



A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. 



LiBkARY 

 NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



UARDEN. 



Vol. Vri. Xo. 171. 



BARBADOS, XOAKMl'.EII 14, 1908. 



Pr.ICE Id. 



CONTENTS. 



l; inaiia Ti'.ulu of Tiiiiiibul 



Harbiulns Milch Cow.s ... 



( 'iniiaiii^iu Oil Indiistiy in 

 the Scychelk-s 



•Oi)Coa-mit PiMducts in 



Ceyhm. J!)II7 



■Cotton NiHes : — 



British Cnttun Gicr.ving 



Association 



8ea Island I'orton Ci<i|i 

 West Indian Cotton ... 



Kj;'^-laying t'onipctition ... 



Farmyard Manure. N'alnc 

 of as a Fertilizer 



Fibres for Pa])er Making 



Fodder Crojis at Dominica, 

 ' E.-vperiuiental Cultiva- 

 tion of 



Fruit Production in the 

 Bahamas 



•<ileanings 



HlUTJcane Danage. Insur- 

 ance of Crops A'^.-iins; 



In.sect Notes : — 

 Lice and Mites on 

 Poultry 



Mangos. Kee])ing Powers 

 of when l{ipe 



^Market Reports 



Notes and Co:nments 



< »kr.i Plant. Analysis r>f ... 



■Orange Tr.ide in Sjjain ... 



]\li!ioL- Agricultural Crops of the 



West 



i lUlK'S. 



HILE t!ie cultivation of sugar-cane, cacao, 



and cotton, tugothcr wiili fruit in .such 



^^ 'iSi^Jiit^^ islands as Jamaica and Dominica, are iilicl}' 



t(j remain tlic chief agricultural industries of the West 



Indies, it .should not be forgotton that there are 



ji number of minor jirudiists — and this aji.ut from sue!) 



staple provision crops as sweet potatos and yams — which 



are well worthy of consideration as subsidiary sources 

 of j>rofit. 



The ndnor crops of which special mention may 

 here be made, include a number of vegetable products 

 tor which there is generally a regular, if somi.-what> 

 small, local demand, and which IVom their nature are 

 jiarticularly adapted lor cultivation on the holdings of 

 peasant jiroprietors. It has frequently been demon- 

 strated in the various islands, that with care anil 

 attention a very substantial addilii.in to the income of 

 these small cultivators can be m;ide by growing and 

 retailing such crops as onions, beans, peas, cabbages, 

 carrots, squashes, papaws, lettuce, tomatos, and ground 

 nuts. Artichokes and English potatos have also becu 

 .successfully produced in some of tlio West Indian 

 Islinds. 



I'he possibilities comiected with the more CNten- 

 sive cultivation of garden crops iii man\' of tlie island.s 

 are fully recognized by the Agricultural Officers, as is 

 evident froui the nundier of e.\i)eriments in this direc- 

 tion, particulars of which arc given in tho Annual 

 Urp-irlx of the different Botanic Stations, etc. 



In the past year a quantity of English vegetabli^s, 

 consisting of 1 1 7 tt). of tuiiiips, 5.S ft), of lettuce, l-I!) lb. of 

 beetrocit, Ki-Hb. ot kohl-i-.ibi, and lO.H Ih. of carrots, weri; 

 all produced on a plot cd' land r;o more than one-tenth 

 nfanacre in area, at tiie Grove Expei-iment Station, 

 Moiitserrat. ' A portion of this produce was consumed 

 locally, and si.\ barrels of the vegetables weie shipped to 

 Antigua, where they realized the sum of £."> 14.v. 2</. 

 Jn his report, the Curator of the Jlontserrat Ilotanic 

 Station points out that the growing of this class of 

 lUddiice deserves more attention than it at pre.sent. 



