168 



THE AGMCULTURAL NEWS. 



May 2i, 1913. 



EDlTORIAlj NOTICES. 



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 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

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 Bridgetown. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & Co., 

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 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



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Agricultural |linu!i 



Vol. XII. SATURDAY, MAY -24. 1913. No. 289. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Ooatents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this number deals with the subject 

 of rainfall. Various aspects of the subject in relation 

 to agricultural practice aud the topographical character- 

 istics of different localities are considered in a general 

 manner. 



Information of considerable economic importance 

 is presented on page 1(J4 in regard to the feeding value 

 of Bengal beans. 



Veterinary notes, dealing with the subject of 

 tuberculosis, will be found on pages 16-") and I(i7. 



The newly introduced fibre known as Zapupe, is 

 described in an article on page Kid 



Insect Notes, which will be fViund on page 170, 

 constitute a continuation of the subject of root borers 

 and other grubs in West Imlian .soil.s. 



On page 174, important information will be found 

 abstracted, ilealing with the preparation of I'ara rubber 

 in the Malay States. 



Fungus Notes, on page 174, comprise two articles 

 describing, respectively, a disease of sisal hemp an<l 

 a now group of fungicides. 



Publications of the Imperial Department of 



Agriculture. 



Thr second number of \'olunie XIII ot the West 

 Lnduin Bidlctin, which has recently been issued, 

 contains an account of sugar-cane experiments in 

 British Guiana. The authors are Professor J. B. 

 Harrison C.M.G., M.A., F.I.C, Director; F. A. Stock- 

 dale, M.A., F.L.S., Assistant Director: and R. Ward, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, of the Department of 

 Science and Agriculture. British (Juiana. Parti of 

 the paper deals mainly wiih the probable error in 

 sugar-cane experiments: Part II, the composition of 

 the soil- water as affected by cultivation and manuring 

 of the soil: Part III, the manuring of the sugar-cane; 

 Part IV, the effects of cultivation and manures on the 

 soil of the manurial and experiment fields; Part V 

 concerns varieties of sugar-cane. 



The Annual Report on Sugar-cane Experiments 

 in the Leeward Islands for 1911-12 is now being 

 distributed. This report, as in former years, comprises 

 Part I dealing with varieties of sugar-cane, and Part II 

 which describes the results of manurial experiments. 



The Annual lieport on the Antigua Botanic 

 Station is also about to be issued, and will be followed 

 shortly by the reports on the St. Kitts and Montserrat 

 Botanic and Experiment Stations. 



Of the Pamphlet Scriet-. No. 7o, on Lime Cultiva- 

 tion in the West Indies, is in course of preparation. 



Lime Cultivation in Dominica. 



An article on this subject appears in L' Agricul- 

 ture Pratique des Pays Chauds (F-Avis) for March 

 1913. It is written hy C. Chalot, Professor a 1' Ecole 

 Supi'rieure d'agriculture coloniale, in collaboration with 

 R. Deslandes. Ingenieur d'agriculture coloniale charge 

 de mission aux Antilles. It is pointed out, in the 

 introduction, that at Trinidad, Dominica, Mont.serrat, 

 Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua and British liuiana, the 

 products of the lime tree take an important position in 

 the Colonies' exports, though the cultivation of this 

 crop in Dominica constitutes the main subject-matter 

 of the article, in view of the greater importance of the 

 industry in that island. 



A historical account of the industry is followed by 

 a description of the different varieties giown at the 

 present day. The requisite climatic conditions are 

 next considered, succeeded by an account of the clearing 

 and cultivation of the soil for planting, including a 

 description of the method of draining the land. 



The article will be continued in the next issue of 

 the journal referred to. 



Acknowledgement is made in the article of assist- 

 ance rendered to one of the authors by the Curator of 

 the Botanic (hardens, Dominica, the Manager of the 

 Bath estate, lioseau, and by others. 



The dissemination of the information in these 

 articles in l']urope and elsewhere should help to venti- 

 late the possibilities attending a West Indian inclustry 

 which is sfill in a state of active development. ( )n the 

 other hand, the information may induce efforts to 

 extend lime cultivation in other portions of the Tropics 

 outside thi' West Indies. 



