262 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



AuGU-<a 21. 1918. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



iiOMiNHA. Plant distribution during the month of 

 July included; lime?. 4.3.'>0: cortee. 100; vanilla, 100; 

 eucalyptus, 10: budded citrus, 46; miscellaneous. 11. Mr. J. 

 Jones, the Curator, referring to staple crops, states that limes 

 are iiow ripening rapidly; the local price for ripe limes bati 

 dropped from 5.f. to 4.v. per barrel. A very heavy squall 

 was experienced on the evening of the 11th. The rainfall 

 recorded for the month was 11':.'.'^ inches. 



MOXT.--KEEAT. The Curator, Mr. W. Kobson, states 

 that drought continued throughout the month of July, con- 

 sequently very little progress was made by the plots at the 

 Experiment Station. Plant distribution included; bay plants, 

 1,060; black-eye peas, 2 tt/. ; various beans, 16 packets. In 

 the Botiinic Station five distilhitions of bay leaves were 

 made. Tht- continued dry wtather has put an end to any hopes 

 of their being a considerable first crop of cotton from early 

 planted fields. The scasou, so far, is undoubtedly the woist 

 in the history of the industry. The proportion of stained 

 cotton in the 191718 crop is now seen to be OS per cent., 

 as compared with 7 7 per cent, in the crop of the previous 

 year. A case was met with in a remote district, where several 

 acres of two months-old cotton was being dug out on account 

 of severe infestation by leaf-blister mite, caused by neglect to 

 destroy old infested jjlants in the neighbourhood. This emphas- 

 lEcs the need for more strenuous enforcement of the Cotton 

 Ordinance. On the representation of the Curator, special 

 inspectors are to be appointi d to see that the law is more 

 effectually enforced. 



TheA'sistant Curator, Mr, A. W. Galhvey. frcm Antigua, 

 assumed his duties on July !:. 



The rainfall recorded at Grove Station for the month 

 wan 3 4.J inches; the total r.iinfall for the year to date is 

 2.5 ^O inches. 



.iiNTIGUA. Plant distribution during the month of July 

 was as follows: eucalyptus, 310; miscellaneous economic, 17; 

 decorative, 10; black-eye peas, 1,792 Bb.; cotton seed, 429 lb.; 

 vegetable seeds, ." packets; brcadand cheese seeds, 1 tt). In 

 conse.iuence of the protracted dry weather a considerable 

 amouiit of the time of the labourers employed in the Botanic 

 Station was taken up in carting water from adjacent ponds to 

 keep the nursery slock alive. In reference to staple crops, 

 Mr. Jackson states that practically the whole of the cane 

 crop has been reaped. A large proportion ot the canes grown 

 on muscovado estates has been converted into. syrup. Iteturns 

 were poor, and an exceptionally short crop has been made. 

 The young cane crop is beginning to feel the etfcets of the 

 protracted drought. This is also the ca.se with ratoon canes in 

 various parts of the island. The early planted cotton, on the 

 whole, looks vcrj- promising. Caterpillar attacks were 

 ejcperienced during the month. Only 212 inches of rain 

 fell during the month Tlic total rainfall for the year to 

 date is I9-7f< inches. 



HT. KiTTs. .Mr. I''. 1! Shepherd writes to say that the 

 pabt month W(.k most unfavourable for crops, very high wind." 

 and low rainfaM prevailing '<nly2'46 inches of rain wjs 

 registered during the month. Tho young cane crop has made 

 iio progress, and unless heavy raip9 soon set in. the prospects 

 for the next season will be ^ ry p(X)r. The ratoons, having 

 received no artificial manures uji to the present, are very 

 backward, and it is que^tionaLI ■ whether it will be profitable 

 to apply sulphate of ammonia later on, when it is received 

 Cotton picking has begun on 'h" "itate? in the north where 



cotton was planted early, and there is jiromise C'f a good 

 return in .-ipite of the dry weather. 



NEVIS. The Agricultural Instructor mentions a contin- 

 uation of dry weather during the month of July. The follow- 

 ing comprised pknt distribution during the month: cotton 

 seed, 34 Bi.; sweet potato cuttings, 15.000; vegetable seeds, 

 21 packets. In addition, G ft), of Paris green was distributed. 

 Mr. Howell states that the cane crop throughout the 

 islaufl continues poor, and a very i^hort crop i^; expected. 

 The cotton crop is looking a little better, but the greater 

 jiart is late. Picking has begun in some of the early planted 

 fields, but cotton stainers have already made their appear- 

 ance. Boll dropping has occurred to a fair extent in some 

 of the'-e fields, and many of the fallen bolls have been 

 observed to be attacked by intern;il boll disease. Cotton 

 worms attacked many of the fields during the month, but 

 they were kept in check by the use of poison. Pro- 

 vision crops are doing fairly well, hut are much in need 

 of rain, 



A mec ting ol the Agricultural and Commercial Society 

 was held on July 17 to discuss the possibility of placing 

 the cotton industry on a more stable footing. The questions 

 of advances, insurance against hurricanes, and a close season, 

 wer^- also discussed. 



The rainfall recorded for the month totalled 4 'OS inches, 

 tor the jcar to date, 23'03 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS, 



August opened with a very r.nny day. As much as 

 ;! iuche.s fell in some districts, and we have heard of no 

 district in which less than 1 1 inches were registered. Again 

 on the -Sth instant there was a day of rain, and on this 

 occasion the southern part of the island ■seems to have been 

 more highly favoured than other parts. 



The recent rains were very acceptable iu the drier dis- 

 tricts where for almost a fortnight there had been no rain, 

 added to which the rather high breezes had begun to nip the 

 leaves of the various crops. 



The last fortnight has seen marked progress in the 

 development of the cane crops, particularly in those parishes 

 which are not subject to spells of drought, and the growth 

 would have been still more noticeable if there had been no 

 scarcity of artificial manures. At last the expected cargo of 

 nitrate of soda has been received. This was rapidlj- removed 

 from Bridgetown, and there has been an immediate applica- 

 tion of it. 



The arrival ol artificial manure has been very opportune, 

 as the plant canes in some districts were so forward that 

 further delay would have made it ;\linost impossible to get 

 through without injuring them. 



The ratoon^ too in some fields, although they had been 

 bravely holding out had begun to show signs of lack of 

 vigour. The greatest diCference is observable in the develop- 

 ment '>f those fields which have received an application of 

 artificial manure as compared with those whicli have had 

 to wait their turn. 



In respect to plant cane.", all the seedlings are coming on 

 satisfactorily. The foliage o( tin 1';^, 60.''i2 is not of a deep 

 green, and one is tempted sometimes to --uspect it of unhealthi- 

 ne.ss, but on closer examination it is found that this is its 

 natural hue. The 1'.H.1<>(I2) continues to develop as 

 rapidly us wa.:> noted in our recent reports, and seems to 

 justify the confidence whicn is being placed in it. The vigour 

 of this seedling compels us strongly to recommend planters 

 to treat it very liberally. Our soil at present has no reserve. 

 The food supplied is practically taken out by each crop 



