Vol. VII. No. 173. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



381 



BAUISADOS: REPORT OX THE AQRWV LTVRAL 

 AND nOTANlCAL DEPARTMENTS EOR THE 

 PERIOD hsys TO I'.in:. WITH A REVIEW OF THE 

 .SUGAK-CAiXE EXFERIMEXTS SIXCE ISSJ^. 



As indicated by the title, this report, Le.sides dealing 

 with the exiieriineiital work that has been carried on with 

 .sugar-cane, cotton, bananas, and other crofj-s under tlie 

 Imperial Department of Agricidtuie during the period 1.S9S 

 to 1907, includes a .short historical account of the .sugar-cane 

 exi)eriments .since 1884. It brietly sets forth the various 

 etlbrts that have been iiiade to improve and develo]i agri- 

 culture at Barbados from 1886 to 1907. There is also 

 a general account of agricultural education in the ]irima,ry 

 and secondary schools of the island. The report, which is 

 illustrated with a number of re[iroductions of photographs, 

 is similar in style to the Botunic Station lie[iorts for 190G-7 

 is.sued by the Imperial Deiiartment of Agriculture. 



'J'he sugar-cane e.'^periments at I'arbados commenced in 

 1881, when ten varieties of cane were received from .Jamaica. 

 Local varieties were al.so included in the trials, together with 

 nine kinds of cane from British Ouiana. The raising of canes 

 from .seed commenced in 1889, and since then the production 

 of seedling canes and the testing of their economic value have 

 formed a large portion of the work of the Agricultural and 

 liotanical Departments. 



An account is also given of the establishment and siibse- 

 (pient conduct of the manurial experiments with the sugar-cane 

 at different stations in the island. These e.xperiments have 

 been carried on under unifoi-ni conditions since the 1892-4 

 season, and the average results are briefly set out in the 

 report. 



Since 1S98, the sugar-cane e.\perinicnts have been car 

 ried out under the direction of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, and with the increased funds available, it has 

 been pos.sible to greatly develop and e.xtend the scope of the 

 work. The young seedling canes are raised in an irrigated 

 field at Dodds Station, and the more [iromising of these are 

 distributed throughout the island for trial under estate condi- 

 tion". Since 1898, nearly .'SO.OOO canes have been raised 

 from seed, and are in various stages of the process of testing. 

 As is well known a number of these canes have shown 

 improved sugar-yielding power, together with ,an increased 

 ■capacity for disease reiiistance as compared with the parent 

 varieties, and are being planted over increasing arc.is each 

 year in the island. It is hoped that the exijcriments, 

 started in 1904, in which seedlings are raisel liy means of 

 cross-j)ollination, effected by hand, and in whicli the parent 

 j)lant on each side is known, may be the means nf more 

 surely and rapidly pro.ducing improved varieties. 



The mannritd Irial.s, started at Dodds, have been 

 continued by the Department, and in addition, other manu- 

 rial trials have been conducted nn typical black- and red-soil 

 ■estates, through the kind co-o[ieration of owners and attorneys. 



Details are given of the establishment and progress of 

 the cotton industry at Barbados. Some 16 acres were grown 

 ex|)cj'imentally in 1902. As the result of the visit made by 

 Sir Daniel .Morris and if]-. .1. IJ. Bovell to the Sea Islands of 



Carolina in the following year, a large ijuantity of the best 

 Sea Island cotton seed was purchased for use in the West 

 Indies, and in the 1903 season, the cotton area of Barbados 

 increased to 800 acres, while the total value of the exports of 

 lint and .seed from the island was £13,443. The progress 

 has been rapid and continuous and the cultivation of c:)tton 

 has proved a valuable adjunct to the sugar industry. In 

 1906-7 an area of .'5,000 areas was planted with this crop, 

 while the total value of the cotton exports was estimated at 

 £76,376. The cotton industry is one which, since its incep- 

 tion, has received sjiecial help and encouragement from the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, while the assistance 

 given by the British Cotton-growing Association in loaning 

 machinery in the first instance, and in ])roviding for the 

 services of a Travelling Inspector in connexion with ( 'otton 

 Investigations has been of the greatest value. 



The efforts made to encourage other subsidiarv agri- 

 cultural industries at Barbados are also referred to in the 

 report. Considerable attention was given to banana ])roduc- 

 tion in the island, with the object of establishing an export 

 trade to England in this fruit. The exports increased from 

 18 bunches in 1902 to over 40,000 bunches in 190."i. Diffi- 

 culties of shipment arose in the following year, however, 

 owing to lack •)f room in cold storage, and the trade 

 unfortunately declined. 



The experimental cultivation of onions, various legumin- 

 ous crop.s, etc., was also instituted by the Imperial Department 

 with the object of furthering the agricultural interests of the 

 island, while funds have been provided for holding local 

 Agricultural Shows for ])easant and small proprietors. 



It will also be .seen from the report that agricultural 

 education at Barljados has been furthered by the provision 

 of a Lecturer in Agricultural Scisnce, whose whole time has 

 been devoted to teaching Natural and .-Agricultural Science, 

 by Agricultural Exhibitions tenable for two years at Harrison 

 College, by lectures to Elementary School teachers, by gifts 

 to Elementary Schools, and by prizes for school children at 

 the local Agricultural Exhibitions held every year under the 

 au.spices of the Department. 



RICE DRYING IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



The drying of p.-\il(ly rice i.s an important opera- 

 tion, as if this is not properly carrieil out the grain will 

 be soft, and will be more or less damaged in the subsc- 

 (juent proee.ss of hulling, which naturally depreo-iates 

 tfie market value of the product. 



Until recently, almost the whole rice croj) of Biitisli 

 (iuiana was dried in the sun, but the unfavourable weather 

 conditif)ns which prevailed in the 1907 .season warned 

 producers that this method was not to be relied upon .it all 

 times, and the Di-nu niiu Ai-iidxi/ states that, during the past 

 year, a ruimber of drying machines, have been laid down in 

 the colony. 



( )ne of these inacliines to \\lii(h special icference is made, 

 is known as the ' Worrell ' drici', and has been adopted on 

 an e.state at Mahaica creek. The essential |iart of this 

 machine consists of a hollmv stcil cylinder, inrlincd at 

 a certain degree. The [laddy is led into this cylinder, which 

 revolves rapidl}', and keeps the grain in motir)n by the aid 

 of a simple internal mechanism. Heat is supplied by a fur- 

 nace beneath the cylinder, and by means of an exhaust fan 

 a current of hot air is kept up, through which the rice ))asse.s, 

 and by means of which it is dried as it drops from the cylinder. 

 It is said that from 100 to 120 bags can be treated in twenty- 

 four hours Ijy the ' Wcjrrell ' drier. 



