Vol. VIII. No. 177. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



43 



•GREEN DRESSING CROPS AT ANT.GUA. 



The value of green dressing crops, more especially 

 those belotiiging to the leguminous family, such as cow - 

 peas and woolly pyrol, grown in connexion with sugar- 

 ■cane cultivation, is being more recognized every year 

 in the West Indies. Increased attention has been given 

 in recent years to such crops at Antigua, and the 

 latest report on the Botanic Station in, that island 

 gives an account of a numbei' of experiments carried 

 -out at Skerrett's in the past year. 



The total nmiiber of crops under exiieriineut as green 

 -dre.ssings were fourteen, ir.chiding four varieties of cowjieas. 

 The time of planting of these crops was generally in March, 

 .and the period from planting to reaping varied from two 

 months in the case of white mustard (llrassica alba) and 

 the Soy bean {G/i/cine hi-yddit.), to nearly eight months in the 

 -case of the ' Barbuda ' bean. The cowpeas, however, required 

 aio more than three months tn come to maturity. 



The weiglit of produce yielded per acre was extremely 

 satisfactory in the case of a inniiber of these crops. The 

 leading place was taken by the Barbuda liean, which yielded 

 20,000 It), of green bu.sh per acre. Woolly pyrnl gave a return 

 •of 1 4,8-50 lb. of green bu.sh, and bonavist 3,200 lb. The 

 four varieties of cowpeas growri were the ' White,' the ' Black 

 Eye,' the ' Clay,' and the ' Red. ' These gave returns 

 in the order named : the ' White ' cowpca yielded 10,570 tf). 

 •of green bush, the ' Black Eye' 9,440 tb., the 'Clay' 8,440 lb., 

 ^and the ' Red ' cowpea 8,250 lb. 



Some distance be'low these from the point of view of 

 return come the Pigeon pea (Cnjun/is iiidiciis) (4,950 R. j)er 

 .acre), buckwheat (4,922 lb.), the Babricou bean (Canavah'a 

 .sp.) (3,520 tt).), and the white mustard (3,000 It), per acre). 



The three I'emaining crops — the Soy liean, the Sand vetch 

 .and Japan clover gave poor returns and the yield was not 

 weighed in either case. The Barbuda bean proved a most 

 pronii.sing green dressing. This plant is a rapid grower, and 

 ;SOon covers the land with vegetation, so that weediTig 

 •operations are greatly ndnimised. The plot remained perfect- 

 ly free from insect attacks, and it is mentioned in the report 

 that this bean can be reconnnended with confidenoe for 

 green dressing purposes at Antigua. Woolly pyrol has been 

 more largely grown in such islands as Barbados than at 

 Antigua. The report on the experiments, however, states 

 that it is a crop which can distinctly be recommended, 

 although it is somewhat liable to attack by caterpillars and 

 red spider. If woolly jjyrol is grown for the i)uri>ose of 

 obtaining a crop of seed, it .should be planted during the 

 period from October to February. 



The bonavist bean gave a satisfactory return, and it 

 would certainly seem that this plant is worthy of trial on 

 a large scale as a green dressing. This bean, too, was quite 

 free from attack by caterpillars. Cowpeas have been fairly 

 ■ extensively grown in Antigua of recent years, with the object 

 of supplying humus to the soil. They grow quickly and 

 • cover the ground, but it is mentioned that the great draw- 

 back to this cro[i is its susceptibility to caterpillar attack. 

 Further, when insecticides have been applied in the hope of 

 -controlling this pest, the foliage of the plant is very readily 

 •damaged. 



Pigeon peas, though less liable to attack from insects 

 "-than cowpeas do not cover the ground su well, nor give the 



same amount of produce per acre. The greater number of 

 lilants mentioned are inemlaers of the Leguminosae and 

 therefore of special value in increasing the amount of intro- 

 gen in the soil. Buckwheat, however, belongs to tlie 

 Polygoiiaceae, and therefore does not possess this special 

 advantage. A small plot of this was grown ; the product* 

 was particularly free from in.sect attack, but the weight of 

 green bush per acre was not great. 



The Babricou bean shows itself a very hardy plant. It 

 was cut about four months after planting at a time when 

 it had not yet reached maturity. This bean can be recom- 

 mended for planting on laud that is to remain fallow some 

 time before the permanent crop is planted. 



The results given by the mustard were not sufficiently 

 good to warrant the experimenters in recommending that it 

 should be ^rown on estates for green dressing purposes. 



SOIL CAPILLARITY. 



Water in the soil is drawn to the surface by what 

 is known as capillary act.ion. An example of the 

 working of this capillary force can be observed wlien 

 open tubes, having a very small bore, are placed in 

 a vessel of water or other liquid. It will be seen that 

 the level of the liquid in the tube has risen higher 

 than the general surface in the vessel. Similarly, if 

 a piece of loaf sugar is placed in a saucer containing 

 a small quantity of water, so that oni}' a fraction of 

 the sugar is immersed, the liquid will be observed to 

 mount rapidly through the substance of the sugar, 

 until the whole piece is saturated. This ascent of the 

 water is also due to the working of capillary force, and 

 water in the soil rises to the surface in the same way. 

 The following notes are extracted from an aiticle om 

 this subject, wdiich is one of great importance to the 

 practical cultivator, that lately appeared in the Ameri- 

 can Journal of Agrictdfure : — 



Water deep down in the soil is attracted and drawn to 

 the surface of the soil grains there, the .soil pjirticles above 

 them attract and draw the water to their suifaces, so in turn 

 the different layers of soil particles draw the water to them- 

 selves and up till it reaches the surface. Once at the surface, 

 the air claims the water and it is taken awaj' from the soil 

 by evaporation. 



Soil particles not only have the power of drawing water 

 to themselves, but of holding it as well. By a simple mathe- 

 matical law, the smaller the particle the greater proportional 

 surface it has, hence the finer the jiarticles are, the more water 

 a given soil is capable of holding. Also, the olo.ser together 

 the soil grains are, the more retentive is the soil of moisture. 

 For this last reason deep ploughing for breaking up large 

 ma.sses into fine grains, and heavy packing to bring these 

 grains into close contact, are employed in dry-farming opeui- 

 tions, and may be adopted in any region, in dry times, to laake 

 deep soil hold large amounts of w.iter. 



The prastical application of the principles of soil capil- 

 larity consists in first loosening the soil to as great depths as 

 jjo.ssible for creating large surfaces for exposiu'e, allowing the 

 soil to catch and indjibe as much water as po.ssible, if it be 

 not already saturated, and then stirring the surface fretjuently 

 to break capillary action at the surface to prevent loss 

 from above. The farmer who understands fully the laws of 

 capillary action and so handles his soil as to receive and 

 retain large amounts of moisture has mastered one of the 

 greatest points of successful fanning. 



