Vol. XIV. No. 345. 



THE A.GRICULTUKAL NEWS 



231 



A> a consequence of this, i 31 '•■ 

 culti' "lit this time. 



The following 1890-4, shows 



some improvement; this maj fly attributed to thi 



efforts that wi sug ir industr; 



this largely througl ... 



and to improve ichini rj on the 



I i efforts, 



i quently the period 



Still more 



serious decline in thi ! the ■ i the 



i Ha] of the 



sugar industry, and the increased d i I the latter to the 



disastrous huri I $99. In the yi r 1 '■" " i 



due of the total Fell I i the alarming figure of 



£8,287 i ' il value of the peril "1 



first considered in this review. 



Co sidei tion may now be gi' to the last two periods 

 of five years. 1 ports during 



1905-9 was £31,649, b ii more than double thai 

 of the precedii ile u :ceeding 



1910 1 I. they rose to E 1 1,068, th si attained. 



The writer gives a table it? which are set out the values 

 of the principal item ■ >rts for tin- ten yen's 1905-14. 



In-] tion "i i his table al i mce how - thai the ini i 



in the value oi the exports is due to -the development and 

 if the cotton industry. The story of the restored 



i rity of Montserrat is clearlj the story of its cotton 

 industry. In conseqt < i e is good reason for 



anxious thought as to ow that the cotton 



industry is depressed owing to the disturbed condition of 

 trade as a result of the present European war. 



Before suggesting othet croj that may in the future 

 take the place o n to some extent, Dr. Watts gives 



b tabl ! i ure showing the acreage under cotton, the 

 quantity shipped, and the average yield per acre for the last 

 ten year-. This table is of considerable interest, and is 

 reproduced as follows: 



i ITTOS in MONTSERRAT. 



The increasing interest taken in the industry is 



exhibited bj thi increa ing Stores devoted to the 



crop. It is seen • ;. ieing shown in the 



industry in 1903 I, but this rather waned the following year 

 when a somewhat smaller area was planted; bul confidence 

 \ ion restored and increa ikwere planted 



6 up to 1908 9. The cau - of thi shaken conl 

 in L903- 1 was the outbreak of n mperfectly und 



disi i I cotton plant, pari icularly leaf blister mite and 



: The restorei 



i er in which knowledgi thods oi controlling 



; i troubles was acquired and applied, and is eloquent 

 testimony to the g I work done in studying the life histories 



lit' the pests and dise i i\ ising mel liod 



which were carried oul by the iltural 



officei i.griculti I lepartment, and by t ! 



all working heartily to imon end. 



The year 1909-10 shows a marked falling off 

 icrea I, and tl nly indicated in the 



small yield pet a re previous year. This 



diminished yield wa ioned by the o 



a severe gale in Septi mbcr, which swepl 



island, uprooting large numbers of cotton plants, and 

 large area -■ ■ i >red, 



however, for it is to een 1 hal the at i plat ed in 



19 Hi- 1 I showed a large increase, by a still 



larger increase in the ne eason, when the area planted 

 ' mum. It will 1. : that the fluctuation 



in the area plant ! iverned to a largi '■;. the 



e yield of cotton p . act 



ed by diminished pi i iting in the tiea t, i i rsely, 



s 'j i j ield per acre indi - increased plan; 



The acreages planted by the larger estate i ary 



so considerably; a steady policy of planting is mori 

 adopted; the variations noticed largely indicate the varying 

 interesl of the small grower and the peasants in thi 



Turning now from the subject of cotton to a considera 

 tion of other industries, it is pointed out that lime cultivation 

 continues to be the one next in importance at the pi 

 time to that of cotton growing. The sugar industrj has 

 shown no signs of recovery, the amount of sugar exported 

 having but small value. It is important to remember that 

 much attention has 1.. rected to the export of live-stock 



from Montserrat: the values of these exports nov exceed the 

 value of sugar, and with improved breeding and organization, 

 it is likely that the live-stock industry in Montserrat could 

 attain still greater proportions. Lastly, it is mentioned that 

 the production of papain is still being carried on as a minor 

 industry and shows signs of considerable extension in the 

 future. 



The writer goes on to point out that it the position as 

 regards c tton were normal, Montserrat might be n garded as 

 flourishing. But in spite of the gauranteed minimum price 



\t year, the cotton market cat t for the present be 



safely depended upon, at any rate for si td grade cotton. 



Hence it becomes important to-lodk around for suitable crops 

 and industries which, try at any time, may take the- 



place of the staple. In many islands of the West Indies 

 i ittention is being given to the cultivation of Indian 

 and it might be possible in the near future for 

 Montserrat to follow the example of Antigua in the ra 

 "ferreting a kiln-drying establishment so as to enable this 

 commodity to be stored for considerable periods and i a 



shipped from the island. Another crop the cultivation of which 



has recently been ad\ ited is the Lima bean, which now 



forms an important crop in parts of California. The 



cultivation of this ms to offer much attraction to 



Indian cultivator-, and the prospects are that the 



industry could 1 irried on in Montserrat to very 



considerable advanta 



Attempts are being made to develop the onion industry 



in the West Indies. The success which has attended 



has m people in 



Montserrat to i on growing on 



a larger scale in that Presidency. 



Another indi ch is al I racl ing attention i- the 



cultivation o Ba] tree or th p id tel ioi i i ential oils, 



finally the b i i in m ide thai Mori 



should play a par; in the scheme for the production of pork 

 n the West 1 adies, which m i\ u n ith 



the return of n I times, 



