Vol. XIV. No. 31:'. 



THE ACIUCLTLTUKAL .NEWS 



L83 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



gren U3A. The Superintendenl of Agriulture (Mr. .1. ('. 

 Moore) informs this Office that ti cacao fields show a fine 

 appearance for this time of the war and that the nutmeg 

 crops are commencing verj satisfactorily. The cacao pickings 

 have been better than last year. ' In regard to Land 

 Settlement, sixty-nine applications for lots at St. Cyr have 



been received I sixty four have be n approved. Allotment 



will take place immediately. During April unusually heavy 

 rainfall occurred in the northern pari of the island from the 

 1-th tn the 1 ltd inst., causing enormous damage to 

 cultivation, roads and bridges. Tun important meetings 



have been held: one of the Agricultural and G rcial 



Society at the Botanic Gardens, at which the Superintendent 

 of Agriculture gave a lecture on limes; and the other, 

 a meeting of allotment applicants at St. Cyr. At this 

 meeting there was an attendance if I tO, and an address was 

 given by the Agricultural Instructoi 



ST. vincent. In a communication received from the 

 Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. VV. \. Sands) it is men 

 Honed that there will be a reduction in the area planted in 

 cotton and arrowroot, and extensions of com, beans and 

 peas. Meetings of the Arrowroot Growers' Association and 

 the Agricultural and Commercial Society and < lotton Growers' 

 Association were held on April 28, to discuss high freight 

 rati - "a cotton and arrowroot. Resolutions were passed 

 suggesting the raising of the minimum price of arrowroot 

 by \d. and cotton by \\<l per B>. Tt is in contemplation to 

 hold meetings in the country districts to stimulate the 

 extension of the areas planted iii Indian com, peas and beans. 



ST. LUCIA. Observations relating to staple crops indicate 

 that iii the ease of cacao, reaping continues, and that in regard 

 to sugar the yields are not as great as expected in several 

 quarters. During April, write the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent (Mr. A. J. Brooks), fourteen days were spent in 

 travelling in the Forestiere coolie settlements and in the 

 Castries and Micoud districts. Account sales received last 

 mail show that the last shipment of lime juice from the 

 Government Factory sold on a £31 basis. This was the 

 lowest price realized during the year. Three casks of 

 concentrated juice were shipped during the month: this 

 closes the nop for 1914-1") and makes a total of 43 casks. 

 In connexion with coming events ol interest, it is stated that 

 the Governor (Sir George Haddon-Sinith, K.C.M.G.) was 

 expected to pay an official visit to Eeunion during the early 

 part of May. His Excellency and Lady Eaddon-Smith 

 visited the Botanic Gardens and Lime Juice Factory at 

 Castries during April. The rainfall a( the Botanic Gardens 



for April was D83 inches, and at Reunion 7"56. 



dominica. It is reported from Dominica that a heavy 

 (lowering followed the rains which fell during April, espe 

 cially on the Leeward cast estates. The local prices for 

 green limes continued at 12«. to 15*. per barrel, and yellow 

 lime.- at 5*, per barrel; raw lime juice sold at %d. per gallon 

 locally. The annual application of manure to the different 

 plot., in the Experiment Stations received close supervision 

 and six additional \ -acre plots were laid out. During the 

 month several gentlemen called at the Gardens; some visited 



the lime experiment station an. I other- consulted On agri 



cultural matters. At a meeting of the Permanent Exhibitions 

 Committee held on the 22nd, it was resolved that, owing to 



to the wai, Dominica would not send ai. exhibit to the 



I madiaii National Exhibition to he held during 1915. 



Between April 24 and 26, L0'5 inches of rain was recorded 

 " 'he Botanic Station; the total rainfall ha the month 

 15-25 inches; the average rainfall for the month of April 

 over a period of twenty two year- i- 267 inches 



SI0NTSERRAT. In hi- report for April last, Mr. W. Robson, 



Curator, mentions thai a pink-seeded borse bean has u 

 received from the Montserrat Company, which ha- extra large 



seed-. Other recent introductions -till under trial at the 



Botanic Gardens are Teghrpsia Candida, Bambarra -round 

 nut, Sudan and Rhodes grasses, white-seeded velvel and fleshy- 

 pod Leans, Rouncival cowpeas, and a white corn. The 

 promise of a minimum price for cotton for next crop is 

 stimulating planting. Some cotton of hist crop has sold 

 at U. 3d. per fc. and this is considered satisfactory. Aboul 



two thirds of the crop remains to he shipped. The rainfall 

 has been very general and gradual: there has not been much 

 'washing'. 



v.ntigua. In a communication from Mr. T.Jackson, 



Curator, it is stated that the young cane crop throughout 

 the island has materially improved during the month of April. 

 The harvesting of the onion crop was completed: .'{,.,00 crates 

 were shipped for the season by the Onion Growers' 

 Association. The Officers of the Department were specially 

 engaged in shipping onions and other vegetables, and in 

 making trial runs of the machinery at the Antigua Govern- 

 ment Granary. Heavy rains fell during the month, 901 

 inches being recorded at the Botanic Station. The rainfall 

 for the year is Dili] inches. 



st. kitts. It is reported from this Island by the 

 Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. F. R. Shepherd) that 

 during the month of April, 1,800 sweet potato cut tings and 

 1,072 lb. cotton seed were distributed from the Experiment 

 Station. The reaping of the cane crop has been delayed 

 owing to the very heavy rains during the month. The 

 Factory was compelled to shut down to dear the railway 

 lines of the sand brought down from the hills, anil the 

 muscovado estates could not grind for want of fuel. 

 The young cane crop has made good progress and the 

 late supplies will now come forward. Preparation is being 



made for planting cotton, and on - e estate, in the 



northern districts many fields have been planted. Owing to 

 the guaranteed minimum price by the Fine Spinners, a much 

 larger acreage is being put in cotton than was originally 

 intended. At a meeting of the Agricultural and Commercial 

 Society held on April 13, a circular from the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture on the subject of Lima beans 

 as a field crop, was read. The rainfall for the month was 

 abnormal, 9*15 inches being recorded in Basseterre, while in 

 the northern districts on one estate i".t inches were registered. 

 Most abnormal weather was experienced, the wind blowing 



from the south-West with very heavy sea. 



NEVIS. During the month of April over 300 acres ol 

 cotton were planted. There has been greater activity shown 

 with regard to this crop since information concerning the 

 minimum price to be paid has been received from the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, and planting preparation i- in 

 progress throughout the island. A fairly large acreage » ;h 

 planted in provision crops during the month, consisting chiefly 

 of sweet potato, peasand cassava. It might be mentioned that 

 Lima beans were planted in part of the demonstration plot 



ill the Experiment Station. The rainfall tor the month was 



5*65 inches. 



