72 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Fki;i:i \i:v L'7, 1915; 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 specimens for Darning should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Departmenl ol Agriculture, 



Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not 

 to the 1 department. 



Local Agents: Advocate Co., Ltd., Broad St., 

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 37, Soho Square, W.: West India Committee, Seeth- 

 ing Lane. E.G. The complete list of Agents will be 

 found on page *> of the cover. 



The Agricultural News: Price Id. per number, 

 post tree 2d. Annual subscription paxahletn Agents, 

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Agricultural Miuifi 



VoZ XIV. SATIMIDAV. IKI'I'I'AI'Y 27, 1915. No. 33." 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



The serious lesson afforded by the spread of Citrus 

 canker in the United States is dealt with in the 



editorial to this issue. 



Under l>i\e Stork Notes, on page H7. will be found 

 interesting abstracts concerning the feeding of animals 

 in the Tropics as well as a concise summary of oui 

 presi ut knowledge of hookworm disease in sheep. 



Extensive items of local interest appear on pages 



68 and (in. 



An important note on the St. Kin's ( Jotton Tram : 

 Ordinance will be found on page 70. 



The report on the St. Vincent Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, 1913-14, is reviewed on page 71. 



Considerable interest and importance attach to the 

 second Note and Comment in the next column on 



this page. 



The In- ct Notes in this issue, which will lie found 

 on page 74, deal with agricultural pests in Nigeria 

 Fungus Notes on page 78 comprise a comprehensive 



tCCOUnt of the rusts and smuts of Indian corn. 



The results of experiments in kiln ilrying corn at 

 Antigua will be found on page 75 



Three nob s appeal in this issue i pages 7:'., 75 and 

 77 (on ' he subject of sisal hemp production. 



Rainfall in Dominica, 1914. 



Copies of tho rain la II returns in I >ominica, for the 

 year 1914, have been received from the Curator, 

 Mr. Joseph Jones. These show that the mean 

 precipitation tbi thirty-two stations for the year was 

 109*85 inches. Of thesi stations eleven, situated on 

 the leeward coast, show a mean return of 80*80 inches; 

 three windward coast stations 115*48 inches: La Soye 

 coast station 8405 inches: whilst the mean return for 

 twelve inland stations was 147*9(5 inches. The lowest 

 precipitation. 45)*89, occurred at Batalie; whilst the 

 highest return u*as 252*8u" inches of rain, which fell at 

 (.lean Manioc. 



Advancement of the West Indian Bay Oil 

 Industry. 



.Mr. .1. C. Umney, F.C.S., Editor of the Perfumery 

 and Essential Oil Record, publishes a lengthy article 

 in that journal tor December 1914, on the Bay oil 

 industry of the West Indies. Information concerning 

 this developing cultivation was brought to Mr. 1'mnoy's 

 notice by the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 who forwarded copies of the Botanic Station Reports, 

 Mbntserrat, and other literature 1 on the subject issued 

 by this Department, as well as samples of the oil itself. 



The following passage is reproduced from -he 

 at : icle in quest ion: — 



'We have always felt that this oil of the eugenol- 

 containing group has not enjoyed the popularity 'hat 

 its sweetness and dehcacx of aroma deserves for 

 obviously its m y value has no ratio to its phenol- 

 content, as it contains the lowesl percentage of the 

 group and commands thv highesl price. There is little 



question that the sophisticati t the oil bj dealers 



with eugenol from others •ces, or eugenol-containing 



oils, has to a large extern "spoilt its market". Let the 

 natural distillate be sold, as now suggested, under 

 Government certificate as the natural product ol 

 Pimento or Myrcia acris, and with a phenol -content 

 of 55 to 65 percent, (which as the report which follows 

 shows, is easilx attainable b\ judicious bulking o| 

 a season's distillates.) and the price commanded will 

 be profitable, and the oil will find its correct market 

 position. What ratio in price is there between otto of 

 rose and citronella.oil? No more than there is l„ 



I i lie bay oil and cloveoil.' 



In the issue of the Perfumery and Essential Oil 



Record for January L915-, Mr. I'm i reports on his 



analysis of the sample of Pay oil forwarded as stated 

 above by the Imperial Commissioner. This sample 



■ as found t mtain a rather lower phenol-content 



than the average, and points to the necessity lot 

 judicious bulking. Attention is called as well to the 

 low specific gravity of this sample (*950). It is giiirJ 

 gested that n mighl be well to adopt this figure as the 

 lower limit in the ranee 950 to *990, in order to 

 include the most fragrant oils, corresponding also i 



55 percent, and upward, of phenolic constituents. 



Readers of the Agricultural News will regard 

 with satisfaction the interest manifested by oui con- 

 bempory in thi^ new industry of the Leeward Islands. 



