Vol. XII. No. 281. 



THE AORICULTURAL NEWS. 



39 



DOMIXrCA: REPORT ON THE AdlilCUL- 

 TURAL DEPARTMENT, 1911-1.'. 



The outstanding features of the year under review 

 are notable iu several respects. Shipments of green limes 

 continue to increase, improvements in grading and packing, 

 combined with an increase of keenness on the part of the 

 planters themselves, tend to establish the green lime trade 

 as one of the foremost industries of the Presidency. The 

 trade was started in 1894 when 232 barrels were e.xported 

 at a value of £41; during 1911-12, 36,520 barrels were 

 shipped, valued at £14,608. 



Concentrated lime juice and citrate of lime constitute 

 the chief exports at present, but the increase in pro- 

 duction has, during the last year or two, been less than 

 formerly; the value of these exports in 1911-12 was £42,273. 

 Two factories equipped for making citrate of lime are already 

 in existence, and with the establishment of a third, which is 

 expected to take place in the near future, there will come an 

 increase in the shipments of this valuable product. 



A falling off has occurred in the export of cacao, chiefly 

 because of the preference given by planters to the more hardy 

 and profitable lime; nevertheless the growing of cacao appears 

 to be well suited to the requirements of peasant proprietors, 

 and considerable attention has been given to this matter by 

 the Agricultural Department. 



Amongst those industries %vhich are being established 

 are rubber and vanilla. The cultivation of vanilla has 

 received a fresh impetus during the year under review, 

 mainly through the enterprise of ;in owner of a priv;ite 

 estate. 



Another feature of the year is the discontinuation of 

 the system of boarding pupils at the Agricultural School and 

 the tranference of their work to the Botanic Gardens 

 Agricultural and science instruction has also been introduced 

 into the Dominica Grammar >Schoo], and this will doubtless 

 be valuable in the agricultural interest of the Presidencj-. 



Turning now from these external matters to the internal 

 working of the Department, it is seen that its activities 

 proceed along several distinct lines: maintenance of the 

 gardens, work in the nurseries, plot experiments, work 

 connected with insect and fungus pests and their control, 

 special investigations, extension of interest in agricultural 

 matters and agricultural instruction, are all included in the 

 Department's scheme of activities. 



Observations on some of the more noteworthy plants and 

 trees in the Gardens occupy two pages in the report, where 

 reference is made, amongst other matters, to the admirable 

 practice of planting palms and ornamental plants in groups; 

 attention is called to recent introductions of two new Mexican 

 fruit trees from California, and to the establishment and 

 distribution of the mangosteen tree. It is stated that, of the 

 Indian trees established in the Gardens, a number thrive with 

 great vigour. Several exotic mahogany trees are also well 



established. As the Honduras mahogany {Svjieleiiia imicvo- 

 phylla) is superior to the common West Indian mahogany 

 {Swietenia Mnhwioni), sejdlings of the former species will 

 be available for distribution in due course. 



The extent of the work in the Government nurseries 

 will be comprehended by referring to the table giving the 

 number of seedling plants sent out during the year. The 

 average annual distribution of late has been 70,000 plants, 

 of which .5(t,000 are lime .seedlinjis, the remaining number 

 being made up of cacao, rubber and budded citrus. Arrange- 

 ments are being made to raise an additional 30,000 lime 

 plants to meet the increased demand on the part of the 

 planters. It is rightly pointed out that this increase of work 

 in one section can only be of a temporary nature, and that 

 the skill and energy of the Botanical Department will in the 

 future be required for, and devoted to a greater extent, to the 

 further development of other industries. 



As regards the importation of plants, reference is made 

 to the new varieties of Indian mangoes that have been 

 secured. Two Mexican varieties of avocado pears have been 

 received, and amongst other matters it is stated that efforts 

 will be made in the future to distribute the valuable Japanese 

 persimmon (Diospi/ros kalci). 



The account of the plot experiments at the Botanic and 

 Experiment Stations begins with trials with green dressings, 

 of which the now well-known Tepkros,ia Candida has given 

 best results, whereas the chick pea (Cicerarie(i«((»t) has been 

 shown to be unsuited to the conditions prevailing in 

 Dominica. Following this information are notes on spineless 

 limes, and under the heading of vanilla it is stated that 

 expert knowledge in curing the fruit of this plant has recently 

 been obtained owing to the enterprise of the owner of 

 Canefield estate, and the Department has already supplied this 

 estate with 8,000 cuttings, with a view to establishing a new 

 and possibly important industry. Ilubber plants continue to 

 bo raised at the Experiment Station, but reference is made to 

 the very low rate of germination of imported Para seed. 

 This seems to be due to the seeds being packed in large 

 boxes instead of with damp charcoal in small tin boxes. 

 Some interesting results of analyses of Dominica rubbers 

 are given. The percentages of caoutchouc are as follows: 

 Para, 934; Castilloa, 856; Funtumia elastica, 872; Fun- 

 tiniiia afrii-ana, 47"2. 



Plot experiments with cacao have been chiefly confined 

 to grafting. It has been proved that a permanent union 

 cannot be obtained between Monkey cacao {Theobroina 

 anauKtifolia) and C'alabacillo cacao {Theohronia Cacao, var.) — 

 a very interesting result. 



Work connected with plant pests deals entirely with the 

 entomogenous fungi. Two new facts have been brought to 

 light: first, that ,the white-headed fungus (Ophionecti-ia 

 coccicola) is found only on the newer estates in the interior and 

 that it is not found on the older estates near the coast; and 

 secondly, that the redheaded fungus {Sphacrostilbe coccophi/a) 

 is found parasitic on the West Indian red scale {Aspidiotus sp.). 



As regards general investigation work, reference must 

 he made to the conclusive manurial experiments with cacao 

 which still show in a convincing manner the great benefit 

 derived from mulching in Dominica. An account of the 

 results covers ten pages in the report, and they will continue 

 to receive the careful attention of all planters of cacao. The 

 important trials dealing with the extraction of lime juice by 

 milling, carried out by the Superintendent of Agriculture of 

 the Leeward I.slands, also merit attention. 



