Vol. XIV. No. 339. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



l.;.- 



thai poinl "i view, a plantation I rogues. For a growei 



whose land is isolated, or for an an , preferably an island, 



covered by properties whose owners are agreed to adop 



the policy may stand or fall by the di jree "I its success; but 



where it is practised by only one an mg a aumber, the rest 



of whom desire to continue to gro Sea [sland, a position 



will arise similar to that brought a ut by the keeping of 



diseased plants, which in several islai Is has been the subject 

 of special legislation. 



W. \. 



EXPORTS OF SEA ISLAND COTTON. 



j: J VI l RN OF SEA tSLAND COTTON EXPOKTED FROM THE \ 'RI01 S 

 EST INDIAN mi S i OH I ill' ol LRTEK END] D 



« i;i i: .'!l . 191 I. 



Bales. 



U 





\- 



Weight. 



lb. 

 2,950 



16,238 

 7,750 



90,." 



ISL967 



Est imated 



value. 



£ 



197 



827 



388 



5,656 



I 1,373 



750 



704 



300 



IS, 4 79 



Land Development in Cuba. — According to an 

 article in Modern Cu'ju for March 1915, a Commission has 

 recently examined the south-western lands of that island and 

 found them capable of profitable development if better 

 transportation and good drainage caii be provided. It is 



stated that ;ill kinds of crops > bi grown on these lands, 



an 1 the writer emphasizes a diversification of crops and 

 rather tends to discourage the cultivation of tobacco. 

 Perhaps because the writer is a horticulturist he strongly 

 advocates the growing of vegetables. It is especially inter- 

 esting that he lays great stress upon the profitable nature of 

 bean cultivation. In this connexion attention is called to 

 the necessity for purchasing threshing machines and other 

 labour saving machinery. It is urged that no very meat 

 area under this crop is required to render such investments of 

 capital economical. It is said that the reason why planters 

 tend to grow tobacco is because they can receive credit on 

 this crop. Naturally the monej lenders are not anxious for 



laud owners to grow beans and vegi Cable green crops since 



they would then lose the greater pari of their business. 



The Canadian Trade Commissioner for the West Indies 

 has furnished this Office with a memorandum from the 

 Department of Customs, Ottawa, showing the most recent 



changes in the tariff, some items ol which apply to West 

 Indian products. It appears that the following articles con- 

 nected with West Indian trade are exempted from the 

 provisions of the new war tax: bananas, cottonseed cake and 

 cotton seed meal, and coffee. 



VARIETIES OF CASSAVA. 



The follow ing notes on local \ ariel ies ol :as 

 are taken from the Journal of the Jamaica .1 

 tural Soi " ty for Febi arj 1915: 



(1) Bobby Hans ■ i Gordon irly variet) 

 matures in nine months. It will give good results in all 

 soils except soils remaining always wet. Grows equally 

 from sea level to 3,000 fi el elevation. 



(2) Pum-pum or /lunch of Keys i- anothei 

 variety and matures between nine and twelvemonths. The 

 holes for this variety may not be more than I foot in li ngth, 

 but may be 2 feet w ide. The tubers an genet illy si 



stout. Hilly or gravelly land suit it better than a >ther 



soil. Planted at too great an elevation may result in 'tree 



and not tuber development. 



(•">) Grey Sound is a variety oi considerable gn 



many and large tubers. It, does not yield as h flout is 



the two varieties mentioned before. It matures in ten or 

 twelve months. Red soil is not the ideal one for it, but it 

 suits best a conglomerate such as brown earth and brown 

 gravel mixed. 



(4) Red Jacket is a varietj of manj tubers but 

 necessarily large. It matures in twelve months. It bears 

 best in gravelly land of brownish appearance. 



(5 A: 6) Brown S/><-,\- and Smallins) are varieties 



much alike in many ways. They thrive in the same kin. I I 

 soil; much humus should lie in the s^il where these are 



grown and they give verj good account of themselves ir 



a little above sea-level to 3,000 above. The (}cur and starch 

 yield from these varieties is considered the best. They are 

 later to mature than the othei varieties. In dry soils they 

 mature between twelve and fourteen months. In damp soils 

 they mature between fourteen and eighteen months. The 

 Sin tiling variety is chiefly planted. Its tubers are the larg 

 and while the first tubers never fail to continue their develop- 

 ment after they are a year old, other tubers go forth from 

 the first. They seldom lose in weight, however long they 

 kept before they are lifted 



HOLES, CUTTING 'ND PLANTING. Except ill the 



the Pum-pum, the holes should be not less than 2 

 (length) by 1 foot (width). The depth should be about 

 '.) inches. These remarks apply to the stiffer soils. In tine' 

 light soils a foot square is sufficient. All cuttings should be 

 close to a node or eye, and need not be more than 6 inches in 

 length, the plants being shorter where the nodes are not far 

 apart. At this time when there ma) be much rain about 

 l-inch of plant may be left uncovered ami these pla 

 should be put in slanting, the tuber producing end no' being 

 more than 4 inches deep. It is hoped the people will not place 

 more than one cutting or plant in each hole. There is no 

 necessity for more. 



Attention has been called in the Veterinary Rec ird 

 (February 13 and 20, 1915) to the s.Aw^ of iodine in 

 sterilization. The preparation especially noted is todobenzine, 

 which is made by pouring some tincture of iodine into a certain 

 quantity of benzine. Gratifying results are claimed foi its 

 use, first for sterilizing the hands, it being sufficient to 

 a small quantity; secondly, as a ready meth "1 of preparing 

 dressings by soaking them in the solution which is then allow- 

 ed to evaporate; and thirdly, for sterilizing wounds by 

 application of tambons medicated in this manner. 



