92 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March Lj, 1913. 



^.^^w::-^:^ — 



GLEANINGS. 



A successful Agricultural Show was held at Antigua os 

 I'ebruary 20. The exhibits numbered approximately 1,000. 



An announcement appears in the Dominica Cltronide, 

 for February 15, regarding the newly established Govern- 

 ment scholarships at the Grammar School Candidates must 

 be over fourteen years of age and the syllabus of the examina- 

 tion is lia?ed on the usual English subjects taught in the- 

 elementary schools. The scholarships are competitive and 

 are tenable for three years, or during good conduct. 



Rice cultivation continues to receive attention in the 

 Argentine. The grain produced is said to be too soft, thougb 

 lately there have been signs of improvement, the outcome, it 

 is thought, of the etibrts of the Agricultural Department who 

 have encouraged the exhibition of both shelled and unshelled 

 rice at the agricultural shows at Buenos Ayres (From 

 DiploiiKUic and Consular Reports, No. 5029, Annual Series.) 



The L'dn Euo/jfv W'orUljtor February 1, 1913, refers to 

 Mr. H. A. Wickham as the 'father of rubber plantation?.' 

 It may be remembered that Mr. Wickhum was the first man 

 to collect, in 1876, Hevea seeds along the Amazon, and to 

 ship them to Kew for plantation purposes. 



The Curiitor of the Botanic Gardens, Dominica, states in 

 a recent communication that the distribution of plants from 

 the Botanic Station during February has been as follows: 

 limes 1,862, Para rubber 50, grafted mangoes 3, miscella- 

 neous plants 66. This makes a total oi l,9S'l plants. 



Information received from the Curator of the Botanic 

 Station, Antigua, siiows that during February, the distribu- 

 tion of plan's has been an knportaiit feature of tlie work in 

 the gardens. There were distributed during the month 

 26,350 cane cuttings, 493 miscellaneous plants, 443 coco- 

 ijuts, 200 lime plants, 29 tree-seedlings and 650 tree-cuttings. 



In the (Joloiii'il Reports — Annual, 191112, No. 743, it 

 is stated that the year under review has been remarkable, in 

 Uganda, for the great increase in the number of Europea» 

 plantations. It is pointed out that although plantation crops 

 do not at present figure very largely im the exports they will 

 probably do so in the near future. The acreage under cotlee- 

 is rai>idly being extended. A large amount of land is also 

 being planted in rubber and, to a less extent, in cacao. 



Following the loss of cattle which had been fed upon 

 sorghum, experiments have been carried out in Uruguay, to 

 determine the hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid) content of 

 different varieties of this plant at various stages in its 

 development. All three varieties were found to contain 

 hydrocyanic acid during the growing period. The content 

 diminished with the growth of the plants, and no prussic 

 acid was found in the seeds. (From the E.rjxiiinent iitation 

 Record, for July 1912.) 



The rubber exports from the Federated Malay States 

 have increased from 17,547,4711b. for the period January to 

 November 1911, to 31,024,0861b. for a similar time in 

 1912. During November 1911, 2,i04,3i:Cb. of rubber were 

 exported, during November 1912 the amount shipped was 

 3,111,47311). (From The Board of Trade Journal, for January 

 1913.) 



Circular No. 108, received from the Uoited States 

 iJepartment of Agriculture, contains abstracts from the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Association of OfKcial Agricultural Chemists, 

 1912. It contains important resolutions of interest in the 

 "West Indies, concerning analytical methods in the chemical 

 examination of insecticides, water, foodstuffs, sugar, molasses, 

 spices, and cacao. 



In a C'jiiimunication received from the Curator of the 

 Botanic Station, Montserrat, it is stated that the cotton cmp 

 is now practically finished and that much better reports i^re 

 being received on this year's shipments. About 40 acres of 

 cotton were planted in the middle of the island in January 

 and February. The destruction of old plants is being carried 

 Out as quickly as possible. 



According to the Financier and Jiuliionist, for January 

 27, 1913. a company called the West India Copra and 

 Produce Estates, Limited, has been founded to acquire and to 

 deal in estates in present bearing, producing coco-nuts, 

 cacao and other tropical product.s. The ccmpany will act as 

 commercial agents, manage and inspect plantations, in fact, 

 (tarry on the usual business of a tropical plantation company. 

 The directors have already entered into contracts for th& 

 acquisition of three freehold estates in Tobago. 



The Modern Siir/ar J'lanler for January 25, 1913^ 

 provides information which shows that the total consumption 

 of sugar in the United states during 1912, was 3,504,182 

 tons, an increase of 152,791 tons on 1911. The sugar used ©n 

 which full duty was paid was 100,350 tons, and the amount 

 of sugar on which a concession of duty was allowed was 

 2,608,632 tons; consumption of domestic production was 

 789,200 tons. Cuba contriiiuted 1,664,803 tons, Hawaiian 

 Islands 52(),281 tons, Porto Itico 285,550 tons, Philippine 

 Islands 131,932 tons, domestic cane 257,194 tons, domestic 

 beet 516,851 tons, maple sugar 7,000 tons and molasses 

 suL'ar 8,155 tons.- 



