Vol. XVII. No. 4 30. 



THE AGRICULTURAL KIWS. 



3J',> 



trict-* in <Juba, and the article referred to suggests 

 ■means of combating its attacks. One suggestion, 

 which aluhough often made before, seems worth draw- 

 ing attention to again, is the employment of pigs to 

 root out and devour the grubs. Immediately the canes 

 •are cut in infested districts it is advised that the field 

 be ploughed, and that pigs be turned in after the 

 plough. They will, it is stated, almost infallibly nose 

 out and devour everv grub. 



A few years ago there .vas a ba.l outbreak of 

 the grubs of a brown hard-back [Laehnosterna sp.) on 

 one of the sugar-cane -states in Antigua. The manager 

 of this estate has recently informed us that the damage 

 done to the last cane crop by these grubs has been 

 very slight, and he attributes' the control of the pest 

 to the employment in the way suggested in Cuba of 

 a s.'iia)! herd of pigs. 



Agriculture in Antigua 



Mr. A E. Collens, the Superintendenu of Agricul- 

 ture in Antigua, reported under date September 23, 

 that the cane crop generally, which up to the beginning 

 of the month presented a parched and stunted appear- 

 ance was commencing to recover, owing to the rain which 

 had fallen later on. especially on September 10 and 14. 

 Where steam ploughing and impiemental culture have 

 been practised, the canes had been able to survive the 

 drought, and looked healthy and regular, though low. 

 The deep ploughing, followed by the impiemental 

 cultivation, has enabled the soil to retain sufficient 

 moisture to ensure the vitality of the plants. 



A kerosene tractor with plough attachment-— 

 the Titan, manufactured by the International Harvester 

 Co. U. S. A. — has been lately imported by one of the 

 estate owners, and has been doing good work on 

 moderately heavy soil. It is stated that on such 

 soils it is capable of ploughing 2 acres a day at a very 

 moderate cost. Owing to the scarcity ot draught oxen, 

 machines of this type ought to prove of great use. 

 Another planter had just imported an Avery oil-tractor 

 of 12-14 horse ppwer, for the double purpose of plough- 

 ing and haulage. Thie machine had not yet been at work. 



'I'he cotton crop had suffered a. good deal from the 

 drought, but the plants still look green and healthy. The 

 Agricultural Department was able to obtain adequate 

 supplies of Paris green and London purple, the prompt 

 use of which has controlled attacks of the cotton worm. 

 The picking of cotton f;-r the new crop has begun. 



•Some estates in Antigua have received supplies of 

 a new type of nitrogen manure, known as nitrogenous 

 n.eal' or 'acidulated leather. This is manufactured 

 from leather waste treated with sulphuric acid in order 

 to render it soluble. Mr. Collens draws planters' atten- 

 tion to the fact that this fertilizer is only suitable for 



tise on .soils ihat contain a sutficient quantity ot lime. 



Ml' suggests that it may be found valuable in the treat- 



'ment of so called gall-patches. 



Agricultural Returns of England and Wales 

 1918. 



A leariet published by the Board o/' Agriculture 

 and i-.sherieson August 27, 19IS, states "that the 

 returns of acreage and live stock collected on Juna 



J»V\ "^^ ^^^ ^°''*' '*''-i'^'« area in Knclanl 

 and V\ ales this year is 12,39>^,730 acres, representing- 

 an increase of ],1.52..i20 acres or 10 per cent, over tht 

 arableareaof 1017. This is the largest area returned 

 tor th- past twenty years. The area under permanent 

 grass IS 14,.5SS,;)00 acres, a decrease of 124(5 470 

 acres on the year. The total area under crops and grass 

 thus amounts to 26,9^(7,630 acres, as .>ompare<l with 

 27,081,480 acres in 1917. 



The greater part of the giass-land ploughed ur> 

 has been placed under wheat and oats. The increase in 

 the area nn.ler wheat is ti38,2«0 acres, or 88 per cent- 

 and the total now nn<ler this crop amounts to 2,.5.5t),74() 

 acres, whjch is the largest since 1 884. Oats this vear 

 cover 2,7 1 8.980 acres, the largest on record, and 520"o70 

 acres ( 23 per cent ) more than last year. The other corn 

 and the pulse crops alsoshow increases: barley by 42,000 

 acres, rye by 4.-),(i00 acres, beans by 40,000 acres, 'and 

 peas by 19,000 acres To these cereal areas there have 

 to be added 141,. "jNO acres under mi.xed corn now for 

 the first time separately distinguished, the returns of 

 such crops having previously been divided between the 

 various corn crops, according to the kinds gi-own. 



The total area under corn and pulse (wheat, barley 

 oats, rye, beans, peas, and mi.xed corn) this vear thus, 

 amounts to 7,481,000 acres, as compared wi th "t),035,00O 

 acres in 1917. an increase of 1,416,000 acres ,or 24 per 

 cent, and the largest area under corn since 1879. 



Potatoes have been iacreaaed by I ■^.^..SoO acres, or 

 25 per cent., and the total area (633, 840 acres) is much 

 the largest on record. 



War Use ot Nutshells and Fruit Stones 



Under war conditions many uses hav^. been found 

 for hitherto wasted proilucts. (Jne of the latest of 

 these is the employment of fruit stones and nutshells 

 in making the charcoal which is best adapted fa- use in 

 the masks which protect our soldiers from the fumes of 

 the gas used by the enemy. The charcoal »hu9 produced 

 very greatly increases our soldiers' chances of life in gas 

 attacks. The Trmea in its issues of July 2.') and Augusb 

 10, 1918, draws attention to this matter, and commends 

 the idea of 'Stone and Shell Clubs', r.he members of 

 which undertake to make every etlbrt t.o colleen sconea 

 from fresh fruit as well as from prunes and daces, and 

 also the hard shells of eoco-nuts and other hard nulj 

 shells, and to forward them in [jarcels when c<jllect«d tio 

 the proper .juarter. 



It is pointed out that the luaterinl is re<|uiretl for 

 the satetv ot' the soldiers in the trenches, and therefore 

 the etion to avoid its waste, and to secure an ;iilei|uutd 

 supply is a patriotic duty ab this time. 



