404 



THE AGR1C0LTURA.L NEWS. 



Ukcembbr 28, 1918. 



GRENADA. REPORT ON THE AGRICUL- 

 TURAL DEPARTMENT, igij-iS. 



This report which has recently been issued, is one that 

 shows considerable progress duriny the year under review. 

 There was a marked increase in the number of plants and 

 seeds distributed from the Botanic and Experiment Stations 

 as compared with plant distribution in previous years, 

 especially in regard to sugar-cane and sweet potato cut 

 tingi!. The plct experiments witli food crops carried on 

 at the Botanic Station continue to be of interest. This is 

 particularly the case as regards yams, concerning which spec- 

 ial efforts continue to be made to encourage a more extensive 

 cultivation. The experiments with onions also give promise 

 of a local industry of some value resulting therefrom in the 

 near future. 



A very striking feature uf the report is the account 

 given of the results attendiup the Native Food Crops Cam- 

 paign. Initialed by the Agricultural and Commercial Society, 

 with the approval of the Government, this campaign was 

 undertaken and carried out by the officers of the Agricultural 

 Department in co-operation with District PJoards, with 

 the object of increasing the production of native food 

 crops in view of the advancing cost and possible shortage 

 of imported foodstuffs consequent on the war, and 

 the scarcity of ground provisions locally. It entailed 

 a considerable amount of work on the part of these 

 oflScers, but met with abundant success, as may be gathered 

 from the concluding paragraphs of the account, which are 

 as follows: — 



'The campaign has been an entire success throughout 

 the planting season. The very satisfactory co-operative 

 spirit which pervaded the entire community during this 

 season, and the keen intere>t taken by planter and peasant 

 alike in increasing production, are responsible for the very 

 satisfactory position in native food proiluction at the end of 

 August 1917. 



'It may be said that almost every available plot of land 

 in the colony, suitable for the growing of provision crops, 

 has been cultivated in rjuick-growing and early-producing 

 food crops during this season. 



'A very satisfactory feature of this planting season, 

 without doubt due to the activities of the campaign, has 

 been the cocsiderable increase in tillage and draining pcr- 

 fonned in preparing the land for garden purposes. 



'Several hundred acres of land previously held in reserve 

 on many estates have been let to peasant gardeners during 

 this season.' 



As regards the staple crops of the island, it appears 

 that cacao has produced the largest crop ever known, the 

 exports for the year — 77,27-^ bags of 180 lb. each, valued at 

 £486,.519 1.3.1. Id. — constituting a new record, and exceeding 

 by 29.") bags the previous record of 76,900 bags for the 

 year emliog September 30. 1916. The spice crop, while 

 showing a decrease in quantity as compared with la.st 

 season's record, was nevertheless satisfactory. The iirae crop 

 also showed a decrease as compared with the recorJ ''ir lat 



ye.ir The Prize Holdings Competitions were again held, 

 and, as in previous years, gave evidence of eventually 

 becoming of great benefit to the agriculture of the island. 

 In this connexion it may also be oV)served that the Land 

 Settlement -scheme continues to be a success, satisfactory 

 progress having been made on all the Settlement estates 

 during the year, especially in the growing and cultivating 

 uf ground provisions. 



This report bears further testimony to the efforts 

 towards the continued improvement of agriculture in the 

 colony put forward by the Officers of the Depart-ment, and 

 the good results which attend them. 



JAMAICA: REPORT ON THE DEPART- 

 MENT OF AGRfCULTURE, 1917-18. 



For the third year in succession the island of Jamaica 

 was visited by a hurricane, which again caused the general 

 destruction of the banana fields. In certain sections of the 

 eastern part of the island a heavy loss of coco nut trees also 

 resulted. This loss was even greater than api'eared at first 

 to be the case, for many hundreds of trees, which .seemed to 

 havrt withstood the storm so as to ofifer promise of recovery 

 to health, have since fallen victims to various forms of 

 parasitic diseases. 



On the other hand, the sugar industry, stimulated by 

 high prices, has established a modern record for sugar in 

 .Jamaica by an export of 32,000 tons in 1917. Although no 

 practical projects for central factories have so far been 

 established under the scheme proposed by Sir Francis 

 Watts, Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture for the West 

 Indies, for the financing of central factories by general revenue, 

 still it is stated that three new factories have been erected 

 in the irrigable area of the pari-sh of St. Catherine. 

 One of these is reported to be capable of dealing with 

 100 tons of sugar a day. In connexion with the revived 

 interest in the sugar industry, it is to be noticed that 

 there has been a great demand made to the Department 

 for cane plants of superior varieties. It is said that the new, 

 locally produced variety, J. 72, has done remarkably well in 

 some districts, and it is recommended for extended culti- 

 vation, especially by small settlers in wet districts. Experi- 

 ments made with the Uba cane have shown it to be a very 

 vigorous grower at the Hope Experiment Station, and 

 although not likely to be of much use for the production of 

 sugar in .Jamaica, it will probably prove of considerable value 

 if planted for fodder. 



The coconut industry is rapidly assuming an important 

 position among the industries of the colony. Including 

 copra, ei|uivalent to about 6,000,000 nuts, the exports 

 of coi'o-nuts for 1917 were estimated at nearly 30,000,000 

 nuts. Had it not been for the hurricane of September 

 this figure would have been decidedly higher. So many 

 young trees, however, are now coming into bearing 

 that the loss of many thousand hearing trees at the 

 east end of the island will soon be made good, and Jamaica 

 will probably show progre8.sive development in coco-nut pro- 

 duction. The manufacture of copra is a new business in 

 the island, but planters have been securing good results in 

 this matter. It has been found that the use of lib. ol sul- 

 phur per 10(»B). of copra, injected as fumes in the early stages 

 of the drying of the copra, is oft'ective in securing a high class 

 copra, free from moulds and bacterial infection. The Jamaica 

 coco-nut planters are right in striving to ensure the pro<l"ic- 

 tion of a first class copra, so that the .Jamaican produce may 

 be regarded in the markets of the world as of the highest 

 grade. ■ 



