•17-: 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 24, 1913. 



The Antigua Sua for April 23, I'Jlo, slates that an 

 interesting meeting of the Antigua Agricultural and Com- 

 mercial Society look place recently for the purpose of 

 diseu>sing the making of syrup. A paper on the subject was 

 read by Mr. H. A. Tempany, B.Sc, Superintendent of 

 Agriculture fcr the Leeward Islands. This paper will be 

 abstracted in due course, in this journal. 



GLEANINGS. 



It is stated in The Board of Trade Journal, for ^larch 20, 

 1913, that the export of rubber from ihe Federated Malay 

 States during January 1912 was 2,730,576 lb.; during Janu- 

 ary 1913 it was 4,787,280 R. 



The exports from St. Vincent during March 1913 were 

 as follows: arrowroot 312,5171b., cacao 21,1441b., cotton — 

 Sea Island, 63,949Ib. (180 bales), cotton seed 24G, 178ft. 

 (From the St. Vincent Gorernmeiit Ga.iette, April 17, 1913.) 



Information has been received from the Curator of the 

 Botanic Gardens, Dominica, to the effect that the cacao crop 

 is practically over and that there is a sati.sfactory outlook as 

 regards limes in view of the promising setting of the flowers. 



A meeting of the St. Kitts Agricultural Society was 

 recently held for the jjurpose of discussing the advantages 

 of syrup, making over muscovado manufacture at present 

 prices. A paper on the .^ul ject was read by the Superinten- 

 dent of Agriculture for the Leeward Islands. 



The total rainfall in Grenada during March 1913 was 

 342 inches; for the corresponding period of last year it was 

 199 inches. During the month, rain was received on 

 twenty-one days; during twi'nty-three days the sky was 

 clear; for eight days it was overcast. (From the Grenada 

 Gm'ernment Gazette, April 15, 1913.) 



Reference is made in the Colonial Office Journal for 

 April 1913, to the hay grass known as teff. The success of 

 this plant in British Guiana and Australia is remarked upon, 

 and it is pointed out th:)t its. use is spreading in South Africa. 

 It is well adapted for dry sandy regions, though the possi- 

 bility of its becoming obnoxious as a weed must not be lost 

 sight of. 



It is stated in 7'//e HoKvd of 'Trade Journal for April 10, 

 1913, that H. M. Consul at St. Louis, Mexico, has forwarded 

 a sample of fibre produced from cactus by a machine which 

 has recently been patented in that city. The machine can 

 be made in various sizes; the inventor is manufacturin" 

 small hand machines for sale to the cottagers in Mexico for 

 Mse in their homes. 



In the Afjrieultxiral Xews, Vol. XII, p. 40, reference is 

 made to the Trinidad and Tobago Board of Industrial 

 Training. The report for the ytar 1911 12 has just been 

 received in which it is stated that in the previous year there 

 were 2,311 registered artisans, 127 registered firms or masters 

 and seventy-one registered apprentices; this year's figures are 

 2,495, 137 and 131, respectively. 



Information is presented in the Financivr and Uutlionist 

 for April 17, 1913, to the effect that the banana crop in 

 Jamaica for 1912 was considerably smaller than usual owing 

 to the exceptionally protracted drought. The lo.ss for the 

 whole island last year was estimated at about 4,000,000 

 bunches. During the calendar year 1911, Jamaica shipped 

 a total of 1G,497,385 bunches, valued at 87,088,451, a sum 

 representing more than half the total value of all the exports 

 for that year. 



According to information presented in the Bulletin of 

 the Imperial InsfUute for January-March 1913, the output of 

 the cacao crop in the Gold Coast for 1912 was 86,197,151 lb. 

 valued at £1,042,736. Although this represents a decrease 

 of 3,285,075 lb. as compared with 1911, the quality of the 

 cacao has improved, the value showing an increase of 

 £29,278. These figures are suggestive as regards the possi- 

 bility of the competition of thu Gold Coast being felt in the 

 West Indies in connexion with the production of high 

 grade cacao. 



It is stated in the lleport of the Dejiartment of Agricul- 

 ture of the L^nior. of South Africa for 1911, that in Natal 

 Province forty-two outbreaks of epizootic lymphangitis 

 (pseudo- or Japanese farcy) have occurred, but in the majority 

 of cases they have existed in districts where the disease has 

 been present for some years. Very few cases have been luet 

 with in districts hitherto looked upon as free from the disease. 

 All clinical cases are destroyed, compensation is paid, and 

 a certain amount of control is maintained over the in-contact 

 animals. It may be noted that in the West Indies no similar 

 control is exercised. 



A review appears in the India Riilihcr Journal for 

 April 12, 1913, of a recent work entitled The Ru'A.er Tree 

 Book, by W. F. de Bois McC'laren. The object of the 

 author has been to produce a book containing information 

 which will give material assistance to those desirous of 

 gaining an insight into the problems of rubber plantation 

 work, and of creating a more intelligent interest among 

 planters actually engaged in the growing and preparation 

 of rubber. It is stated in the review under consideration 

 that the publication is assured of a good sale, and it is 

 confidently ncoinniended to all interested in rubber. The 

 price of the book is ll.< M (abroad). The publishers are 

 Messrs. McClaren tV: Sons, Ltd., London. 



