Vol. XIV. No. 340. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



The report regrets the loss of Mr. V. M. Weil; 

 the late Secretary, who rendered valuable services and 

 carried awa} with him the best wishes of membei 

 the Society . Mr. Weil was s eded as Hon 

 Si '" I irj 1>\ Mr. T. Jackson. 



This, n might be added is the first report 

 of its kind that has been pn uted bo the Society, 

 whose record for past years has bi en one of good work 

 done for the benefit of Vntigua. It is hoped thai this 

 work will continue to progress. 



Yearly Rainfall in Antigua. 



An interesting list of meteorological statistics has 



received from Dr. Tempan} showing the average 



rainfall between 1874 and 1914. The average rainfall 



was least in 1875 when 28"78 inches were received, 



and greatest in 1889 when 73 - 59 inches were recorded. 



These figures an i ctly i i parable because the 



number of stations at which thi rainfall was measured 

 has gradually increased. The average rainfall for the 

 past forty-one years is 4425 inches. The rainfall for 

 1!»I4 (recorded at seventy-two stations) was 36'86, 

 which is therefore 7"39 inches below the average. In 

 regard to the return of rainfall at the different stations 

 for each month during 1H14, the interesting fact to be 

 noticed is that the precipitation at the Botanic Station 

 is approximately the average for the whole island. 



By-law for the Sale of Milk in Antigua. 



This by-law (No. 4 of l!»14i marks an important 

 advance in attempts to control the purity of milk 

 supply in the Leeward Islands. Although the pro- 

 visions are open to criticism from a chemical standpoint, 

 it would appear that the regulations will prove suitable 

 for ameliorating the conditions obtaining in St. John's. 

 Briefly the by-law lays down that every vendor must 

 have a license, that ever) huckster must wear a metal 

 and that no person shall receive a milk vendor's 



■■ unless the Commissioners are satisfied that the 

 milk is obtained under sanitar} conditions, and that the 

 cows from tuberculosis and other dangerous 



diseases. Every licensed holder is required to notify 

 the Commission! rs of the existence of an} disease among 



ows, and no person suffering from a communicable 



se shall be permitted to handle milk. An} person 

 who shall sell any impure, unwholesome, or adulterate. I 

 milk shall be guilty of an offence against this by-law. 

 The terms impure, unwholesome or adulterated are 

 tean milk containing less than 3 per cent, oi 

 fat and I I •.". per cent, of total solids, milk in an} state 

 of putrefaction, or having any abnormal colour or smell, 

 milk drawn from cows within I vent} days before oi 

 ten days after partuition, or mi i from an} diseased 

 enw or milk produced under insanitary conditions. It 

 is provided that milk must be delivered in locked cans 

 and must net be kept in slei ping apartments. 



The Sweet Potato Weevil. 



Since the publication of bhe recent note in the 

 i ulttiral X< W8 for April 24, 1915 (Vol \ I \ 

 \e 339, p. L38), Bull tin N T o. 192 ol the United S 

 ! I inieiit of Agrii are has Keen n d and this 



contains reference I icality for t he 



of the sweet potato wei il (( 'ylo arius). 



The title of the bulletin referred to is Insects 

 Aff -I ing Vi sjetabli ' rops in Porto R co and in this 



the record is given of tl ccurrence of the - 



potato wee\ il as a pi si i f thi - m el potato in that island. 

 This brings bhe known habitat of this insect much 

 nearer to the islands of bhe Lesser Antilles 

 emphasizes the necessity for every precaution to 1" 



againsl t he int roduct ion of the sweel p 

 weevil into the islands where it does not yet occi 



Tonka Beans in Trinidad. 



The Povt-of-Spain Gazette tor April 17. 1915 

 contains the information thai there is a Tonka 

 plantation comprising some thousands of trees at 

 Maracas in Trinidad. The trees which are now in 

 bearing yielded last year 500 lb. of beans which were 

 sold locally at SI '00 per ft. It is reported that orders 

 are being sent to this estate for seeds for planting 

 purposes. The Gazettt considers that this cultivation 

 should prove a most valuable minor industry. 



Information concerning the Tonka bean has bi 

 given in the Agricultural News in Vol. XI, p. 14!>. in 

 Vol. IX, p. 149, and in Vol. V, p. 212. These 

 references describe the cultivation and collection and 

 preparation of the beans, their uses in commerce, and 

 the extent of their production. The Tonka bean is the 

 dried seed of the fruit of the leguminous tree known as 

 Dipterix odorata, which is indigenous to bhe forests oi 

 the northern part of South America. The tree attains 

 a height of 80 feet and bhe seeds are described as pos- 

 sessing the sweet odour of new-mown hay. In fact it 

 is the odoriferous quality of these beans which gives 

 them their commercial value. The Tonka bean is 

 employed not only by tinkers of perfume and flavours 

 but also by manufacturers of tobacco and snuff, especial- 

 ly in the United State--. 



Official Guide to the Botanic Gardens, Dominica. 



This interesting handbook has just 1 n published 



by the Government of Dominica and edited tit the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture. It gives an 

 account of the more interesting plants met with in 

 following an itinerary around bhe Gardens, and the text, 



which contains note- ri garding bhe ec mic chara 



istics of the plants, i- illustrated with photographs. 

 A useful feature ol the publication is the plan of the 

 grounds on which can be seen the relative areas reserved 

 for different purposes. Another feature of value is bhe 

 section describii rimenl plots. This will give 



the visitor an intelligent idea of one of the ways it; 

 which this botanical establishment benefits the planter 



The handl k is provided with an exhaustive index 



■ taining references to bhe principal plants. 



