60 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



FEBr.t-AEv 14, 1914. 



A notice appears in Nc.ture (January 8, 1914) of a new 

 text-book on the chemistry of rubber, written by Mr. B. I'. 

 Poritt It is stated that the author should be coniplimentecl 

 on having compressed within narrow limits a very complete 

 and readable accouiit of the chemistrj- of rubber. The work 

 is believed to be of considerable service to those directly 

 interested in the industry. 





-^-^^^i 



GLEANINGS. 



The weather in Montserrat was dry generally, during 

 January. Routine work at the Botonic Station included the 

 reaping of the provision crops, and the potting of large 

 numbers of bay seedlings. 



In St. Vincent, during December, the fine weather of 

 the month was beneficial to the late cotton plantings, and 

 enabled the top bolls on the earlier plantings to mature. 

 The crop will still be much below the average. 



The Journal of the Royal Ilortkidlural Society for 

 IJecember 1913 contains an interesting article on the 

 coco nut palm by Sir Everard im Thurn. It is illustrated 

 with very interesting photographs and deals principally with 

 the economic history of the coco-nut. 



In Antigua, orders for 3,000 seed coconuts at the 

 Botanic Station were received during January. As regards 

 the cane crop, the germination of the plants newly established 

 has been good. In the case of the ratoons, the effects of root 

 disease are noticeable on the heavy lands. 



At a meeting of the Hoard of Agriculture, Trinidad, ia 

 iJecember, the cacao committee announced a warning in 

 regard to excessive claying of cacao. It was pointed out that 

 the reputation of Trinidad cacao in the foreign markets is 

 likely to suffer unless care is exercised. In the advent of 

 neglect to be guided by this warning, the Board intends to 

 approach the Government with a view to the introduction of 

 legislation making excessive claying a punishable offence. 



The people of India do not suffer as regards their milk- 

 supply in the same way that the inhabitants of most countries 

 do. Indeed the ordinary bufialo milk is so rich in fat that 

 a moderate mixture of water is not undesirable. The danger 

 lies, of course, in that the source from which this water is taken 

 may not be irreproachable as regards the danger of infection. 

 The subject of the Indian milk-supply is dealt with 

 in an article in the Journal of tlie Royal Society of Arts. 

 January 9, 1914. 



A Circular has just been received from Messrs. Jenkin- 

 son Brinsley and Jenkinson, West Indian and Colonial Land 

 Agents in London, containing a list of estates in the West 

 Indian islands which are for sale. This list shows that a large 

 number are available in Trinidad and Tobago and also in 

 Jamaica. 



According to the Proceedings of the Agricultural Society 

 of Trinidad and Tobago (December 1913) much disease exists 

 amongst the cacao on the Gold Coast. Instead of the great 

 increase in the exports which were to be expected, it is 

 believed that, on the contrary, it will be difficult to maintain 

 the present output. 



A copy has just been received of the report by Professor 

 J. B. Harrison, on the geology of the strata traversed by 

 the D Urban artesian well, 1913. Geological horizons indi- 

 cated as possibly of importance for guidance during future 

 well drillings are dealt with, together with the composition 

 of the waters and the rate of flow. 



In St. Kitts the cane crop in the Bassterre district 

 showed the need of rain in the early part of January, but the 

 good showers received towards the end of the month have 

 brought about much improvement. General crop prospects 

 are about the same as last season, though in the Northern 

 districts they are perhaps better. 



Erom particulars published in the Portof-S^xiin (nr.ette 

 (January 20, 1914) coconut cultivation in Jamaica has- 

 a great future before it. Large areas of land are continually 

 l)eing brought under cultivation. One planter alone has 

 effected insurance to the value of £90,000 on his coco-nut 

 plantation. This means that he is the owner of fully 

 90,000 bearing trees. On some properties there appears to 

 be a gradual reduction of the area planted in bananas. Id 

 order to put in more coconut plants 



The advertisement of the pamphlet entitled 'Lime 

 Cultivation in the. West Indies' on the cover of this issue 

 shows that the Clarion (British Honduras) desires to 

 encourage citrus cultivation in that Colon}-. Furthermore 

 in the issue of that paper for December 16, 1913, a letter is 

 published intimating that an organization known as the 

 Stann Creek Citrus Planters' Association has just beer, 

 formed. This should serve a useful purpose in regard to 

 the stimulation of the lime-growing industry in British 

 Honduras. 



An interesting account is given in the Jovmal of the 

 Department of Agriculture of Victoria (November 1913^ of 

 the central Research Farm, which has been recently established 

 quite close to Melbourne. A large meeting has recently 

 taken place there at the instigation of the ^Minister of 

 Agriculture. The land is not of the best, which is regarded 

 in one way as an advantage for demonstration purposes, since 

 it will afford scopeior science to show the practical man hovr 

 improvements can be made economically. 



As the result of disclosures made last year in the 

 Leeward Islands in regard to the milk-supply, the Govern- 

 ment of St. Kitts has taken the necessary steps to enable 

 milk in that island to be analysed each morning at a nominal 

 cost. Any one desiring to have milk tested is requested tC' 

 send the sample to the Laboratory at the Cirammar Schoc! 

 not later than 7 30 o'clock on any morning except Sunday. 

 The milk should be secured in a well-corked bottle, which 

 should be labelled with the name and addres<= of the sender. 



