Vol.' XVII. No. 



TMK aORICTTLTITKAL 



should good weitlier be e.Kiierieoced during. the ne.xt two or 

 three inimths, it is possible that a fair 'crop will be mx'le. 

 The cotton crop, ou the whole, is aivint; rather better returns 

 thau last year; this applies to the early planted cotton. Very' 

 severe atUcks'ot cotton caterpillars h»H«'"0v;carvei1 during the 

 month, ;ind ditlioiilty in keeping these' in check on account of 

 showers, and the weak mixture 6f Paris green and liiue used 

 (1:20) has been experienced. Some fields have been 

 daina'icd rijns-.derably by the pest. The Granary was opened 

 during the nMnth, nnd :!.'5,2IS B). of cob corn was <lriod. The 

 -mil! tor making ra?a! is now in working order. It appaars 

 from experimental trial that 200 ft), of meal per hour can be 

 rbade. Good rains were enperienced throughout the island 

 durinf the month. The rainfall at the Botanic St.ition was 

 -i'iS inches; for the year to date, the BCcord is 3r3l inches 



sr. viNiF.sv. During the month of Octobei, fiOO cane 

 ■cuttings of good varieties were distributeil. In souie districts, 

 Mr .Sands states, the raintall was too heavy lor early planted 

 cotton. and the loA-er bolls more particularly were mtacked by 

 .Phvcophtiiora rot. The reaping of ;wrowroot was xtatled. The 

 corn crop was smaller- thau that of last sea.son; about SOO cwt. 

 of corn was purchased at the Granary Some shipment.s went 

 forWard to Barbados, and one shipment of about lo tons 

 to the United Kingdom. The sale of corn meal at the 

 ■Onl\mry was continued. The payment on account, and bonus 

 for corn purchase.*' of the 1917-18 crap equalled .'M'Jc. per ft), 

 of -wet grain. 



The Agricultural Superintendent visited several estates 

 in connexion with cotton investigations. The relatively few 

 stainers seen had been collected. Bush bugs were also few in 

 jiumber, and eggs collected were extensi^'ely parasitized. In 

 ■early planted cotton on one estate. e.N!terual boll disease had 

 damaged the lower bolls. 



The Imperial tjommissioner of Agriculture, Sir Francis 

 Watts arrived at St- Vincent on < )ctober 9. and left on 

 .October 26. Besides visiting the Botanic (JArdens, l''-x[ieri- 

 ment Station, and the (iovernment Ginnery and Granary, and 

 iBspe.-ting and advising on the work of these institutiim,s, the 

 C'lniraissioner visited the Windward and l^eewarVl Districts, 

 and discu3.sed with planters ipiestions connected with the 

 coconut, cotton, and sugar industries. Before a meeting 

 of ihe Agricultural and Commercial Society held on • )olober 

 •M under the presidency of His Honour the Adrainislrator, 

 Sir Francis read a paper entitled 'Concerning Cotton in 

 Bt. Viincent, and the Steps that must be taken to Safeguard 

 the Industry. 



The weather during the mouth %yas rather too wet at 

 limes lor crops The rainfall recorded ^t the Botanic Station 

 TO.'i* 13'2'J inches; at the E.-cperiment Station, lO'O.x 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS 



. So far, the riinlall for Noveiab'^r averaged ;i iuche.s, 

 the distribution of ;vbich has been most satisfactory. There 

 ojould be no complaint of the char : - -* of the weather which 

 has prevailed during this month 



Planters have been able to ptj^eeu almost uninteriupt- 

 udly with the preparaCion of their fields, while up to the pres- 

 .-ijt there >as been no anxiety about ^e healthy and vigor- 

 OU:.- development of tte -tops for the next reaping season. 



-Men, women, and children are busily engaged with every 

 j'otiuofwork, and one seldom passes an estate yard without 

 a^ein" c^rtt (tarrying manure either to be puf into the Ij-ilvls 

 otto!b^ .-jpread-ou p-m '.vhich are b.?!jtig for;-; J f-.r. .li^ttibu- . 

 tion riexi month. 



>.r ....aid refer, as we have in pisi rep'Tis, to the fact; 

 than iW some districts a I'arge'amotint of green material is left, 

 on thehillsides arid in gulli'es. This wo'ild considefalilj- 

 assisc in raising pens during tire earlier moiiths. 'We have' 

 heard in some in.stances that the labour is not sufficient 'f6r' 

 the collection of this ma:eri:.'.; in ot!i...-o, that ic is not the'^ 

 custoui to have it done. .Money spent on such work is a. 

 good investment, and we know of estates which years ago. 

 used to green manure .-^nm-i fields with excellent results. 



It is a serious loss to the soil of the island not to turn, 

 into it, either through heaps of corapost or through green- 

 manuring, every scrap of material that is available for- 

 manurial purposes. We are .sure that the .sheep tnanure bilk 

 will be thus reduced, while the benefit tn the soil wotld be* 

 cfiusiderable. , 



Potatoes have been less plentiful during the past fort- 

 night. The rush to get them out of the (ields to be plantpd. 

 iu canes is drawing to a close, and the supply will soon bet 

 normal only. Wo observe that the Government hast 

 prohil)ited the exportation of sweet potatoes after to day,. 

 lOth instant. 



The old cane crop, as far as the plant canes are con- 

 cerned, leaves nothing to be desired. Everywhere it [>-, 

 thought that the ie.4uits will be in advance of this year's. 

 The fields of B.(5450 have developed very much recenily, 

 and are continuing to gr;)w rapidl}-; 



The cotton crop, though small, is generally he.ilthy. 

 Piolls are, in many instances, well developed, while the tree« 

 still continue- to flower abundantly. 



The yam crop on the eatafces shows much promise. It 

 has had just the weather it required. Tliis vegetable is being 

 sold at Ic. per lb, in Bridgetown and the neighbour- 

 ing parishes, but in the north of the island we learn that it 

 may be purchased at the rate of i or 5 tb. for 10c. The 

 peasant.s would du very much better with their yam crop 

 if they would manure their plots. Their yams are ready for 

 the market before tlie estates reap, and a good return would 

 be very profitable. ('J'he Barbados .Yt'^/.v/ '/„/,;,' /?.f;.,/,.^ 

 November IH, 1918.) 



DEPARTMENT NEWS, 



vSir .Francis Watts, K.O.M.G, tho Impei-ial Com- 

 mtssioner of Agriculture for the \Vest Indies, returned 

 to Biirb'idos today after an ntficial visit to Antio-na. 



Mr .H.. .4. lialluii. ^l..Sc., Kri'.oiiiologist uri the .Sfcitt* 

 of the Irnperiai jiepartment of Agriculture, will be 

 visiting Grenada earij- in December on rnatter.s con- 

 nected with his work.' Mr. Ballon will prpbahlv B<^ 

 absent from Barbados for about a fortnight. 



It is stated in 'Leaflet No. 2/ Department of Agricul- 

 ture, .Mauritius, that there appears to be a belief current ia 

 many quarters in that co'oQy, that the cultivation of maize 

 exercises a peculiarly exhausting effect on the .soil. ;ind that 

 as a result, the production of the crop is likely ti bs 

 fraught with undesirable consequences in the future. Tuis 

 is a mistaken notion. Maize is by no moans an excessively 

 exhausting crop: the toll 'if plant foo.l removed fr.iiu the .«uU 

 as the result of its cultivation is indeed distinc ly less than i* 

 the case with other crops which are evten-iively pla ited. 



