76 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 28, 1914. 



GLEANINGS. 



Ten coconut trees were damaged in Nevis during 

 October 1913 by lightning: they are now all rotting in 

 the bud. 



West Indian botanists will be interested in Part IV of 

 Vol. XVII of the contributions from the United States 

 National Herbarium which comprises studies of tropical 

 American ferns. 



Considerable activity is taking place in St. Vincent in 

 regard to the trial shipment of minor industry produce to 

 Canada. Eleven hundredweight of peeled, sliced and dried 

 cassava roots have been prepared for export, whilst i-ton 

 of local peanuts has already been sent. 



The favourable weather in St. Vincent has recently 

 enabled the later planted cotton to yield rather better than 

 ■was at one time expected, but the average yield per acre will 

 be low. During January, the arrowroot was reported to be 

 ripening up and better returns were expected. 



The lime trees began to flower in Dominica during 

 January. An interesting agricultural event of the month 

 was the visit paid by the Curator and Colonial Engineer to 

 certain estates in order to test the effect of dynamite on the 

 'hard pan' which exists beneath the surface soil of certain 

 lime fields. 



The St. Lucia cacao crop is likely to be short owing 

 partly to the dry weather experienced in December and 

 J&nuary. As regards the lime crop, which is now practically 

 over, it is interesting to note that the export of lime products 

 for 1913 was approximately £3,072 compared with £1,08-5 

 in 1912, and £290 in 1911. 



During January in the Virgin Islands, most of the cotton 

 growers were busy picking their crop. A very fair first 

 picking has been obtained, but with dry weather in February 

 the second crop is expected to be a small one. During the 

 month of January rain was measured only on four days and 

 the total fall was only 49 parts. 



Owing to the dry season having set in, very little work 

 was done on the Grenada small holdings during January. 

 One or two of the allottees were noticed forking in between 

 the growing canes on their plots. This treatment, they 

 claim, reduces the effects of drought to a minimum and this 

 view appears to be borne out by the better appearance of 

 the crops so treated. 



A work entitled The Preparation of Plantation Rubber is 

 reviewed in the Bulletin of the Im2:ierial Institute (October- 

 December 1913) where the book is described as the most 

 important contribution which has yet appeared on the 

 practical details of rubber production from cultivated Para 

 trees. The book should be in the hands of every rubber 

 estate manager. 



An article appears in the Gardeners Chronide 

 (December 20,1913) dealing with lemon culture. A large 

 lemon tree in Sicily may produce 3.000 fruits in one year. 

 A local way of keeping lemons in good condition i.s by means 

 of salt. The fruit is placed in barrels and sea-water poured 

 over it every twenty-four hours for forty days. Thus salted 

 the fruits are sent abroad. 



According to the Planters' Chronicle, the exports of 

 rubber from Ceylon during the seven months ended July 

 1912 and 1913 were as follows: 1912 to the United 

 Kingdom 3,943,6-5-5 fl).; to the United States 2,042,505Bb.; and 

 to other countries 975,649 lb.; for 1913, to the United 

 Kingdom, 6,468,257 tt)., to the United States, 3,723,904 lb.; 

 to other countries 2,350,546 lb. 



In the India Ruhher World (February 1, 1914) refer- 

 ence is made to the manufacture of synthetic rubber in the 

 east of England. A small plant is now in operation, and it 

 is expected soon to produce sufficient artificial rubber for 

 practical test. So far the quality turned out has not been 

 satisfactory. Piefore the end of the year, a report on the 

 mechanical tests of synthetic rubber will be issued. 



In Nevis, the cane crop has been suffering much from 

 drought, but the young cane crop is germinating fairly well 

 in some places. The cotton produced this season has been 

 favourably reported on, and a fair amount has been sold at 

 prices ranging from 19c?. to 21c?. per tt>. It is to be regretted 

 that growers are somewhat slow in pulling off the old cotton 

 even in localities where the crop has to be planted early. 



A notice appears in the Chemist and Druggist (January 

 3, 1914) on the pamphlet on lime cultivation issued by this 

 Department. The greater portion of this review comprises 

 export statistics in regard to Montserrat. No mention is 

 made of Dominica as by far the chief citrus producing 

 island but it may be of course that there is some special 

 object in confining attention to the position of the industry 

 in Montserrat. 



An interesting account of the trial of different varieties 

 of sugar cane is contained in the Annual Report of the 

 Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations of Queensland, 1913. 

 In the experiments with seedling canes from the 

 Acclimatization Society, the Barbados seedlings in competition 

 with Queensland, Demerara and Mauritius plants easily 

 proved the most promising. B 3922 attracted attention from 

 an early stage. 



A notice in regard to the newly instituted Leeward 

 Islands Scholarship appears in the Leeward Islands Gazette 

 (.lanuary 29, 1914). This is a Government scholarship of 

 £150 per annum tenable for three years at an institution to 

 be approved by the Governor. There are eleven compulsory 

 subjects including chemistry, botany and agricultural science. 

 The questions set in the case of the last-named subject will 

 have special bearing on tropical agriculture in the West 

 Indies. 



