.104 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Makch 28, 1914. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

 She Department. 



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 Bridgetown. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & Co., 

 37, Soho Square, W.; West India Committee, Seeth- 

 ing Lane, E.C. The complete list of Agents will be 

 found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News : Price Id. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 22s. d. Post free, 4s. id. 



IligriciilturHl ^tm 



Agricultural Show, Montserrat, 1914, 



The Curator of the Botanic Station, Montserrat, 

 has just forwarded a report to the effect that the 

 annual Agricultural Show was held on March 11, and 

 was decidedly successful. At this show there was an 

 increase in the number of exhibits over those shown 

 the previous year, in every class excepting cotton. The 

 figures as regards riuinV)er of exhibits for the past four 

 years are as follows: 1911, .S70; 1912, S90: 1913, oMi; 

 1914, !S03. 



The most marked improvement this year was seen 

 in the class for stock. Of other classes, the vegetables 

 were somewhat poor, but it has to be remembered that 

 the quality^ of these exhibits depends to a large extent 

 upon the state of the weather previous to the opening 

 of the exhibition. This year it was not very favourable. 



The show was opened by His Honour the Commis- 

 sioner, Montserrat (Colonel Davidson-Houston, C.M.G.), 

 and prizes were distributed by Mrs. Davidson Houston. 



Vol. Xm. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1914. No. 311. 



iTOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this number deals with the con- 

 trol of bovine tuberculosis in the West Indies with 

 special reference to safeguarding the public milk supply. 



On page 99, a review is presented of the results of 

 the sugar-cane experiments in the Leeward Islands, 

 1912-13. 



The first instalment of an article on cold storage of 

 -fruits and vegetables appears ou page 100. 



On page 101 an account is given of several kinds 

 of green dressings that have been tried with success 

 amongst orchard crops in Java. 



Agricultural engineering notes deal with subsoil- 

 ing by dynamite in Southern India, and steam plough- 

 ing in Bombay. 



The eradication of mosquitoes by the cultivation 

 of bats is treated under the caption Insect Notes, on 

 page lOG. 



The Annual Report on the Botanic Station, Mont- 

 serrat, 1912-13, is reviewed on page 107. 



Several important books bearing upon tropical 

 ^agriculture receive notices on page 109. 



Under Fungus Notes will be found a concise 

 account of different diseases of the sweet potato. 



Density of Population in the Tropics. 



The agricultural development of tropical countries 

 is so very closely associated with labour supply that it 

 has been considered instructive to publish the follow- 

 ing population statistics* which have been compiled 

 from various sources, chiefly the most recent Colonial 

 Reports. The Colonies are arranged in order of the 

 density of population per square mile: — 



Colony. Area in Popula- Popula- 



sq. miles. tion. tion per 



sq. mile. 



(1) Barbados 160 171;893 1.036 



(2) Mauritius 720 368,791 .512 



(3) Windward 



Islands 497 1.57,700 317 



(4) Jamaica 4,450 831,383 187 

 (.5) Trinidad and 



Tobago 1,89.5 333.-552 176 



(6) Leeward 



Islands 729 127,0-50 175 



(7) Ceylon 25,481 4,110,367 161 



(8) Nigeria (Southern 



Provinces) 80,800 8,000,000 100 



(9) F. M. S. 27,50ti 1,036,999 38 



(10) Nigeria (Northern 



Provinces) 256,000 9,000,000 35 



(11) Uganda 121,437 2,893,494 24 



(12) Fiji - 7,435 148,891 20 



(13) British Honduras 8,598 40,458 5 



(14) British Guiana 90,277 299,044 3 



It is interesting to observe the high position 

 occupied in the table of the West Indian islands. 

 Although as pointed out recently in a Colonial Report, 

 the area of Fiji is greater than that of Jamaica, 

 Trinidad and Tobago, the Windward and Leeward 

 Islands and Barbados put together, it has to be borne 

 in mind that the density of population in these two 

 groups of Pacific and Atlantic islands is respectively 

 20 and 378. 



* Tliese figures are only approximately comparable as they 

 are not all l)ased upon the same year's census. 



