Vol. Vril. No. ITiS. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



27 



ANTIGUA : BOTANIC STATWX, EXP E RIM EXT 

 PLOTS, AXD AdRWULTURAL EDUCATIOX, I'.jnrS. 



During the year 1907-8 the totiU cxiieuditure on tlie 

 Antigua fjotanic Station and Experiment Plots amounted to 

 .£•514 14s. 9(Z. while a sum of £106 Is. 7i'/. was realized 

 from the services of animals, sale of plants, seeds, etc. 



The increase in the numWer of economic plants distri- 

 Ijuted from the Station has been very marked. While in 

 1906-7 only •i,^80 plants were sent out, the numlier 

 advanced to 14,.")2--' in 1907-8. These include 8,800 lime 

 plants. 



Trial cultivations of fodder and other crops were made 

 on the experiment ]ilots attached to the Station. Tlie 

 results of experiments in the distillation of essential oils 

 from lemon grass and citronella are included in the report. 



Useful experimental work with different crops have been 

 ■continued at Skerrett's and Scott's Hill. This work includes 

 trials of different varieties of cassava, sweet potatos, yams, 

 -onions, ground nuts, citrus fruits, etc., as well as some 

 important experiments with cotton. Increasing attention has 

 been given to the growth of green dressing crojjs. As the 

 result of t|ie continuous care given to the hedges around 

 ;Skerrett's Station, they have now developed into very strong 

 And ornamental fences. 



The rainfall at the Botanic Station for the year under 

 review was 509.T inches. This is 7w9 inches less than the 

 fall experienced in 1906-7, but 3'21 inches in excess of the 

 average of the past five years. 



The cotton area of Antigua in 1907-8 was 2,.j08 acres, 

 'being an increase of 683 acres on the area planted in 1906-7. 

 Attacks from insect pests were unusually prevalent during the 

 year, and, in many cases, occasioned serious los.s to cotton 

 ■planters. Erom the above area, a total of 1 S9,318 It), of cotton 

 was shipped up to March 31, 1908. 



As in past years, the work of the Agricultural and 

 f?cienc3 Master comprised a course of instruction in chemistry, 

 .agriculture, and animal physiology at the Girls' High School, 

 and lectures to students at the Female Training College. 



The work in the school garden continues to be generally 

 satisfactory. The nnnil>er of boys receiving instructiop ha.s 

 been seventeen, including seven agricultural scholars. 



BRITISH H0XDUI:AS : REPORT OX HOTAXIC 

 BTATIOX, liior. By E. J F. Campbell, F.R.H.S., Super- 

 intendent. 



As menticined in last j-ear's report, a new Botanic Station 

 for British Honduras, covering an area of abo'it 20 acres, 

 is being prepared on a suitable site near Belize. During 

 1907, the work of clearing the land, providing for drainage, 

 preparing roads, and getting the soil into condition for 

 cultivation, has naturally demanded first attention from the 

 staff. This work has been pushed forward as far as possible, 

 but a good deal yet remains to be done. 



A considerable nunilier of useful crops, including potato.s, 

 jams, ca.ssava, beans, peas, rice, corn, cotton, jilantains, pine- 



apple.?, etc., have been grown on the area already cleared, to 

 test the nature and cajiucity of the soil. Practically all these 

 crops gave very good returns. Small plantings of fruit trees, 

 e.g., mango, mangosteen, loquat plum, and of Para rubber 

 plants have also been made. 



About 4 acres of the cleared land have been laid out as 

 an ornamental and recreation ground attached to the 

 Station. A number of Ijeds were prepared, in which have 

 been .set out about 1,400 ornamental plants, including 

 crotons, bougainvillaeas, ixoras, hibiscus, lagerstroemias', 

 etc. All these plants are reported to liave grown well. 



Practically all the shrubs, plants, and nur.sery stock 

 have now been removed from the Belize Garden — which 

 was formerly the chief Botanic Station of the colony —to the 

 new Station. 



Subsidiary nurseries exist at Stann Creek and Corosal. 

 Para ruljber, cacao, nutmegs, and vanilla have all done well 

 at the former Station in the year under review. Congo 

 coffee trees {diffta rolmxttt) also gave an excellent crop. 

 The plants at C'orosal suffered much from drought. 



It is mentioned that there is but a small demand for 

 economic plants in the colony. Planters give their chief atten- 

 tion to liananas, sugar-cane, and maize. The total numlier of 

 plants distributed in 1907 was 8J)61. Of these, no less than 

 7,600 were logwood plants. 



The receipts for the year were ■'?192'14. 



METHOD OP TAPPING ASSAM 

 RUBBER. 



The Ex'pcriment Station Record (No. 11, 1908) 

 furnishes the following account of an improved method 

 of tapping Assam rubber (Flciis elastira), together 

 with the results of smne tapjiing experiments carried 

 out in India, in which this method was used : — • 



The tapping instrument consists of an ordinary carpen- 

 ter's chisel from i-ineh to |-inch wide. This is driven into tlie 

 bark vertically in a series of cuts, each the width of the 

 chisel, across the direction of the trunk or branch being tap- 

 ped, and with at least A-inch space between each incision. 

 The rows nf incisions are made about 6 inches apart on the 

 stems and branches of the tree. Thin strips of lead are 

 secured to the stem underneath each row, by which the latex 

 is conducted into cups. By this method of taj)inng about 

 two-thirds of the latex is said to find its way into the cups, 

 while one-third coagulates on the cuts. 



In 190-5, eight trees planted in liS82, were tappeil in 

 this manner, and gave an average return of 6 ft), of rubber 

 per tree. The same trees were again tapped in 1906, and 

 the yield for individual trees varied from 2i ft. to 1 ft. Foui 

 trees, planted in 1889 and 1890, were tapped in a similar 

 manner during the same years. In 1905-6 the estimateil 

 j'ield per tree was a'lout i ft. of rubber, and in 1906-7 the 

 j-ield [ler individual tree varied from 1] lb. to Z\ ft. With this 

 method of taiijiing, the cuts made in the previous year 

 appeared to heal \vell and to be hardly noticeable, and it is 

 thought probable that the Assam rubber trees may be tapped 

 more frequently than by the older methods of tapping in 

 which the bark is seriously injured. 



I'he latex coagulating on the cuts is said to re(jnire 

 no further treatment. That gathered from the cups is 

 mixed vi'ith a 2-per cent, solution of formalin, ])0ured into 

 clean bamboo troughs and covered from the direct rays of 

 the .sun. The coagulation is said to be complete within 

 a day's time. After the stri[is of rubber have drieil they are 

 rolled into balls. 



