout the year, and 

 the report of the examiner states that the discipline of the 

 ..school is very satisfactory. 



The indoor work of the i)Uiiils includes instruction in 

 general school subjects, as well as in Elementary Science — • 

 Chemistry and Botany. Careful training in field work, 

 including the best methods of cultivation, uses of artificial 

 manures, grafting, budding, etc., is also regularly cirried on. 



During the past year an African, wool le.ss ram sheep, 

 obtained from Lagos by the Imperial Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture, was added to the Stock Farm. 



The report on the Land Settlement Scheme speaks of 

 satisfactory progress on all the estates. Cacao is the chief 

 crop grown, and considerable advance has been made in the 

 provision of wind-breaks for the protection of the cultivations. 



The report of the Government Veterinary Surgeon 

 includes a number of tables showing the mortality of stock 

 in St. Vincent. While the number of deaths due to anthrax 

 during the first three months of 1907 was 217, it was but 

 *7 during the corresponding period of 1908. 



TRIXlhAD: ANXUAL REPORT OX OOVKRN- 

 MEXT STOCK FARM, lun;-S. By C. AV. Meaden, 



Alanager. 



The financial stiitenient on tte working of the farm for 

 the 3-car under review comjiares'lfavourably with the state- 

 ni(.-nt of last year. ' The exiienfliture in 1907-8 has been 

 £3,413 2.S. 'did. — a decrease of £128 4,s. llr/. compared with' 

 that of 1906-7, while -the re.\fenue for the past year — '■ 

 £2, 9.55 19.S-. 7rf. — shows an increase of £625 15,<. 9iii. over 

 that of 1906-7. The apparent .^excess of expenditure over 

 revenue is explained by the fact'fhat, as in past year.s, nulk 

 was supplied fi-ee to various medical institutions in the island, 

 while a supply was also regularly given to calves at the 

 Farm. An expenditure was al.so made in improving the value 

 of the property during the year. 



The aninials kept at the farm comprise oxen and cows of 

 various breeds, horses, pigs, and poultry. The genera! health 

 of the stock was good throughout the year, apart fi'om the 

 fact that an attack of strongylus cau.sed the death of nineteen 

 yearling cattle. 



The number of calves born daring the year was 133. Of 

 these 10 were pure Zebus, 93 by pure Zebu bulls, and 30 by 

 a Bed Poll bull. Calves from the Red Poll bull crossed with 

 Zebus or with local cattle are said to be satisfactory and good 

 general-pur|iose animals. A pure-bred Shorthorn bull, of 

 good milking strain, was purchased for the Farm in Novem- 

 ber last. The Zebu herd of cattle is in good condition. 

 The result of crossing the Zebu with cow^s of the Guernsey 

 bi'eed is said to be very satisfactory. 



The pigs kept at the Farm are of the Berkshire, 

 Tamwoith, and Poland-t!hina breeds. All are good type.s, 

 and the last-named are especially well spoken of as a suitable 

 breed for small cultivators. 



Poultry of the Buft" Orpington, Plymouth Itock.s, White 

 Leghorn.s, White Wyaudottes, Black ilinorcas, and Rhode 

 Island Reds are also kept. 



At the annual .sale of stock held in February 1907, 

 a sum of £601 4.s-. was realized. The stock sold included 

 a large nundier of jnire and ci-oss bred cattle, together with 

 nuiles, pigs, poultry and ducks. 



STOCK-KEEPING AT ST. VINCENT. 



Efforts have continuously been made by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture to improve the various kinds of 

 live stock kept at St. Vincent by the importation and mainte- 

 nance of animals of superior type. The services of male 

 animals brought into the island in this way have been avail- 

 able to slock owners at a very small cost. 



The Mastcr-in-charge of St. Vincent AgriciUtural S(;hool, 

 however, in his Aiiiuki/ Rcjiorf for 1907-8, points out that 

 a good deal of advance must yet be made by agriculturists 

 in St. Vincent, before they become practical and efficient 

 stock-keepers. Among the points which many have yet to 

 realize are the necessity of providing adequate fodder before- 

 hand for consumption during the early dry months of the 

 year, the need for improvement of existing pastures, which in 

 numbers of cases consist largely of weeds ; that if animals are 

 to raise calves and yield milk, the provision of good fodder, 

 mash, and salt is essential ; that .since cattle may be divided 

 into (a) working, (/i) milking, and (c) beef animals, it is useless 

 to expect a first-class milking animal to have the other two 

 characteristics ; and finally, the importance of breeding only 

 fiom the best animals. 



