Vol. XII. No. 2St. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS- 



85 



HARP. A DOS: REPORT ON THE LOCAL 

 DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE, lUlhl.'. 



Besides the ordinary text containing many interesting 

 statements concerning agricultural practice and experiments, 

 enlivened, in places, by a little personal advice, the sixty odd 

 pages of this report include twenty-four tables of figures and 

 observations, twelve pages of rainfall statistics, and an 

 appendix. It contains, also, a special report by the Assist- 

 ant Superintendent of Agriculture on t)he local plant pests 

 stnd diseases. 



To the outsider, this publication will provide informa- 

 tion concerning those collateral sugarcane experiments which 

 do not come directly under the systematic selection work 

 with seedling canes, and it will provide useful information in 

 regard to the selection of indigenous cotton plants. Of 

 perhaps still greater interest will be the results of investiga- 

 tions in economic biology, already lelrrred to, and in 

 mentioning this subject it may be stated that this section of 

 the report received special attention, under the heading of 

 Insect Notes, in a recent issue of the A'lriculturnl News. 



Looking at the report in greater detail one observes 

 under the various headings certain matters that deserve 

 special reference. Though limited in extent, the experi- 

 ments designed to show the relative values of sulphate of 

 ammonia, nitrate of lime, and nitrate of soda; the four-plot 

 expeiiment to determine the probible error in sugarcane 

 es[)eritnent?; the investigation into the supposed (now con- 

 firmed) decreased yield following the application of phosphatic 

 manures: the work on the eti'ect on yield caused by removing 

 growing canes attacked by moth buret: and lastly, the 

 demonstration of the superiority of B 1 47 atid the degeneracy 

 of the Bourbon variety, are suggestive Hies of work of much 

 practical iinportanoe. 



In the results of the cotton-breeding experimejnts which 

 follow, one indigenous variety, Grant, has already yielded 

 1,211 Bb. per acre of strong-fibre lint valued at 16'/. to \ld. 

 per R).; this variety, when crossed with the well known 

 Stirling, produced a hybrid that has yielded 877 fi). of lint 

 valued in Liverpool, at 17c?. to 18'/. per It). It is of interest 

 to learn that the Superintendent of Agriculture considers that 

 the best work on cotton-breeding can be accomplished only by 

 employing the best of the i-ndigenous or acclim'atized varie- 

 ties. This opinion seems to be based largely upon tAe 

 experience of Indian authorities whose views are quoted in 

 the report at some length. A useful feature of the experi- 

 ments is the .systematic examinati'>n o! the various lints by 

 Mr. Wolstenholme, at Li.ve^'pool. One or two of the more 

 striking results have been noted above. 



Inregaid to the experiments with provision crops, which 

 next receive attention in the report, an attempt has been made 

 to select a variety of sweet potato that can resist tb: attacks 

 of the scarabee {Crpptor/ii/i'chi's fiatat'ie), and a number of 

 beans anfi peas were again grown this year, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining whether tlie yield per acre of certain edible 

 varieties — chiefly Can.'idian, at present imported — could be 

 grown on a commercial scale for losal consamption. 



Among matters of general interest, the exhibition of 

 produce both locally and in Canada, the fumigation of plants, 

 arbor day, and the storage of melons at the Barbados Crystal 

 Ice Factory, all receive c ireful attention in the report, on 

 pages 41 and 42. 



In conclusion, it might be pointed out t' at the publica- 

 tion under review leaves sonjething to be desired as regards 

 printing. Many of the blank spaces, for instance, could have 

 been tilled by a more careful re-arrangement of the subject- 

 matter, and the selection of types for headings does not bring 

 out to a great extent the relative importance of the different 

 sections. 



A FUNGUS DISEASE OF POULTRY. 



According to an article which appears in the llulleliii 

 Agricole du Comjo Beige, for December 1912, a contagious 

 disease known as thrush (la teigne) causes very considerable 

 loss among poultry in the Belgian Congo. The disease is 

 due to a fungus parasite of the same family as TrirliDjihi/ptoH 

 tonsurans, which is the cause of a similar complaint in man 

 and mammals. 



The first symptoms appear on the comb and ears where- 

 white spots are produced marking the centres of mycelial 

 development. These rapidly extend and finally unite to 

 form large patches of yellowish-white scurf over the entire 

 head. As the regions of the eyes and ears are attacked, the 

 bird loses it sense of sight and hearing, and then quickly 

 succumbs. 



The disease is very contagious. It is therefore necessary 

 to isolate affected subjects immediately. The diseased parts 

 should be treated with a solution of perchloride of iron mixed 

 with two to three times its weight of glycerine. According 

 to another authority, a good remedy is to rub the affected 

 parts with citric ointment or with mercuric ointment to 

 which has been added a fifth part by weight of mercuric 

 iodide. 



The heads of birds that have died from the disease 

 should be buried in lime or burnt. 



Agricultural Show, Montserrat.— Information 



has lately been received from .M r. W . Robson, Curator of the 

 Botanic Station, Montserrat, in regard to the recent 

 Agricultural Show held there on February 26. It is stated 

 that although the number of exhibits was not as large as in 

 the previous year's show, the standard of quality was 

 satisfactory and, generally speaking, the exhibition was very 

 succe.ssful. 



Minor products and vegetables were the classes most 

 largely represented, but in many sections of these classes, the 

 standard of e-ijcellence was very low. There were, however, 

 very good specimens of English cabbage and egg fruits to be 

 seen, and the starches (under 'minor products') were as usual 

 well represented. It is noteworthy that there was an increase 

 in the number of exhibits of fariue (a castava meal) which is 

 a commodity worthy of greater attention. It is a matter for 

 some regret that the cotton and fruit classes were not better 

 represented in Montserrat. There were 149 exhibits of 

 vegptnblef, whereas only eleven specimens of cotton were 

 shown 



In conclu^ion Mr Robson states that the show was 

 opened in person by His Honour the Commis.»ioner of 

 Mont.^errat (Col 1 )avidson Houston) and that both the 

 Commissioner and .Mrs. Davidson Houston awarded prizes 

 for industrial work. 



