204 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



JrxE 26, 1909. 



GLEANINGS. 



The West African laiu sheep ' White Chief,' the 

 property of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, has 

 latel}' been transferred from I'arbados to Slontserrat, and his 

 .services will be available in the latter island for a very 

 .small fee. 



There are about 7-3,000 acres under coffee in Costa Rica, 

 anil this area remains stationary from year to year. The 

 average production of dry coffee per acre is from 5 to 6 cwt. 

 During 1907, the total ex[iort was 17,;)2.5 tons, of a value of 

 about §3,300,000. 



In connexion with the introduction of exotic cottons 

 into new covuitries, the experience of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that 

 a newly introduced exotic seldom attains its normal cropping 

 capacity until it is acclimatized, and on an average, five years 

 are neces.sary for acclimatization. 



The lliiHctin of A'/rii-iiltni-nl Jiifdniiiiliiin, Trinidad, 

 reports that about 1,200 seedling canes of different varieties 

 have been obtained from British Guiana by the Department 

 of Agriculture. These have been planted in the be.-^t part of 

 the St. Clair Station, and after testing, the most suitable will 

 be distributed to planters in the island. 



The damage to the cocoa-nut ci'op in I'ortugue.se East 

 Africa last year (1908) from the ravages of locusts amounted 

 to $360,000. On a big sugar j)lantation along the Zambesi 

 River more than 14 tons of locust eggs have been dug from 

 the soil of the cane fields on an area of 2,000 hectares (about 

 4,900 acres). (Letter from ( Jovt. Entomologist, V. E. A., in 

 Klltiitll(>lii<lici(l Xi-irti, \'ol. X\. p. 2S7.) 



With the object of extending the amount of knowledge 

 now generally available in connexion with the matter of 

 cacao fermentation, Tropk-al Lift: has arranged to otlir 

 a i)rize of £50 for the best essay on the subject. The e-say 

 in (juestion should take the form of a [wpular scientitic 

 treatise. Preliminary particulars of this competition are given 

 in the May number of Trc/iinil Liff, but full details will be 

 given in the .June or .Inly niniibei-. 



The Queenslind Acclimatization Society has for some 

 years past l)een engaged in the work of raising new varieties 

 of sugar-cane from seed. .\b(mt 4.50 seedlings are reported 

 »s the lesult of last year's work. These will natuially luidergo 

 a process of examination and selection. One pniticular cane, 

 C^. 116, raised some few .seasons ago. seems to be tli" most 

 promising. No expeiiinents in artificial cross-fei tilizatiou 

 have yet been attempted in ((ttieen^land. 



A note in the Jouriidl of the .lamaica .\gricultural 

 Society for May refers to the possibility of orange wine 

 manufacture in Jamaica. The preparation of orange wine 

 has often been tried in the past, but without success. It is 

 suggested that if attention were given to the matter at th& 

 ( iovernnient Laborator)-, sonu' progress might be made in the 

 direction of turning out a lefreshing drink made from 

 fermented orange juice. 



According to a recent number of the Culm Review, 

 The Cuba ilill and Furniture Co. has been organized for the 

 purpose of manufacturing, in Cuba, building material, 

 including .shingles and door.s, and also crate and cigar box 

 material, axe and pick handle.s, waggons, bull carts, and 

 a very high grade of furniture. The company has valuable 

 timber contracts including many of the valuable hardwoods- 

 to be found in that i.slaud. 



Praedial larceny is very prevalent at St. A'incent, and 

 cotton growers have suffered considerable lo.ss fiom thi.s- 

 cause. The following remedies for checking the theft of, and 

 illicit dealing in, cotton have been proposed to the Executive : 

 To prohibit the selling of, and dealing in cotton locally, to 

 a[>point cotton inspectors on the same lines as at Barbados, 

 to compel all cotton growers to furnish accurate returns of 

 cotton planted, and to ask the Government to make 

 arrangements for the purchase of cotton belonging to small 

 growers, at the Central Cotton Factory, at current rates. 



It will be .seen from the Agricultural Notes ^' St. Kitt'.s- 

 Nevis ' — on p. 20.'), that black blight is conspicuous on limes in 

 certain districts in that Presidency. Although the .same- 

 citrus crops are grown to a greater or less extent in all the 

 West Indian islands, the prevalence of scale insects and 

 black blight varies greatly. This variation is probably due in 

 large part at least to the natural enemies of the scales. 



The Triniiliid llnlli'tin »/ Ji/rirn/tiirii/ Iiil'iiriiititi)>7i for 

 .Tanuary and A|)iil 1909 mentions^ that the frog hopper of the 

 sugar cane ha been identified by specialists at Washington 

 as Toiii'iKjiis Poxtii-d. Green moulds found growing on these 

 insects were determined to be Ooxjiora destnirtor, and 

 Petiicilliuiit Anisot/iiie, commonly known as the green 

 mu.scardine di-sease. 



Copies of the prospectus of Macdonald College, (Quebec, 

 which is incorporated with .McOill University, liave lately 

 been received. This College contains a well-ei|uipped .Agri- 

 cultural Department, at which courses of instruction ranging 

 from two weeks to four years can be taken. The fee for 

 instruction for students whose home is outside of Canada is 

 $'>0 i)er session. Board and lodging costs approximately 

 ■13 -.^O iier wiH'k. 



.\t the regular meeting of the .Vntigua .Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society, .June 4, .\lr. Tempany the Acting 

 .Superintendent of Agriculture brought up the matter of 

 pedigree cotton .seed, aiul read a paper on Antigua molasses. 

 ExiieriTuents 3arried out since 190l> in the .selection of 

 cotton have resulted in tile prcxluction of a strain of Sea 

 I.".land cotton which seems to be well adajjtcd to the local 

 conditions, and a quantity of this seed was ottered for sale at 

 Itooms estate. Mr. Tempany advised the planters to procure 

 this seed for planting. .Mr. Temp.iny also read a paper on 

 the manid'ai^turo and treatment ot mola.sses, and jiointed out 

 the need of the great care and greater deaidiness in 

 handling the molasses, if the staudanl of Antigua molasses 

 is to be kept up. 



