36 



THE AGRICULTURAL XEWS. 



January 31, 1914. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



VARIATION IN THE SIZE OF COOO-NUTS. 



The coco-nut industry in Antigua has for some 

 time been receiving attention from the officers of 

 the Department of Agriculture stationed in that 

 island, and the question as to the suitability of local 

 auts for seed purposes has, as a natural sequence, 

 received some consideration. To demonstrate how 

 misleading the size of the husked to that of the 

 unhusked nut is, a number of measurements of nuts 

 from Antigua, Dominica and Xevis were made, and 

 the following figures and observations on the subject 

 forwarded by the Agricultural Superintendent, Antigvia 

 (Mr. T. Jackson), show the results that have been 

 obtained: — 



In the above tables only the results from the examina- 

 tion of six nuts from each place are given. This was on 

 account of the fact that only a limited number from Xevis 

 were available. 



Of those grown in the other two islands, twenty from 

 Dominica were measured and twenty-seven from Antigua. Tha 

 average diameter of the unhusked nuts from the former was 

 8-27 inches, that of the husked nuts 4-57 inches. In the case 

 of the local nuts, the figures obtained were 5-81 and 4-42, 

 respectively. It will be seen that there is but little variation 

 in the figures when larger numbers are taken, the average 

 differences in the diameters of the actual nuts being but 0-15 

 inch in favour of those from Dominica, while the average 

 differences in the thickness of the husk was as much as 2-46 

 inches. 



Aver. 



diam. 7-69 433 333 



The above figures are interesting, and point out in 

 a remarkable manner the great difierences in size which exist 

 between the unhusked Antigua coco-nuts and those grown in 

 other places. They also indicate how deceiving these appear- 

 ances are, for although on comparison the average difference 

 between six unhusked Antigua nuts and six from Dominica 

 •was as much as 2-38 inches, the local ones were 004 inch 

 larger than the others. Much the same occurs when a com- 

 parison is made between the Antigua and Nevis nuts. 



THE PROFITABLE MANURING OF 



BANANAS. 



Amongst the many matters of interest in the Annual 

 Report on Agriculture in Fiji for the year 1912, is an account 

 of the results of si.v years' experimental work on the manurial 

 requirements of Chinese bananas. 



The average results for six years clearly show the value 

 of manuring bananas in Fiji. In general, the figures indicate 

 that applications of phosphoric acid to the soil tend to 

 increase the size of the bunches, while nitrogen and patash 

 increase the total yield. 



E.icamining the figures in more detail, plot 1, the control, 

 gave a total average weight of crop amounting to 659-5 lb. 

 having 21-1 per cent, of large bunches; plot 2, which received 

 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia per acre, H cwt. of sulphate 

 of potash and 4 cwt. of superphosphate, yielded an average 

 total crop of 1,434-4 Bb. giving 41'4 percent, of large bunches. 

 Doubling the amount of phosphatic manure gave an extra 

 3-2 per cent, of large bunches. 



As regards the financial results obtained, the total value 

 of the produce from the control was 20s. od.\ that from 

 plot 2 (see above) was 49i. dd.; whilst in the plots where 

 double quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus respectively 

 were applied the values were 59s. and 5Ss. respectively. 



Figures are given in the report under consideration 

 showing the cost of the manures for each plot (j'„-acre) 

 and the net value of the return. In the case of the 

 control, the value of the fruit less the cost of the manure was 

 20s. 3d.; in plot 2 the value of the fruit less the cost of 

 the manure was 43s. 5c?.; whilst in the case of plot S, 

 which received a double quantity of potash, the net value of 

 the fruit was as high as 57s. These and the remaining figures 

 show clearly that bananas manured in a proper manner will 

 pay. It has to be remembered, however, that a character- 

 istic feature of many of the soils in Fiji is their want of 

 phosphoric acid. This circumst.ance luust be taken into 

 consideration when applying the results to other places. 

 Finally the report presents the results obtained from the 

 plots manured for the first time in 1910. In these worn out 

 .soils the great advantage of applying phosphoric acid is 

 clearly shown. It w^salso found that the applications of half 

 quantities of complete manure gave better results than the 

 whole quantity of the complete manure, that is, nitrogen, 

 potash and phosphorus applied at the rate per acre men- 

 tioned at the beginning of this article. In conclusion, it 

 is stated that the most .satisfactory return from manuring 

 will be obtained onlj* by the application of fertilizers to 

 cultivations which have not been allowed to become too poor, 

 or run down. 



