Vi XIV. No. 



tin: agricultural news. 



r.'.i 



l"ii g made to bring about the uiucL needed improvement of 

 i eating the lawns above sea level. Reporting on tin condition 

 of the staple crops, il is stated that the cateiocrop slackened 



off somewhat during the month. The coming li :rop was 



dowering, and the lasl crop still coming in Further clear 

 ings were being made in the island foi planting. An exten- 

 sion "t the sugar-cane cultivation co mues During the 

 month, the Superintendent began the examination of the 

 eleinentarj schools in agriculture. The rainfall at the 

 R - mic Stal ion ivas F.'il inches. 



dominica. The I '.i I I lime crop, according to the 

 Curator of the Botanic Gardens (Mr. Joseph Jones), has 

 1 decidedly below the average. Although cable quotations 

 indicate a steady dec-line in the price ofconcentrated juice, 

 the local prices continue high for raw juice and yellow limes. 

 Special work in connexion with the lime crop by the 

 Department lias included an investigation into the losses 

 occurring in the process of manufacturing citrate of lime. 

 In the Lime Experiment Station, work included cutlassing 

 and circling round young trees and the picking of limes. 

 In the nurseries, land was prepared for limes, and cacao 

 transplanted in the boxes. Coming events of interest include 

 the tapping of Castilloa trees, and the clearing of land for 

 citrus plots in the valley. During the month 950 lime 

 plants were distributed. The rainfall tor the month was 

 l'7(i inches. 



Mo\r>i:i:i; v i. The Curator of the Experiment Station 

 (Mr. W. Robson) reports that the cultivation of maize is 

 being undertaken upon a somewhat extensive scale; on one 

 ies of estates about 90 acres being planted. Adiseasenew 

 to Montserrat has recentlj been observed on maize. This has 

 Keen diagnosed l>\ the Mycologist of the Imperial Department 

 as Puccinia maydis (In-own rust). There was a keen demand 

 foi the newer varieties of sugar-cane growing at Grove 

 Station. During the month 12,000 bay seedlings "were 

 planted in the beds. As regards cotton, very little was 

 picked in January, and the crop is now finished. Samples 

 of lint have hern submitted to the Kim- Spinners' Association 

 foi spinning tests. Fourteen other samples have been sent 

 to the British Cotton Growing Association for report and 

 valuation. Samples of distilled bay oil have been forwarded 

 foi examination to the Government Laboratory at Antigua. 

 Consideration i- being given with regard to a fresh series of 

 cotton manurial experiments foi- 1915. The month of 

 January was drier than usual, the rainfall at Grove Station 

 being 3"42 inch • 



antii.i v. According to tin- report of tin- Curator 

 (Mr. Jackson), a great deal of the work of the Department 

 in this island during January was connected with the sugar 

 cane experiments, lint as well, large numbers of onion 

 plants and eoeo ma- were distributed among the estates, 

 h connexion with the occurrence of pests, cotton caterpillars 

 were fairly common, thrips were found attacking onions 

 when maturing, and isolated instances were seen of Qstilago 



on maize. Several meetings v.. re held during 1he month. 



including that of Directors of the Cotton Factory Company, 



aid the Onion Growers' Association. The island was 

 visited during tin- month by -Mr. Fonda, referred to before on 



this page. The results of the last examination in Practical 

 Agriculture were received. Of the two candidates that 

 sat in Antigua, one obtained the second class certificate. 



During tile month of January tie- weather was dry. The 

 rainfall was only l <il inches. 



ST. Mils. The Basseterre G i ral Factorj began grinding 



on January I'- 1 . The Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. I-'. I.'. 



sin pherd) states tint the results wen- as satisfactory as 



Id I'e expected, sidering thai the canes wen not tally 



ri] wing to the desire to begit re iping at the - 



possible moment. Canes were being brought bj 

 some estates on tin- western side, the price now paid making 

 this practicable. Tin- young cane crop was health} and 

 growing well. ..wing to the favourable showery weather. 



A larger acreage ha- I n put in under the seedling 



varieties in tie- Basseterre district, a these are more 

 suited to ia. t..i\ conditions than White Transparent. During 



'la- i th the Assistanl Chemist (Mr. Waterland) arrived, 



and started work in the Laboratory. Tie- Veterinary Si 



has also taken up his duties. The old cotton crop i- now off, 



hut a large portion of the lint has not yet been shipped, as 



growers are waiting developments with regard to prices. In 

 this island increased attention is being given to the cultivation 

 of provision crops, including maize. A reporl on the culti- 

 vation of this latter crop was read In-fore tin- Agricultural 

 Society, at a meeting on January 5. The rainfall for the. 

 month was '-'•"> I inches. 



NEVIS. The Agricultural Instructor (Mr. W. Howell) 

 calls attention in his report to the results of the experimental 

 plots of yams, sweet potatoes, Guinea corn, etc. Mezzagua 

 Guinea corn gave satisfactory yields. Tin- experimental 

 Indian com, planted in the demonstration plot, is very prom- 

 ising. The following plants, etc., were distributed from 

 the Station during the month-. Sweet potato cutting-.. 7,800; 

 cassava cuttings, 750; Guinea corn, 1311b. The earn- crop 

 throughout the island is given and very promising, and the 



fields have nearly all made a g I stand. In some places the 



preparation of the soil has been very poor, and in far too 

 many cases no manure has been applied, and poor 

 plants employed. The old crop is being reaped on several 

 estates, and most of the canes are being sold to the 

 St. Kitts Factory. As regards cotton, the second growth in 

 many fields has been badly damaged by worms, and from 

 these fields the second picking amounted to very little; bur in 

 other fields, chiefly those to the windward part of the island, 

 the second picking was verj good, and in some fields it was 



quite as g I as the first crop. Mildew occurred in many of 



the cotton fields during the month. The coco-nut groves at 

 I'inneys estate were visited. During the month, l!7,l ><">< > nuts 

 were shipped, ll.OOO of which were for planting purposes, and 

 25,000 for the New York market. A meeting of a special 

 committee of planter- was held on January 15, at which 

 Dr. Tempany's address was discussed, and it was decided 

 to approach the Government asking for financial aid 

 in the erection of a Corn Factory similar to the one 

 now working at Antigua, as tin- committee an- of the 

 opinion that such a factory, erected in Nevis, would be ol 

 very great benefit to ihe island. The rainfall for the month 

 was Flu inches. 



Attached t.. \F \l report from Grenada is the 



following tabli 



EXPORTS PROM CREN XVA DURING 1913 'ND 1914. 



1913. DHl. 



« icao cwt. 101,043 :»M17 



value £225,317 £270,876 



Cotton: cwt. 3,395 3,197 



value £ 9,019 £ 8,805 



Cotton seed: cwt. 9,567 9,148 



„ value £ 1,964 £ 3,907 



5pici cwt. 19,008 14,212 



„ vain.- £36,89 £ 35,384 



i nuts: No. 24,430 1 16,780 



value t 59 £ tit 



