Vol. XVII. No. 432. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



359 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 

 VIRGIN isLANi.s. The Curator, Mr. W. C. Fishlock, 

 writes to say that the work of cotton planting has been great- 

 ly delayed by lack of labour, and by unfavourable weather 

 Plant distribution during the month of September consisted 

 of 39 a. of cotton seed sold. Owing to long spells of dry 

 weather the condition of the cotton crop is not altogether 

 good, and there has been a large percentage of boll- shedding. 

 The earlier planted plots of ground provisions have been 

 reaped, and consequently, provisions are not as plentiful as 

 they were a short time ago. On account of the high prices 

 prevailing in St. Thomas, there is still considerable activity 

 in the planting of sweet potatoes and similar crops. Rain 

 fell in measurable .quantity on sixteen days of the month 

 The total precipitation at the Experiment Station was o-Ji 

 inches as compared with -t'Sl inches, the average for the 

 month for the preceding seventeen years. _ 



.GRENADA. The monthly report of the Agricultural 

 Instructor for September last has been received at this 

 Office. Under Notes on Peasant Agriculture it is mentioned 

 that the cotton crop gives signs of being very good The 

 good work begun years ago by the Government in the im- 

 provement of horse breeding in Carriacou is said to be show- 

 intr marks of decline, due largely to the fact that inbreeding 

 is being practised on a somewhat large scale; and the pro- 

 bability of the Creole horse reverting in the next few years to 

 the type from which his improvement began is emphasized. 

 Thrips continues to be prevalent, while rats have been and 

 are still very destructive to grain, so much so that a com- 

 mittee has been appointed by the Agricultural and Commer- 

 cial Society to enquire into and report upon the matter of 

 beginninc a co-operative campaign for the reduction of 

 these rodents. The cultivation of the sugar-cane as an 

 industry is being revived in Carriacou by a large 

 landed proprietor. Duiing the months of June, July 

 and .August, mahogany logs to the value of iUb 

 were shipped from the colony. The present prices 

 for mahogany timber offer, it is thought, sufficient induce- 

 ment to person?, owning lands which cannot successfully 

 grow other crops, to put in mahogany seedlings to supplant 

 the trees that have been cut down. Stormy weather accom- 

 panied by thunder and lightning prevailed from September 16 

 for some days. The earlier part of the month was very 

 hot, and despite the rains, heat characterized the latter part 

 also. 



full. The length of cane also is most satisfactory, and the 

 October .shoots are numerous and healthy. 



At the present stage the'cipp is, in our opinion, as 

 promising as in 191-5, at least as faJ^g.s plant canes are con- 

 cerned. But, of course, a good deal^ depends on the weather 

 of the next two and a half or three months. 



We learn that the beetle pest is not^so troublesome as 

 last year. In the districts in which this pest appears in large 

 numbers planters have co operated, and persistently collected 

 tho beetles during this season. They have taken the warn- 

 ings sounded by the Government Department of Agriculture 

 and their labours have not been in vain. 



The ratoons in many fields in the red soil are poor. 

 Their vigour has not been maintained, and it is clear that 

 they will not develop much more. There are, of course, some 

 splendid fields of first ratoons, but the second ratoons are 

 those to which we principally refer. There are some estates 

 on which a change will be introduced whereby only first 

 ratoons will be kept. This was the system which generally 

 obtained forty years ago when the P)Ourbon cane was grown. 

 Like the Bourbon, che new varieties give a good return as 

 plant canes, and the soil is not ecpial to the strain of second 

 ratoons. 



The tillage for the fast-approaching plantrng season is 

 fairly well advanced in the black soil districts, and 

 the planters are straining every effort .to manure their fields 

 before the canes are planted. 



This planting sea.son will practically see the B.376 dis- 

 carded, while the B.H. 10 (12), the Ba. 603J, and the B.6450 

 will be patronized according to the success with which their 

 growth has been attended in -the different districts of the 

 island. , . 



The ripe fields of potatoes are being sold with some 

 rapidity so as to clear the land for cane planting. -Potatoes 

 have been sold as cheap as 16tt). for lOc, but 13 lb. for 

 1 Oc. is the more usual price. 



The yams have had ideal weather and show promise. 

 Beth yams and eddoes of two or three kinds are being sold 

 in limited quantities. There is an eddo, called the China 

 eddo, which matures very quickly, and which might be more 

 generally planted. 



The breadfruit crop, which has rendered such opportune 

 assistance to the food supply, is now drawing to a close. 

 The Indian corn crop h;.s been practically reaped, and is 

 being sold at 'h: per bushel. (The Barbados A^rkidiural 

 Repinier, November -, 1918.)' 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



The heavy rains with, which Octob|er began ceased on 

 the 18th. Since that date only showers have fallen, total- 

 ing in general about 1 1 inches. ^ ■ . 



The rainfall for k^t month has, however, been suthcient 

 in every part of the island, except perhaps in the seaboard 

 part nf the parish of St. Lucy. _ ^ ^ , • . 



The tot.al average rainfall for Ogfober is about , ^ inches; 

 of this about 6i inches were registered during the first 

 eighteen days of the month, when rain fell almost continu- 

 ,-,uslv Thi^ 'otal is less than last year's, and considerably under 

 that' recorded in October 1916. The difference has, however, 

 been more than made up for by a .seasonable distribution. 



The plant canes of the island arem exce'dent condition 

 They are green and free from disease, and the bunches are 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial (_"oiaintssioner of Agriculture left 

 Barbados on November 7 'for the purpose of paying an 

 otScial visit to Antigua. Sir Francis Watts is expected 

 to return to Harbados early in December. 



At the reijuest of Tlis Excellency the. Governor of 

 Trinidad, Mr. W. Xowell, Mycologist on the Statl' of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture, has beeu 

 assigned to collaborate with Mr. V. B. Williams 

 Entomologist in charge of Froghopper Investigation.s 

 in an examination of the relation of root disease of 

 sugar-cane to froghopper damage. Mr. Nowell is 

 expected to leave for Trinidad early in 1 'ecember, and 

 to return about the end of Jnnnarv. 



