348 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 25, 1913. 



Reference has already been made in this journal to- 

 a minimum price for St. Vincent arrowroot. It was decided 

 recently that this price will neither be raised nor lowered. 

 This decision has been published in order to make the- 

 position perfectly clear to buyers. 



GLEANINGS. 



Analyses of samples of St. Kitts waters, published in the 

 .St. Christopher and Nevis OfJici'ii Gozetti- (September 4, 1913), 

 indicates that the water of that island is of considerable 

 purity. It is evident that no perceptible amount of contam- 

 ination is taking place through the pipes. 



There is a large increase in the area of land under cotton 

 cultivation this year in Antigua. 



Both the young cane crop and the cotton have improved 

 in St. Kitts since the receipt of rains. 



In Dominica, the harvesting of the lime crop is in full 

 operation and will continue well into the present month. 



The St. Lucia lime factory is still incomplete, awaiting 

 the arrival of steam coils, condenser, etc. The delay is 

 unfortunate at such a favourable season for starting 

 iiperations. 



According to Mature (September t, 1913), some very- 

 interesting meteorological information has recently been 

 pulilished in Si/i:u)ns's Meteorologi'-al M-iyazine, in regard to- 

 remarkable correlations existing between the rainfall of Java 

 and Trinidad, and between Trinidad and the south temperate- 



An intensive sj.stem of tobacco culture is being carried 

 out in certain parts of England, the essential feature of which 

 is the employment of travelling hot house.s. The covering: 

 of the crop some little time before harvesting is said to make 

 a great difference in the quality of the produce. (T/ie Fields 

 September 20, 19L3,) 



Four photographs have ju.st been received of different 

 portions of the British West Indian exhibits at Toronto this 

 year. These photographs are very good and show that the 

 exhibits were well displayed. 



A new use for rubber is in the manufacture of a tempor- 

 ary leak stopper. A .slab if rubber is held in position en the 

 damaged pipe by means of an iron clamp. {India Rubber 

 World, September 1, 1913.) 



A meeting of the Management Committee of the 

 Agricultural Society, St. Lucia, has taken place to receive 

 the report relative to recommendations for enlarging the 

 scope of the Society's functions so as to include commercial 

 interests. 



It is stated in the Journal of the Royal Society of Arl^s 

 (September 12, 1913), that although the United States 

 shows a preference for West Indian pap>aio, the quality of 

 the West Indian product is not as good as that exported 

 from Ceylon. 



Some heavy fines have been indicted by the authorities 

 in Trinidad for the adulteration of milk. One of the 

 accused had to pay up £47 and 6s. 4i</. costs with 

 option of six months' hard labour. {Porta/ Spun Hn 

 October 1, 1913.) 



the 



Of late, more encouraging reports have been received 

 frnm Montserrat in regard to cotton prospects, which are 

 now considered likely to be much better than was at first 

 thought. If the wenther continues at all propitious, t»he 

 total crop will be above the average. 



From an extract reproduced in the Voice of St. Lucia 

 (September 20, 1913), it appears that the Toro7ito Globe 

 (August 28, 1913) has received the impression, as the 

 outcome of visiting the Toronto Exhibition, that the islands 

 of St. Lucia and Montserrat represent the great lime- 

 producing centre of the ^N'est Indies. 



In the / II lernniio't'al Suifar Journal (September 1913) 

 attention is called to the success which has to some extent 

 followed in Mauritius the use of molasses as a sugar-cane 

 manure when applied three or four months before the cane 

 is planted. It is suggested that a trial under this conditioa 

 should be made in British C!uiana and the West Indies. 



According to the Demerara Dail;/ Anjost/, Mail Edition 

 (September 27, 1913), there has been a large decrease in the 

 amount of balata and rubber shipped from the north- 

 western district of Demerara, chiefly as the result of the 

 severe drought experienced during the latter part of 1911-12. 

 and the first portion, of 1912-l.'i. A slight extension of the 

 area under Para rubber has been made. 



Interesting information is presented iu the Journal of 

 the Royal Society of Arts (September 19, 1913) in regard to 

 the mangrove bark industry of Mozambique. The tree is 

 felled between fifteen and twenty years old, the bark losing 

 its valuable properties as the tree approaches forty years of 

 age. It appears that the tree cin be cut down a few feet 

 above the ground without killing it, provided the bark i» 

 not stripped first. The name of the species of mangrove 

 is not given. 



