Vol. XIV. Xn. .ill. 



TDK AOKKTLTURAI XEWS. 





DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



Grenada, The Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. •!. C. 

 Jjoore) states thai arrangements have been completed to 

 carry out the experimental .mil de'monstrational cultivation of 

 provisions this year on an acre ploi ol land at Dumfries, 

 Carriacou, with the kind cp-operation of the manager, 

 Mr. C. P. Thomas. 



Work in the Botanic Gardens has included the distri- 

 bution of a considerable number of limes and coco nuts, and 

 trials are being made with sisal, and Lima beans. 



As regards the general appearance of the estate crops, the 



cacao fields during May showed splendid vigour, and in many 



parts of the island were putting oul (lowers plentifully. 



During the month, forty-one settlers were: given permission 



"to occupy allotments at the St. Cyr movfttain estate under 



the Grenada Land Settlement Scheme. 



A special committee of the primary Education Board 

 has been appointed to consider agricultural education in the 

 primary schools. 



The first two weeks of Maj were comparatively moist 

 but the latter half was rather dry. The last day of the 

 month showed signs of the weather breaking into the rainy 

 seas, .11. 



ST. viMKNT. The Agricultural Superintendent in this 

 y (Mr. \V. N. Sands), in referring to the experimental 

 work at the Botanic Station, state- thai plots of Indian corn 

 have been sown at different distances, and different varieties 

 of Lima and "ther beans are under trial. On the estates, 

 extensions in the planting of coco-nuts, Indian com, beans 

 and peas are to be noted. Cotton planting has been started. 

 During May the Assistant Agricultural Superintendent 

 restarted agricultural scii -at the Grammar School, 



ud examined several boys to fill vacancies for the agricul- 

 tural pupils. 



The rainfall for the month was sea Oflable. 

 dominica. Mr. Joseph Jones (Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent), reports that a large amount of routine work has 

 been done in the nurseries, while in the lime experiment 

 Btation the principal operations I .1 weeding, draining, 



-owing green dressings a ng the young limes, and the 



picking and recording of the crop from older trees. In the 



xperiment station the annual application of manures 



has been completed. The picking and recording of the crop 



eing cai ried on at the time of writing. 



As regards the condition of 1! 1 lime crop, there are 



iridicati. ns ol .1 fail avei heavier on the 



Leewan listricts tbi Ise where. The cable quotation 



trated juice was £25 pei pipe. Local price for 



- was 10*. per barrel, and for g 1 raw juice Is. !■/. 



lion. Heavy shipmi - n 'lines amounting to 



5,600 barrels were m ide during the mouth. 



Matters of general ini the period under 



■ the official visits of th Co 



. and the Mycologist. 

 1 iinl ill for th ■ ■ d. 



\io\ -11:1:1 Th. Curator ol 

 M r. W. Ilobson i eral ural 



interest from this island. \l n has followed the 



ml shipment ol il onions to Canada. These 



reported to be 1 mda 



stock. This will help to 1 hose who 



anxious to see an a in VI irrat similar to the 



one formed in Antigua two years ago. 



Most of the cotton an a has been planl I, and there b 

 been no complaints about germination or disease. Planters, 



however, art- rinding difficulty ill gelling (lit last cotton crop 

 shipped. The rainfall for the month is having 



been quite heavy enough for the cotton crop al ge at 



that time. 



win. 1 \. During May, the variety 3Ugar-Cane -lops at 



Cassada Garden, Diamond, and Friars Hill were reaped, aa 

 well as the corn and other plots at Skerretts. The young 

 cane crops continued to improve. 



There were several meetings held during the month ol 

 agricultural interest, namely meetings at the Government 

 Board, Permanent Exhibition Committee, Committee of the 

 Agricultural Society, and general meeting of the Agricultural 

 Society. One lecture was given to students by the Superin- 

 tendent of Agriculture and one by the Curator. 



During the month of May the rainfall was Lis inches. 



ST. Kiirs. According to the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent (Mr. K It. Shepherd) a considerable part of the 

 work in the Experiment Station consisted in the production 

 of beans, corn, and Other provision crops. 



On the estates the leaping of the old cane crop has been 

 pushed on with the favourable weather, but the quality of the 

 juice had very much gone off owing to the heavy rains. In 

 consequence, the yield of sugar per acre on the muscovado 

 estates has not been so great as was expected. The young 

 cane crop was growing rapidly, but in some districts fields, 

 were to be seen which were not so advanced as they should 

 have been, and the growth was very uneven owing to the 

 large numbers of supplies. 



A fairly large area of cotton has been planted and the 

 germination of the seed has been excellent. The total area of 

 cotton planted for the coming season will be reduced to about 

 one-third owing to greater attention being paid to cane. About. 

 1,000ft. of selected cotton seed was procured and shipped 

 to the Agricultural Superintendent, St. Vincent, for planting. 



During the month, the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 visited the island for a few days and delivered an address 

 before the Agricultural Society. This has already been 

 noticed in this journal. 



Work conducted at the Government Laboratory by tie- 

 Assistant Chemist has consisted in the comparative estima- 

 tion of fibre in sisal leaf for the purpose of comparing methods 

 of extraction, and the an;tl\ ol vera] samples of milk 

 received from the Inspe • Police. Work connected wiih 

 the sugar cane 1 s periments has also beei ; ress. 



m:\is. During May, the young cane throughout the 

 island were very promising. Mr. W. Howell (the Agricultural 

 Instructor) states that it is sal ote that pen 



in,, nine is being more generally used. Tin- yon,. was, 



on the whole, doing well. As regard m crops, a 



acreage of sweet potatoes and yams ed during 



month. With hi- 11 . it is stated thai 



nuts in the nurser} I '" have started to germinate 



and that the lands are bei ' red for planting. 



I luring the visit of the Com if Agriculture, 



. me ting 1 Id I Court House « 



] )r. Wal • 'i with he present 



\\ ural outlook of the i land. 



