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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NOVEMBEE 2, 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



&RBNA.D\. The following comprised plant distribution 

 «luiiug the month of September: coconuts, .50: budded 

 waDgei=, 6. grafted mangoes, 6: timber trees, 12; oranmental 

 plant;: Ifi cuttir.g.=, 36; castor oil seeds, .5^ ft); palm seeds, 

 iy.20ti Regarding staple crops, Mr. J. C. Moore, the 

 Superintendent of Agriculture, states that the cacao crop will 

 Vk.' very late, but of fair promise; the lime crop in Carriacou 

 it reported g< cd and a few fields of Sea Island cotton sown 

 in J line .Inly in Grenada aie reported as showing good promise 

 Tliripe appears to be normal in distribution and intensij^y of 

 -att,\ck; spraying with Bordeaux-Nicotine is in progress on 

 several esUta. The rainfall recorded at Richmond Hill 

 for the month was 9 80 inches. 



.-ST. VINCENT. According to notes forwarded by Mr. 



W N. Sands Agricultural Superintendent, during the 

 mouth of September in most districts the weather was 

 favourabk, and the crops made good progress. Cotton pick- 

 ing was cooiwenced on several estates, and the corn crops 

 were being reaped. Corn was being bought by the Granary, 

 aud .ilso for shipment to the United Kinjidom. The collec- 

 tiou and destruction of cotton stainers and bush bugs found 

 ill the early planted cotton fields was being continued. The 

 •weather wm seasonable — plenty of rain and sunshine. The 

 Taiofall recorded at the Botanic Station was l-')-4S inches; at 

 the Experiment Station. 16-81 inches. 



Special work of officers of the I cal Agricultural Depart- 

 n.fiit during the month included visits to certain estates in 

 coiinexicn with the collection and destruction of cotton 

 sUiiners and bush bugs. Returns of the acreage of cotton 

 plaiited in the colony, sent in to the Cotton Inspector, 

 indicate an area exceeding 4,000 acres. 



ST. LUCIA. Plant distribution during the month of 

 S'l.lember comprised— limes, 2,250; budded oranges, K'; 

 orafted rr.Mgoes, 6: ornamental plants, 2: and in addition, 70 

 P3<:kets of vegetable .seeds, and 5,500 cassava cutting.-. Re- 

 garding staple crops. Mr. Brooks states that the reaping of 

 cucao wafi now in full swing, the lime crop was slackening, 

 aud thers wa.-. a good stand of sugar canes. Three crates con- 

 fining commernial .samples of sugar, cacao, copra, lime juice, 

 aud lime oil, obtained from the Cul-de Sac Company, were 

 forwarded tc the Commercial Museum at Ottawa. The 

 opening of this Museum by the Canadian Department of 

 "Trride and Commerce in which a West Indian section has 

 hnaa instituted, and the benefits likely to accrue therefrom, 

 ■were referred to editorially in a recent number of the Agri- 

 ci<lhiraL News (Vol. -WII. No. 427, p. 27:^). The rainfall 

 recorded at the Botanic Gardens, Castries, during the month, 

 ■wai 6 40 inches: at the Agricultural and Botanic Station, 

 Uhoigeul, the total precipitation was 916 inches. 



DOMINICA. The Curator, Mr. Joseph Jones, stales that 

 the quantity of limes reaped from the Lime Experiment 

 Sution during the month of September was 80 barrels, 

 making a total' of 617 barrels since Apjil 1. when harvesting 

 •waji ccrrmenoed. Plant distribution included— limes, 1,145; 

 flirJted mangoes. 9: miscellaneous plants, 44. In addition 

 the following were sold: vegetable seeds. 165 packets: 

 V.lackeya ptah. 95 lb. : horse beans, 20 R). The local price 

 for limes .and raw lime juice remained unchanged. Planters 

 are said to be in general agreement that the crop this year 

 if. a. short rne. That lime product:^ are being disprjsed of satis- 

 factorily is evidenced by the shipment during recent weeks 

 of '.l 000 gillous cf ccncentraled juice, and 162,000 eallon,= 



of raw juice. A visit by the Mycologi.-t en the Staff of the 

 Imperial Departnient cif Agriculture to the Gardens and 

 E.Kperinunt Station en September 10 and II, while on his 

 way from Barbadcs to Montserrat, is recorded. The total 

 rainfall recorded for the month was 4 14 inches: there were 

 twenty-five dry days during ths month. 



MONT.SEEKAT. The weather during the month was 

 very seasonable, and gave the heaviest rainfall since 

 September last year, Mr Robson writes to say. As a result, 

 the outlook for provision crop-, including ground nuts, has 

 improved considerably. Plant distribution during the month 

 included -bay plants, 1.300: papaw pUmts, 86; galba, 36; 

 sword and .Stizcblium beans, 50 ft) : cowpeas, 6 ft) , pigeon 

 peas. 4 ft:. The bay experiment plot is making profuse growth, 

 the acre having yielded so far, 5.500 ft), tor 1918. Matters 

 have improved considerably in connexion with the 

 cotton crop, and the prospects of good second pickings 

 are better than for some years. Leaf-blister mite, 

 however, is more prevalent than for many years, and is 

 sufficiently severe in cases to retard the development of the 

 second growth- On the whole, it is ijuestiocable if the crop 

 can come up to the average of previous years, though growers 

 feel satisfied with the results so far. The lime crojf reaped 

 has been small, but a seconi crop is looked for later in the 

 season. The po.sitioii as regards sugar cane seems to be 

 retrograde: the area in plant canes is less than for some years. 

 Except in one or two localities, cotton stainers have not 

 increased to the extent expected: persistent collecting 

 of the insect has been carried out. The Mycologist of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture, Mr. W. Nowell, 

 vL-ited the island from September 12 to 14, and was concern- 

 ed with the investigation of cotton diseases. Consideration is 

 being given to the destruction of the silk cotton and mahoe 

 trees in the island, and it is expected that operations in this 

 direction will commence at an early date. The chief matter 

 of interest to the island at the present time, Mr. Kobson 

 states, is the anticipated return from tlie cotton crop, the 

 present area under cotton beirg the largest in the history 

 ot the industry. The rainfall recorded for the month at 

 Grove Station was 7 8^^ inches, and was well distributed 

 The total rainfall for the year to date is 37 94 inches. 



.\NTre;i A. During the month of September the 

 following plants were distributed from the Botanic Gardens: 

 sisal, 6.300: eucalyptus, 984: mahogany, 2^2; lime plants, 

 150: Guinea corn seed. 65 ft); Indian corn. 390 lb.: cotton 

 seed, 661 lb.; vegetable seeds, 3 packets: sweet potato cut- 

 tings, 120: cassava cuttings, 21. Mr. .la'kson .states that 

 good rains fell throughout the island during the early part of 

 the month, in ronseejuence of which the oaue crop has mate- 

 rially improved. Good returns from this crop cannot, how- 

 ever, be expected this year, he adds, unless exa-ptionally 

 favourable weather is experienced from now until the end of 

 the rainy season. The cotton crop, on the whole, looks 

 fairly well, and reaping from the early fields has been com- 

 menced. The raitfall registered at the Botanic Station for 

 the month was 5'23 inches; for the year, 27'03 inches. 



Appended to the foregoing is a short report on agricul- 

 ral instruction for the me>nths of ,\ugust and September. In 

 this, reference is made to the dry weather experienced, and 

 the condition of the cotton and corn crops in con.seejuenee 

 thereof. The reaping of the corn crop was completed during 

 those months, the corn being disposed of locally at rates 

 varying between 7.*. to lO.f. per 100 ft), on the cob. There is 

 about 5,000 ftj. remaining unsold. 



ST. KITT.-. Mr. W. R. Shepherd, Superintendent of 



Ai-ricalture. writes tc >,iv fhat fine rains during the month of 



