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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Makch 20, 1909; 



AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT ST. KITT'S. 



A very interest uig und successful Atjrieultui'al 

 Show was held in the grouniJs of the Graniinar School, 

 St. Kitt's, on Febiuaiy 11 last, under the joint auspices 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, and the 

 St. Kitt's Agricidtural and Commercial Society. The 

 Show was opened by his Honour T. L. Roxburgh, 

 Administrator of St. Kitt's-Nevis. 



Ill welcoming the. Administrator, tlic Hun. S. L. 

 ilorsford, President of the Agricultural Society, referred to 

 the large number of e.xhibits on view at the show, which was 

 a mo.st .satisfactory and encouraging featiu'e. Whereas at 

 the show of lHOi^, there were only abiAit 400 entries, this 

 year the nuinlier reached nearly SOO. Special prizes had been 

 ottered for c(Piii|)etition by his flxcellency Sir Kickhiim Sweet- 

 Escott, K.C".M.(;., Lady Sweet-Kscott, Colonel the Hon. I!. S. 

 (Cotton (owner of Stapleton's estate), and by !Mr. A. M. Lee 

 (owner of Stone Fort and Ottley's). ^fr. Horsford adde<l 

 that the success of the show was largely due to the zeal and 

 energy of the Honorary Secretary, Mr. F. H. .Sheiiherd. 



Mr. lioxburgh, in tiie course of his speech, alluded to the 

 admirable arrangements that were evident in everything 

 connected with the show, and extended a welcome to the 

 laige number of visitors present, not only from St. Kitt's, 

 but also from Nevis. The value of such competitions was 

 aitpaient to all. Planters and cultivators from dirterent parts 

 ■wiMv afforded an opportunity of com|iaring varieties of agri- 

 cultural produce obtained under different methods of treat- 

 ment, and of discussing the results of the.se methods. 

 Unsuccessful competitors were stimulated by the results 

 obtained Ijy their successful neighbour to improve their own 

 produce, while the prize-winning exhibitor should not be 

 content next year merely to repeat what he had achieved on 

 the iji'csent occasion, but should endeavour each year to 

 advance, until the highest standard was reached. This was 

 the third annual show held at St. Kitt's, and there were 

 alri!,idy distinct signs that the exhibitions of the past two 

 years were beginning t-o exerci.se an inrtuence on the 

 thoroughness with which agricidtural pi-oducts were being 

 j)re])arei:l. 



The total mnnber of exhibits on view (incOuding those 

 not for competition) was 7is((. These were made up as 

 follows : 99 exhibits in horses, mules, asse.s, and cattle : 38 in 

 small stock, such as .sheep, goats, and ))igs ; and -Vi in 

 feathered stock and rabbits : -tO in sug;ir-cane and its 

 products : 60 in fruits ; 149 in vegetables ; 111 in preserves : 

 47 in tneals and starches : 72 in industrial and miscellaneous ; 

 2(i in plants and flowers : 4 in .school exhibits ; 26 exhibits 

 in painting and drawing, and 20 not for com]>etition. 



The animal .section is mentioned as being especiallv 

 good, and formed the largest vxillection of live .stock yet seen 

 at a show in the Presidency. Mr. .1. I!, ^'earwood's native 

 Zebu bull was easily tirst in it.s class, and was awanlcd the 

 (Jhampion |)rize. Fn the horse cla.ss two fine animals, the 

 properly of Mr. A. S. Davis, were ]>romincnt. Some very 

 ■ •reditable mules from Poixb and other estates were entereil 

 for competition, and the donkey stallion ' Pismarck,' the 

 ])roperly of tlie Imperial Department of .Xgriciilturc, was on 

 view. The Indian goat ' Kajah ', also the jiroperty of tin- 

 DeparUncnt, was inclurLud among the live stock, although 

 nijt entered for competition. 



The first prize for cotton lint was awarded to Conn 

 Phipjj's estate, and the first prize for seed-cotton to Buckley's 

 estate. 



It is estimated that over 1,200 [jeopic visited the show 

 during the day. 



PEN MANURE AND ALLIED MANURES. 



In one of the reports on the Sugar-cane Experi- 

 ments in the Leeward Islands (190.5-6, Part II), there 

 occurs an appendix, under the above heading, which is 

 of very general interest, and to which the attention of 

 planters may well be drawn. It deals not 'only "with 

 pen manure, but with the preparation of compost 

 heap.s, and the .economical utilization for manurial 

 purposes of all available vegetable matter that can be 

 accumulated on estates. A table is also given, showing 

 the results of analysis of a large number of these 

 substances, from which the quantities of organic matter, 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash added to the soil 

 by average samples of pen manure, rotted megass, 

 vegetable compost, sea-weed, cane top.«, cotton seed, 

 etc., can be seen at a gl.ance. This subject is the more 

 deserving of consideration, since the manurial experi- 

 ments carried on at Antigua and St. Kitt's have 

 emphasized the importance of pen manure, etc., in the 

 cultivation of plant canes. 



The view is sometimes held among a few older planters, 

 that |)en manure contain.i'more plant-food material than the 

 food stuffs and bedding from which it is derived. This, 

 however, is obviously a fallacy, since the animal retains 

 some portion of--4he food supplied in building up the 

 tissues of its body. 



This being so, it holds good that the same ([Uantity, or 

 more, of fertilizing material is conveyed to the .soil by burying 

 the grass, cane tops, etc., without first feediuij them to the 

 animal. It should be jiointed out, however, that as the result 

 of the modifications in the character of the feeding stuffs 

 brought about in passing through the alimentary tract, the 

 organic material becomes more readily combined with the 

 soil, and is available for plant food in a much shorter space 

 of time. The liipiid and solid excreta voided by the animals 

 kci)t in enclo.sed pens, and also the bacteria from the intest- 

 inal tract are fiuther means by which the rapid decay of 

 accumulations of litter is hastened. 



The following notes are quoted directly from the 

 appendix referred to : — 



The practice of keeping animals for the jiurpose of 

 making maiuue is sound in principle, in that a certain 

 number of animals are desirable for bringing the manure into 

 good condition without loss of time : but it may be carried tf> 

 excess. A limited number of animals can be made to hasten the 

 decay of much more material than they eat, and thus may be 

 employed to prejiare large tjuantities of manure. One point 

 has to be guarded against in practice. The attendants are 

 disposed to give to the animals only as nuich as will .serve a-s 

 food, whereas every effort should be made to give the animals 

 a large excess of food material, part to be eaten and the 

 remainder to be rotted. 



In procuring mantu'c for estates the greatest care should 

 be taken to accuniulate all available grass, bu.sh, cane tops, 

 and vegetable matter of all descriptions, which .should be 

 piled into compost heajJS. In the absence of animals, this 

 material in process of time will rot down and form useful 

 niaiuue, equal in value to [len manure. It is advantageous 

 to spread layers of earth at intervals through the heaps, for 

 the earth absorbs valuable constituents which' might otherwise 

 be lost, and at the same time it promotes decay. 



If animals arc available, the best results are obtained by 

 eondiining the method of the compost heap with the feeding 

 nf animals. 



