28 



THE AGraCULTURAL NEWS. 



Jancarv 18, 1913. 



GLEANINGS. 



The distribution of plants from the Antigua Botanic 

 >-itatioii during December 1912 comprised: cane cuttings 

 12,900, limes 3,021, onion sets 2,500, cocoHUts 250, and 

 miscellaneous plants 131. 



It is announced in the Diarlo OJKcial, Brazil, that an 

 experiment station for coltongrowing is to be established in 

 one of the districts of the state of MaranhTio, for the purpose 

 «of encouraging intensive cotton-growing. 



There was a large deficiency in the rainfall of Dominica 

 during last year, as is shown by the fact that the total pre- 

 cipitation received at the Botanic Station was G375 inches 

 as compared with 97 2G inches in 1911. 



For the year ending September 30, the total sugar con- 

 sumption of Europe was -1, 6.59, 000 tons. For the year 

 1910 11 it was 5,2-12,000 tons. Great Britain still leads the 

 nations and consumed 1,888,000 tons during the past year. 

 (From the Louisiaim Planter, December 'iX, 1912.) 



With regard to the introduction and extension of crops 

 in St. Vincent, it may be mentioned that during last month 

 7,000 coco nuts were imported from St. Lucia and fumigated 

 for planting purposes, and that 1,000 seeds of Ilnvea ln-asil- 

 icHsis were reoeived as well by the Agricultural Department, 

 from Singapore. 



Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 738, shows that the 

 exports from Northern Nigeria by way of the Itiver Niger 

 during 1911, were valued at £59-1,083, against £308,700 

 during 1910. Among the principal articles causing the 

 increase was rubber, the value of which rose from £37,900 

 in 1910 to £53,511 in 1911. 



A Bulletin received from the Director fJeneral of the 

 Department of Agriculture, Egypt, shows that the cotton 

 crop in both Lower and L^pper Egypt was expected, on 

 December 1, 1912, to be above the average... In Lower 

 Egypt the first picking has been especially heavy, but subse- 

 quent pickings did not yield as much as had been. anticipated. 



A report of the Goat Show held at Queen's Park by the 

 ]Jarbado3 Goat Society on December 18, which has been 

 received from the Secretary, shows that the prize of ^'lO and 

 a diploma of merit otl'ered by the Commissioner of Agricul- 

 ture were won by .^Ir. L. A. Stoute's goat, Handsome. This 

 animal is onehalf Toggenburg and three-eighths Anglo- 

 Nubian. 



In a monograph prepared by the Director-General of 

 Commercial Intelligence, India, and entitled Burma Bice, it is- 

 shown that, out of an export from i5ritish India of 2,256,068- 

 tons of rice, 1,7 19,576 tons came from Burma; this proportion 

 is over three quarters of the whole. It appears in addition 

 that I'.urma supplied 634 per cent, of ihe rice consumed by 

 the Western World. 



At a meeting of the Nevis Agricultural and Commercial 

 Society, held on December 21, it was decided to hold aa 

 agricultural show on the 30th instant. It may be mentioned, 

 as of some interest, that a supply of Paris green and lime 

 has been stocked by the Government in the island, as a result 

 of recent experience in the want of the insecticide to control 

 the cotton worm. 



The Commissioner of Agiiculture has been informed by 

 the Acting Colonial Secretary, Antigua, that the certificitea 

 gained by the successful candidates in the recent examina- 

 tions held in connexion with the licading Courses of this 

 Department will be presented to them by His Excellency the 

 Governor of the fAxward Island", at the Agricultural Show 

 to be held in Antigua on February 20. 



It is stated by the Agricultural Superintendent in 

 St. Kitts that the cane crop, in the northern district where the 

 rainfall has been maintained, has made useful progress and 

 that the prospects for the coming season are very good. la 

 the Basseterre district, the canes have greatly recovered from 

 the drought, but are still very backward for the time of the 

 year, and require heavy rains for their proper growth. 



The Tenth International Congress of Agriculture will be 

 held at Ghent from June 8 to 13, 1913, at the same time us 

 the International I'.xhibition. The subscription for member- 

 ship is 16s. Further information may be obtained from 

 M. Vandervaeren, A.'^sistant General Secretary, 228 Chanssee 

 d'Alsemberg, Brussels. The Congress will be divided into 

 live sections, dealing with rural economy, the science of agri- 

 culture, animal industry, rural engineering, and forestry. 



The typhoons have done tremendous damage to the 

 Formosa sugar crop, and at one time it was calculated that 

 the decrease would bo no less than 10 per cent. Later reports* 

 are, however, not so bad, and it is now anticipated that only 

 a 30 per cent, reduction will be experienced and that the 

 total crop will amount to 1,700,000 piculs (101,200 tons). 

 Last year's production of the thirty-three sugar factories at 

 work was 179,000 tons. (I'he Iiitcrnattnii'il Saijar -fou: iinl, 

 December 1912.) 



An account is given in 'JVi/smaiiiiia, I9I2, No. 2, 

 p. 92, of a trial of daily and alternate daily tapping of Hevea. 

 The number of trees in the expeiiment was 600, divided into 

 two lots of 300. In the first quarter of March 15 to Dscem- 

 ber 14, one lot was tapped daily and llie other lot every other 

 day. In a similar second period the treatment was reversed, and 

 that of the first period resumed in the third; while there was 

 a fourth similar period in which the treatment of the second 

 was repeated. The table of results shows that daily tapping 

 gives a much higher yield of rubber than tapping trees every 

 other day. 



