THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



I I 1:1:1 \i:\ L'T, 1915. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



NOTES ON EXPERIMENTAL DRYING 



OF BANANAS. 



The following notes on experimental drying of 

 bananas, carried oul bj Mr. L A. Brunton, Agricul- 

 tural Inspector, Trinidad, are taken from the Bulletin 

 of the Department of Agriculture, Trinidad and 

 Tobago, November-December 1914: 



The figs for this experiment wore not all equally 'full' 

 or mature, and in consequence, ripened ver} in igularly, the 

 most mature ripening in three to four clays, whilst the least 

 mature took eleven day-. 



The first lot was put out to drj on September 13, 

 drying being completed by the 21st, a period of nine days: 

 there was, however, very little sun on the first day, as it 

 rained almosl continuously, and only a half-day's 3un on 

 the 17th. 



Theremaindei were put out in two lots on September 

 is and 19, ely, and were ready for packing by the 



25th. Two days during this period wen- rainj with very 

 little sun. It is therefore evident, that in favourable weather, 

 drying can be accomplished in from five to six days. 



TV lure adopted was as follows: when the 



bunches were brought in from the field, they were divided 

 in hands, packed in a heap in the store room on bedding of 

 l" a leaves and covered with dry grass. 



When ripe, the figs were separated from the hands and 



peeled, care being taken to re re the 'strings' below the 



thick skin: the} were then placed in rows on the drying 



H of tli hoi e, exposed to the sun, and tinned 



continually during the daj at night they were heaped up 

 and covered with dry banana leaves, but this was only done 

 to the last lot from the third to the sixth day; it appears to 

 assist the drying. 



If a sufficient quantity of bananas wet d, the cost 



aid not, 1 thin! Is. to 3«. per 100. 



B part of the an a he decided upon, and u 



which the lime trt'i i are growing splendidly, he- has established 



a nursi 10, plant-. In addition to this, Dr. O. 



Teodorini ha cperimental plot of onions upon which 



industry he ma; devote some attention if he finds it feasible 



to do so. w ice these effort is being very commendable 



in these time wl n new industries in or to lessen 



tli. depression caused by the glutted arrowroot i V id 



the slow sales ol cotton the two products upon which the 

 proprietors, with hardly any exception, have hitherto thrown 

 all their dependence. We congratulate Dr. Teodorini on his 

 enterprise, and wish him tble measure of success. 



CULTIVATION OF LIMES IN ST. VINCENT. 



The following note, dealing with lime cultivation in 

 St. Vincent, appeared in the St. Vincenl Sentry fo] 

 Januarj 29 \>M:r. 



(in Wednesday last Sir. W. X. Sands, Agricultural 

 Superintendent, returned from an official visit to Bequia. Be 

 has bet n discussing the prospects of minor industries with 

 the landowners of thai district. Limes are considered a suitabl ■ 

 product to be promoted there. Already a few acres have 



been planted and ; rowing nicelj . Mr. Sands 



also advises thai larger areas he devoted to corn, peas, and 

 sueli other prv in ready market iii the neigh 



bouring islands, it being inadvisable to place undivided 

 attention ; t < those pn ducts for which 



the soil in Bi quia s ] « cu li irhj ad ipted. 



Touching the matter of lime cultivation, we note with 



mil. h satisfacl theprogn which is marking the efforts of 



Dr. O. Teodorini on his lime plantation it Byahaut, in thi 



eward District. Eighteen months go this gentleraa 



impressed with the fertility ot the land in St. Vincent, and 



the prospects of the lime industry, acquired 50 acres, and 



at one,- ,ii on modern principles. Be 



oiled the best quality .•! lime plant- from St. Lit 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



Grenada. The Superintendent of Agriculture (Mr. J. 



iore) forwards a report on the work conducted l>y 



the Department during January. In this it is stated that 



v. oik in the Experiment Station has included the harvesting 



oi provision crops, and the re-organization of the corn selection 



■ni. m In ae Botanic Garden, routine work has been 



irried on, and land has been rj beds into 



which 25,000 li seedlings have alreadj been transplanted. 



The Superintenden made i co rion with the 



Land Settlement Scheme; several estates were vi 



is well as the greater portion oi Very heavy 



rainfall was experienced during the firsl lour d. 



. nuary, and oi u g 1 showers were received durii _ 



third week. The weather was verj drj during t] 

 tie month. < )n I lie whole, I he w il her w.is mo 

 n during January 1914. 

 ST. vin"i est. It is stated l.\ tin Agricultural Superirt- 

 it (Mr. W. \. Sands), in his report for January, 

 the Exp I. Station cotton picking is now concluded, 



d stalks have been burnt, and Bengal iwn in 



he plots. During the month - 15,400 cane cuttings 



i that is being 

 given to the cultiviJtftn of sugai ne. it is noteworth 

 12 acres of limes have been planted out at Bequia. Tbe ex- 

 tension -I coco mil cultivation was continued. It i 

 that about 1,000 acres have been planted In the Colony 

 within the last few year-. A- regards cotton, it is i 



thai this crop turned out badlj through excess ol rain in 

 \..\. mlier and December. An interesting evi en the 



tch of 3 bags (20 tt). each) of t 3ea Island 



to the Fine Cotton Spinners' Association for .-pinning 



tests. In connexion with this, the reader -I Id refer to an 



interesting paper ihich is appearing in the foi g issue 



of the West Indian Bulletin. During the month, tbe island 



d Imperial Co >i ricul 



Mr. J. L. Fonda, representing the Fine Spinners' Association, 

 torthe object of discussing with the local growers the culti- 

 vation of e..tt. i, St. Vincent and the market situation. 



ion is bi ten in this t 'ol my to an exl 



of the area tnul i maize, p. as, and beans. Tl 

 durin lit ble. 



ST. lucia. Phe Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. A. J. 

 Office that considerable attention was 

 in the Experiment Station during January to the 

 sowing of linn seeds, and the distribution of lime p 



work was undertaken: 200 junip I 



plants were established, and larg I hes ol 



'asuat id. Tn the Bota ic < larden an i 



