Vol. XVII. No. 424. 



THE AGRICULTURAL S^EWS, 



■229 



was shellei:! and dried at tlie giaiiiiiy. the opeiation 

 occupying two and a half days. During the month the 

 peasants were busily engaged in the sowing of cotton and 

 provision crops. In spite of the dry weather experienced, 

 surprisingly good results were obtained from the harvesting 

 during the month of the corn crop planted early in the year. 

 The rainfall recorded for the month was 2 83 inches; for the 

 year, 176() inches. 



.ix. KiTTs. In the Botanic (Jardens during the month 

 of June the usual routine work was carried out. but all 

 plants, says 'Sir. Shepherd, are suffering from the prevailing 

 dry weather, and constant watering is necessary The young 

 cane crop remains in the same condition as that reported 

 last month, consequent on the lack of rain. The po.sition is 

 a critical one, as if heavy rains do not come soon, there will 

 be another short crop ne.\t season. Constant tillage keeps 

 the plants green, but there is no growth. The young cotton 

 crop, where established, is looking remarkably well, and only 

 ceeds showers for development before flowering. Cotton 

 planted in the northern district early in the year gives promise 

 of good returns: picking has begun on some of these 

 estates. The area under cotton for the coming season 

 has been increased about 30 per cent., but the actual 

 figures are not to hand. The total amount of cotton 

 purchased in St. Kitts for the Imperial Government to 

 dale is 297,697 lb At a meeting of the Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society held on June 1 2, a resolution was passed 

 approving of the proposal of the Government to take 

 measures for destroying food-plants of the cotton stainer, and 

 also for providing a close season for cotton, if the island is 

 divided into districts. The rainfall for the month was I 74 

 inches; for the year, 1774 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS 



To date, the rainfall for the year is about inches less 

 than that recorded at the middle of July last year, but there 

 has been an excellent distribution. The crop of 1917 is now 

 almost a thing of the pa.~t. Here and there a red soil estate 

 has closed with an average of 20 tons of cane per acre, but the 

 average of a very large number is 10, 17, or IS tons. It does 

 seem that a change in the ratooning system is necessary, if 

 a better average is to be obtained. The soil is giving warning 

 that it is unequal to the strain of .second or third ratoons, 

 unless it has been very heavily manured, or has been given 

 a period of rest. The seedlings which are now grown will 

 not develop as ratoons. unless the soil is up to mark. At this 

 time there is also the shortage of artificial fertilizers to be 

 reckoned with, but even these cannot be substitutes for 

 conditions which are es-ential. The warning that rotation 

 md rest are needed has been so far a mild one and time is 

 being given to establish a system scientifically correct, the 

 neglect of which may possibly result disastrously. 



It should be remembered that an important eftect of 

 rotation is the resting of the various layers of the soil. For 

 Instance, corn sends down its roots deep into the ground, and 

 ao derives much of its sustenance from the subsoil, notation 

 also exerts a beneficial effect on the soil in two ways. The 

 preparation of the land for each crop, through tlie turning 

 over of the soil, causes exposure to the atmosphere, and we 

 know the effect of this. Next, the rotting of the roots of 

 former rrops makes the soil more porous, and the atmosphere 

 is able to exercise its fertilizing effect not only on the surface 

 but also on the subsoil. Other cane growing countries have 

 suffered from neglect of the fumlaiaental laws of agriculture. 

 There is no charm which can ward off similar results herv if 

 similar causes exist'. 



We are infornieil that the output of the faotorie? will be- 

 smaller this year than la.-t. an 1 it will be remembered that 

 last year's tonnage was much below tha: reached in 19 6. 

 This is due to some extent to the smaller cr )d, but more to 

 the highlj- remunerative price of syrup Except in those 

 cases where factory owners are also the owners of large 

 areas of land, the po.sition of factories will be precarious unless 

 CO operation takes the plaie of the pre-ent system of isola- 

 tion. 



It would appear that in the black soil all the provision 

 required under the Vegetable Produce Act has been planted. 

 In the red soil some piogre.si is being mide, but in a large 

 number of cases such ivork has been delayed through insuffi- 

 ciency of labour to get through both the reaping of the crop- 

 and the tillage necessary for planting. 



Corn, we observe, has grown very m ich better thaa 

 last year, and the development of some fields has been most 

 satisfactory, particularly where a crop of fall potatoes had 

 been reaped a few months previously. 



We notice that a good miny peasints in St. Philip's 

 parish have recently planted their holdinj> in otton. They 

 have acted wisely. Soil and weather conditions in this part 

 of the island are admirably suited to the growth of this 

 plant. (The F>%rha.dos .'Jg/u////i{/a^ A't/orfer, July 1.3, 19 8.) 



COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES OF PARA 

 RUBBER SEED. 



In the AgricnllHnil Bulletin df the Federated Malay 

 States, February 1918. an account is given by Messrs. F. G. 

 Spring and F W. F. Day of experiments conducted by the 

 Department of Agriculture, Federated .\falay States, and the 

 Imperial Institute in order to throw some light on the above 

 subject The following is the summary of the conclusions 

 reached . 



At the beginning of the present experiment in Septem- 

 ber 1916, a consignment of 30 tons of Para rubber seed 

 was sent to Hull for crushing and valuation. The oil 

 realized £50 per ton, and the residual cake X8 per ton, the- 

 price of linseed oil being then £60 per ton. These figures 

 show beyond doubt the unquestionable value of the oil, a id 

 it would appear that as soon as the new product has acquired 

 the confidence of the oil market, it will occupy a place but 

 little inferior to lin.seed oil. Though Para rub'ier seed oil is 

 a drying oil, it dries less quickly than linseed oil, and is 

 therefore inferior to the latter for certain industrial uses. 

 When linseed oil is high in price, however, it has to be re- 

 placed by oils that are intrinsic-ally inferior to it for these 

 purposes, and among these substitutes Para rubber seed oil 

 takes a high place. 



Much might be written of the enormous possibilities of 

 Para rubber seed oil, but it is sufficient to point out that this 

 high grade oil requires hardly any refining, is obtained frcun 

 a waste product available in great quantity, is ea'^y to collect, 

 transport, and store, and can be readilj' crushed. Although 

 it would pay well in normal times to ship the seeds, j-et under 

 restricted freight facilities it would seem that shippint; the 

 oil is more advantageous. Moreover, oil keeps far better than 

 .seed, and is more conveniently store 1. 



Findly, the production of rubber seed oil would not 

 interfere with the mtrkct for coco-nut oil or other vegetable 

 oils used essentially as human food in the form of luar^iii'ie 

 and cooking fats. These are nev*r ..sed for paint, vanii.-li.'s, 

 and such like purposes 



