Vol. VIII Xo. 179. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



77 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



Seasonal Notes. 

 March. 

 1st Fortnight. 



Students should make a study of the questions 

 raised in the hist issue of the Agriiultu r<d Ni'irs 

 ■ (p. 57) ill regard uo mulching land with cane trash, 

 and its effect on soil moisture. The subject should be 

 carefidly considered in its various aspects, and might 

 with advantage be discussed with e.Kperienced planters 

 or in the local Agricultural Society. Observations 

 should also be made in the field and experiments carried 

 out. 



Cotton picking will soon cease in most places. The 

 reasons for advocating a close season for cotton should 

 be carefully considered and discussed. It will be 

 interesting to search for parasites on caterpillars and 

 pupae, and upon the black scale before the crop is 

 destroyed. 



Students in cacao-growing districts should make 

 an effort to find out the reasons for fermenting cacao: 

 learn also to ascertain when cacao is properly fermented. 



Pruning of lime trees may still be carried on. 

 Dead wood, together with all suckers growing in the 

 middle of the trees should be removed and carefully 

 burned. Now is the time to thoroughly mulch the 

 soil with green manure, or with grass, leaves, bush, etc. 



A useful purpose would be served by making a list 

 of the varieties of sweet potatos grown in any given 

 district with notes as to characters and quality. 

 Questions for Candidates. 



I'KEI.IMIXAKY i^llKsTKlNK. 



(1) What advantage.s are to be gained by mulching, 

 and what kind of uuilches can be used l 



(2) Write a short story of the manner in which 

 a plant obtains its nitrogen. What changes do the nitro- 

 genous constituents of pen manure, sulphate of ammonia, and 

 nitrate of soda undergo before the plant can absorb them ? 



(.3) What becomes of the water which a plant absorbs 

 by its roots ? 



INTERMEUI.VrE QUESTIONS. 



(1) What is the best method of dealing with the trash 

 on a field of young ratoon canes I 



(2) Describe the insects known as (a) ' lady-birds ' 

 and {Ij) ' lace-wing flies.' What useful purpose do they 

 serve I 



(3) How is the cacao bean ferniL-nted and dried '. What 

 is the object of the various operatifms ? 



(N.B. In No 2 of the ' lutermediiite Que.stions ' cif last 

 issue for ' cacao pod stems ' read ' cacao jjod sliulls. ') 



The ."chcnie of reading coursi's and e.Yanunatinus in 

 agriculture lately established by the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture has now been adopted in the Leeward and 

 "Windward Island.s, and at Barbados. The first Prelindnary 

 examination was recently held in the Leeward Islands, 

 but in the other colonies no examination will take place 

 zintil about September ne.xt. 



RICE IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Messrs. Sanbach, Tarker & Co., of Georgetown, 

 issued the following report as to the conditions of the 

 rice industry in British (iuiana, during the fortnight 

 ended February 19 last: — 



The weather during the fortnight has been too wet for 

 millmg, l)Ut suitable for planting and growing rice crop. 

 Three or four day.s of heavy rains have been experienced, and 

 several light showers daily. Very small quantities of cleaned 

 rice have been received in town, and the market is almost 

 bare of stock. 



Prices have increased slightly, owing to the increased 

 demand both locally and from the West India Islands. 

 Several small sales have been made for export, and enquiries 

 continue to come in from all sides. Tinless the weather is 

 very mncli drier during the next few week.s higher prices are 

 sure to prevail, as it is im()ossible for the small millers to 

 clean their paddy under present weather condition.?, and only 

 very small quantities of rice will be received in town. 



Shipments to the West Indian islands during the fort- 

 night amount to about 3,01)0 bag.s, the bidk ol'it going to 

 Trinidad. 



Itiee of good export (juality may be quoted at \^s. Gd. 

 to 19^-. 9(7. per bag of 183 lb. gros.s, f.o.b. Demerara. 



AGRICULTURE 



STOCK AT 



AND LIVE 

 TOBAGO. 



atest A It mud Rcpoi^t of the Warden of 

 following particulars are given regarding 



In the 

 Tobago, the 



the condition of agriculture and live stock In the 

 island during the year 1907-8 : — ■ 



The past year was luiusually dry, especially in the 

 southern portion of the island, the rainfall at the Botanic 

 Station being a trifle under 63 inches and that at the Stock 

 Farm 52. In the northern portion it exceeded 100 inches. 



As will be seen, however, from the following return of 

 produce exported, it was also a record year, the value of the 

 exports amounting to £43,227 9s. \d., an increase of nearly 

 £15,000 over the previous year. A portion of this increase 

 ^\'as no doubt due to the high price of cacao, but there was 

 also a marked increase in the quantity of jiroduce shipped — • 

 3,S57 bags of cacao against 2,642 in 1906-7 ; nearly 100 tons 

 of copra against 25 ; 12,000 gallons of cocoa-nut oil again.st 

 10,746 ; 210 tons of sugar again.st 170 ; 1,636 lb. of rubber 

 against 1,180 ; 3,867 lb. tobacco against 2,714 ; and 450 

 tons of vegetables, including fruit, corn, and peas, against 380. 



There was a slight decrease in cotton, but now that the 

 gin has been established, and a larger area planted under 

 cultivation, an equal increase in quantity may be expected. 



Both the Botanic Station and the Stock Farm are doing 

 good work — the former in the sale and distribution of plants 

 and in its experiment plots, while the grounds, being in 

 excellent order, form a favourite jilace of resort, especially on 

 Sunday afternoons ; t:nd the latter in improving the breed of 

 stock, there being a steady increase in the number of applica- 

 tions for service frfim the donkey, bulls, and boar. The 

 stallion, which died the previous year, was replaced in August 

 by an imported hackney pony which ought to give a good 

 type of horse for the island, and there is also a fair set of 

 poultry. What scope there is for improving the breed of 

 stock is shown by the returns, for during the year there 

 were exported 528 cattle, 119 sheep, 2,074 pigs, 1,051 

 goats, 109 hor.ses, in addition to 1,426 dozen fowls, and 

 2,332 dozen eggs. 



