Vol. XIII. No. 3U. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



151 



BARBADOS: ANNUAL REPORT ON THE 

 LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1912-1,^ 



In addition to the ordinary text containing matters of 

 local interest concerning[agricultural practice and experiment.*, 

 the sixty odd pages of this report include twenty-six tables of 

 figures and observations, thirteen pages of rainfall statistics 

 and an appendix. 



Dealing first with the results of the manurial experi- 

 ments with sugar cane at Dodds, which have been in progress 

 for the last twenty years, it is seen from the tables, that the 

 hiirhest yield during the year under review was obtained 

 where 60 B). of nitrogen as dried blood was applied, l-T lb in 

 January and 4.5 ft), in June, but not the best monetary result, 

 which was attained where 40 S). of nitrogen as sulphate of 

 ammonia was applied. 15 Bj. in January and 25 lb. in June. 

 In the case of the former, after deducting the ccst of the 

 manure, the value of the incremental sugar over the 'no nitro- 

 gen' plot was 6969, and in the case of the latter SIO'47, per 

 acre per annum. The results of the trials with phosphates 

 appear to be complicated and to some extent contradictmy. 



Turning to the cotton industry, it is mentioned that 

 the cotton experiments for improving the quality and 

 increasing the quantity of lint from the Sea Island cotton 

 grown in Barbados, were continued. These cxiierinients, 

 we are informed, are carried on in two series. In the first 

 series an ett'ort is being made, by a system of selection of the 

 best formed plants giving heavy yields of good lint, to improve 

 the Sea Island, certain indigenous and other varieties of 

 cotton In the second series, an effort is being made, in like 

 manner, to improve a number of hybrid cottons that have 

 been obtained by crossing some of the best of the improved 

 varieties nmongst themselves, as well as some of the imported 

 varieties with certain of the indigenous cottons. Samples 

 of cotton obtained from these selection plots were 

 forwarded to England for examination as to value, and were 

 reported on satisfactorily. At the time this cotton was being 

 examined in England, the price of West Indian Sea 

 Island was 20d. per R). while three of the varieties examined, 

 namely, "SVaterford, Heaton, and CI 06 were valued at 19(/. 

 per H). The respective yields of these varieties were: 

 Waterford, 788 ft), of lint per acre; Heaton, 698 Rj.; ClOG, 

 720 B)., as compared with Stirling Selected West Indian 

 Sea Island, the yield of which was 629 lb. of lint per acre, 

 valued at -dd. per S). It is further stated, in regard to the 

 cotton hybrids, that up to the present time only three plants 

 of the 131 varieties were attacked by the leaf -blister mite, 

 and these, which were apparently unhealthy, were destroyed. 

 The remainder have been allowed to continue their growth 

 for another year for the purpose of ascertaining whether they 

 will continue to be immune to this pest. 



With reference to the manurial experiments with cotton 

 at Stirling plantation, the best result is said to have been 

 obtained where 30 ft), of nitrogen as sulphate of ammonia, 

 60 ft), of phosphoric acid as superphosphate of lime, and 

 20 ft), of potash as sulphate of potash were applied. The 



value of the incremental cotton over that obtained on the 

 no-manure plot, was §13'22 per acre. 



While the series of selection experiments are said to 

 have been introduced with the object of improving the 

 quality as well as the quantity of West Indian Sea Island 

 cotton, it may be of interest to point out that, as regards 

 qualitj-, West Indian Sea Island cotton can scarcely have 

 said to have deteriorated, if one may judge from the prices 

 that have been and are yet obtained for lint in the Liverpool 

 market. But that the amount of cotton obtained from 

 a given area (at least in Barbados) has been a diminishing 

 quantity is abundantly shown on reference to Table XXVI of 

 the report under review, where the area under cotton for the 

 period 1902-3 to 191112 and the average yield of lint per 

 acre for same period are given. For instance, we find that 

 in the year 1902-3 the area under Sea Island cotton is stated 

 as 1 6 acres and the average yield of lint per acre 338 ft).; 

 thence onward the average yield decreases with the increase 

 of area, until in the year 1911-12, from an area of 4,669 

 acres, an average yield of 98 ft), of lint per acre was obtained. 

 Does this not point to faulty cultivation? 



After recording the results of experiments with various 

 economic plants, the subject of the exportation of fruit and 

 vegetables is dealt with, and a precis of a report adopted by 

 the Agricultural Society and forwarded to His Excellency the 

 Governor on the advisability of resuscitating the banana 

 industry, is presented. This, in brief, states: (1) That it is in 

 the best interest of the owners of land suitable for growing 

 bananas, that the banana industry should be resuscitated; 

 (2) that all persons who were desirious of shipping bananas 

 should communicate with the Superintendent of Agriculture 

 on a certain date: (3) that when it was ascertained what the 

 output of bananas was likely to be, the British West India 

 Fruit Company be asked to enter into an agreement with the 

 It. M.S. P. Company, for the carriage of the fruit until the end of 

 June 1 915, without any guarantee from the shippers; (4) that 

 the Secretary of State be asked (on behalf of the growers) 

 to enter into an agreement from July 1, 1915, with the 

 B.M.S.r. Company as to the number of crates to be shipped in 

 subsequent years; (5) th*t arrangements be made to ensure 

 the cutting at the right stage, the weighing and proper pack- 

 ing of the fruit; (6) that any shipper failing to comply with 

 the foregoing should be subjected to a penalty; and (7) that 

 enquiries should be made as to the possibility of drying the 

 fruit of small bunches, as figs are dried. It may be added 

 that a certain number of planters are said to have agreed 

 to grow bananas for shipment. 



In the section of the report dealing with the fumigation 

 of plants, it is mentioned that the results of experiments 

 carried out with imported cotton seed showed, that of the 

 three substances used —sulphur dioxide, hydrocianic acid gas, 

 and carbon bisulphide — the last named gave the most satis- 

 factory results A review of that portion of the report dealing 

 with fungoid diseases in Barbados during 1912-13, is presented 

 on another page of this issue of the A'irii-ultural News. 



It would appear from information presented in Tropical 

 Life (March 1914) that the clove industry in Zanzibar is 

 capable of being revived from its present depressed condition, 

 by the introduction of British capital and organization. It 

 is said that the present private owners of land under clove 

 are much in debt, and that the trees owing to lack of 

 systematic care and expert advice are slowly dying in an 

 inexplicable manner from some cause which should receive 

 immediate investigation. 



