Vol. VIII. No. 19S. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



381 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



crop.s 



INTERMEDIATE AGRICULTURAL 



EXAMINATION. 



The examination was held on November 1 and 2 ; at 

 some ccnti'es, it was found convenient tO\ta]ve part of it on 

 a day after this. The results, which are complete, with 

 the exception of tho.se from St. Lucia, are as foUow.s: — 



Name. Centre. Satisfaetf.'ry Special 



Subjects. 

 Sugar 

 (Jotton 

 Cacao 

 Provision 

 Sugar 

 Cotton 



Provision crops 

 Cane cultivation 

 Cotton 



Cane cultivation 

 Cotton 



Cane cultivation 

 I'rovisiou crops 

 ( 'acao 



Mus'vado method 

 Cane cultivation 

 Cotton 



Cane cultivation 

 [ Cotton 



The number of candidates who sat for the ex^iminatiuii 

 was eleven. Of the two whose names do not appear in the 

 above list, one is required to pass a satisfactory examination 

 in one additional crop subject, and the other must do the 

 same for General Agriculture and one crop subject, before 

 being granted a certificate. 



It is to be clearly understood that the ditfercnt classe.s, 

 in which candidates have passed, refer alone to the state of 

 their general knowledge; the classes are not intended in any 

 way to designate their standing in regard to any special crop. 

 Thte examinations at the different centres were conduc- 

 ted by: — 



Hon. A. St. G. Spooner 

 Mr. R. S. D. Goodwin 

 ,, H. A. Tempany 

 ,, T. Jackson 

 Hon. F. J. Clarke 

 "Mr. .T. R. Bovell 

 Dr. LongKeld Smith 

 Hon. W. G. Lancr 



Antiu 



Piarbados 



:Mr. 



Grenada 



St. Kitts 



G. F.Branch / 



„ C. F. Todd 1 



,, R. A. Hardtman | 



,, G. G. Auchinleck j 



„ F. R. Shepherd j 



In St. Lucia, owing to changes that have taken [ilace 

 recently in the personnel of the Agricultural Department, the 

 oral examination has not yet been held. ' Now, however, 

 that Mr. J. C. Moore, the Agricultural Superintendent, 

 has returned, arrangements will be made for it. At the 

 ■written examination, Mr. T. L. JIarsliall, Acting Agricultural 

 Superintendent, and ilr. S. Moffat, owner and manager of 

 Morne Lazare cocoa estate, Choiseul, presided; while 

 Mr. H. A. Ballon, Entomologist to the Department, was 

 present at its opening. 



The paper on General Agricultural Science contained 

 twelve questions, of which not more than eight had to be 

 attenqitetl, including eitlicr question eleven or question 

 twelve; both of these related td insects. Broadly speak- 

 ing, this paper dealt with tlie following subjects: the 

 preparation or uses of certain mapures; the feeding of stock, 

 cultivation of the soil; drainage o^' soils; the hoof and shoeing 

 of the horse; the life-history of fuagi and insects. 



In the Special Crop Subjects, there were five divisions: 

 Sugar Industrj', Cacao, Limes, Cotton and Provision Crops. 

 Eight questions were set in each :(airof any of whiclf might 

 be attempted), with the exceptioa of Sugar Industry. This 

 subject was divided into three parts: General, Muscovado 

 ^Method and Vacuum Pan Method. In each of these parts, 

 there were four questions, making twelve altogether, eight of 

 which, however, had to be answered. This was in con- 

 sequence of the arrangement by which candidates had to 

 choose questions either on the JIuscovado Method, or on the 

 Vacuum Pan Method; in no case could both be taken. 



Con.sidering the questions in Sugar Industry alone, these 

 included: cane planting; cane varieties; manuring; root 

 disease; and cane cultivation. In the muscovado method, 

 they dealt with tempering; qualities of the juice; boiling; and 

 general definitions. A knowledge of the following was 

 required for the paper on the Vacuum Pan Method: the 

 con.struction and work of the triple effect: maceration; the 

 relation between the fibre content of the cane and tlue 

 extracted sucrose: the outline nf the manufacture of 96° 

 dark crystals; and general definitions. 



In the papers on Cacao and Limes, information relating 

 to the following subjects was asked for, in the case of one or 

 both of these crops: manuring; treatment of the trees; the 

 treatment and disposal of the product; diseases and insect 

 pests; the picking or collection of the fruit. That on (Jotton 

 included: seed selection and disinfection; insect and fungoid 

 pests; the prevention of the spread of disease; the uses of 

 cotton seed; the preparation of land for planting, and the 

 care of the plants until such time as they become established; 

 and the actual examination of the lint for quality. The 

 paper on Provision Crops contained questions on most of the 

 plants that are mentioned in this part of the syllabus, and 

 they were concerned with: varieties; .seed selection; prepara- 

 tion and cultivation of land for crops; plant products, their 

 origin and preparation; insect and fungoid pests; and the 

 broad relationships of jilant groups. 



In all cases, the questions were of such a nature as to 

 give the candidate scope for showing his knowledge of the 

 theoi'etical considerations underlying the facts, and his ability 

 to benefit in practice by the possession of such knowledge. 

 They could not be answered satisfactorily by the mere acquirer 

 of information. 



The price of Broom Corn in the United States. 



Tiie trade papers of the P7nited States and Canada 

 announce that tiie crojj of broom corn is short in many 

 of the States from which the supply is secured by 

 broom makers in both countries. It is stated that, 

 whereas the western crop was expected to be 40,000 to 

 4.5,000 tons, it may actually reach about 10,000 to 

 1.5,000. Buyers are thus alarmed, and prices have 

 gone T)p from $85 to .?200, and may even reach .'?400, 

 per ton. This suggests that those who are interested 

 in broom corn in the West Indies might quickly put 

 in a crop, and take advantage of the high prices, before 

 another can be raised in the United States. 



