Vor.. XTII. Xn. 3l>0. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



247 



oriiaiuoiitiil tree Cassia Fistula might lif gi-own more widely, 

 and a thrifty peasantry would no doubt Ije able, by means of 

 these trees, to supplement their incomes. 



The last section in the report deals with experiments. 

 Trials in progress deal with the following questifms: (a) 

 improvement of cotton by .selecting local types; (b) importa- 

 tion and trial nf new types of these crops; (c) trials of impnited 

 varieties of sugar-cane; (d) perhaps budding and grafting and 

 projiagation by cuttings of cottfni. In connexion with the 

 Department, experiments are being carried on in regard to (a) 

 .selecting new and valuable types of cacao, (b) trials with 

 imported varieties of cacao, (c) citrus fruits. Li the repoit, 

 the results of the cacao manurial experiments are given. The 

 pen maiuu-e plot at Grande Bacolet ga\e 2,2.38 lb. of cured 

 cacao per acre compared with 1,271 lb. from the no manure 

 ]ilot; liut at Mount Home the pen manure plot gave only 

 1,77s tt). of cured cacao per acre compared with 1,99+ tti. from 

 the \\(' manure plot. In the first .series mentioned, the mulched 

 plot gave more than the no manure, but less than the ])eu 

 manure plot, namely, 1,46.") lb.; but at Mount Home (.second 

 .series) the nndched plot gave only 1,229 ib., which was less 

 than the yield frnm either the no manure or the pen manure 

 plot. It must be remembered, however, that these figures 

 reiiresent only the tir.st year's working of the experiments, and 

 ditierent results will no doulit lie recorded in future years, as 

 the initial irregularity in the (piality of the soils becomes 

 eliminated. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS, 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



As iiointed out in another article in this issue, tlie lime 

 juice factory at C'a.stries, St. Lucia, restarted operations on 

 June 22. The oil engine has been installed in the factory 

 and is working well. This .season the limes are coming in 

 better than last year and the factory grinds at the rate of 

 about 10 barrels of fruit per lioui-. When this supjily f)f 

 fruit is fidler and more continuous it is estimated that the 

 amount dealt with per hour will be still greater. The Officer- 

 in-Charge of the factory states that there is a great lack of 

 uniformity in the size of the fruit .sent in. It is desirable that 

 vendf)rs should endeavour to present for sale limes of a normal 

 size in good condition. With a view to bringing the matter 

 directly to the notice of the peasants and others, the depart- 

 ment has ap])roached the Ecclesiastical authorities who by 

 means of their contact with the people collectively have lieen 

 able to advi.se the peasants personally. 



At the Government Experiment Station at Kcuniun, 

 affairs are progressing satisfactoiily. ilr. Brooks, the 

 Otticer-in-C'harge. notities that 7-5,000 lime plants are ready 

 for distribution. Already a consideralile numlier has lieen 

 sent out and the .seedlings in the process of removal, lift 

 nicely and are free from scale. 



At last we are able to record the installation of the 

 hydraulic ram in the river at Choiseul. This is now working 

 .satisfactorily, giving 2,000 gallons of ;\ater per twenty-four 

 liours. 



As soon as the seed is received, the cotton pints will be 

 established at Choiseul. Seed has been ordered from 

 tSt. Kitts, but in the event of its not arriving in time seed 

 from St. Vincent ordered at a later date will be put in 

 instead. The budding of oranges and mangoes was begun 

 during the month and will be continued at favouralile 

 ojjportunities. 



The Curator at ilontserrat reports that since ilay 1, 

 8,000 bay plants have been distributed. Areas are being 

 planted in bay trees in various parts of the island. The 

 growth now being made l)y the plot of bay trees at Chateau 

 is said to be very encouraging and tlie plot is in a more 

 promising condition than ever. The cotton crop is now well 

 established in the island, and it is reported to have made 

 a better start than in any recent year. The cotton planted 

 i)i February has conunenced to open, and the total area 

 planted is probably greater than that of last year and the 

 cultivation, on the whole, is good. Except at the northern end 

 of the island very little troulile seems to be occasioned l)y 

 cotton stainers. The question is raised as to whether Bengal 

 beans are a suitable crop to grow Ijefore cotton. There has 

 been some indication that cotton planted after Bengal bean.s 

 does not do as well, and a special experiment is now being 

 tried to see whether the supposed effect is imaginary or real. 



On .June 1 a flashlight system of conununication Vietween 

 Antigua and Montserrat was opened to the public by the 

 Government. Messages are accepted from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

 the charges being 1 hi. a word with a minimum fee of 9d. 

 a me.ssage. (The Dominica Chronicle, June 10, 1914.) 



On Friday July 10, a meeting was held in Antigua of 

 the Agricultural and Connnercial Society at which the 

 question of an agricultural and industrial exhibition for 1915 

 was discussed. It was decided to hold the show early in 

 the year and to approach the Government for the use of the 

 Indiistrial School and grounds for holding the exhibition, 

 and for the financial and other assistnnce usually given. It 

 was also decided to write to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture with a view to obtaining the customary aid. 



From Nevis, Mr. W. Howell reports that the cotton crop 

 is, on the whole, looking very promising. Though cotton worms 

 appeared in fairly lai'ge numbers in a few fields, they have 

 been kept in check by the use of Paris green. Anxious 

 enquiries come from certain localities concerning the peculiar 

 curlint' of the leaves which is noticeable in the upper 

 branches of some of the young cotton. Mr. No\yell,^ the 

 Mycologist to the Imperial Department is now in Nevis 

 investigiiting the matter. The area under cotton cultiv- 

 ation this season is about 3,000 acres— an increase of 

 about .500 acres on last year's planting. Picking has 

 begun in some of the earlier fields. It is to bo regretted 

 that old cotton is to be seen on certain estates. A matter 

 for satisfaction is the establishment of the cotton manurial 

 experiments. The plots which are in duplicate will receive 

 respectively pen manure, basic slag, sulphate of potash and 

 sulphate of ammonia, and cotton seed meal. The seed used 

 for planting has been obtained from La Guerite in St. Kitts, 

 and the germination has been very good and the plots on 

 the whole are looking very promising. The coco-nuts at 

 Piuneys estate continue quite healthy, and 29,.o00 nuts were 

 shipped during the (luarter, 7,000 of which were for plantmg 

 purposes. 



\ reprint from the Miniw/ Journal describes a useful 

 ijorteble steam mining pump known as Merryweather'a 

 Valiant It is specially suited for up-country work where 

 neither roads nor rails exist. It will pump through 3 miles 

 of piping and can be arranged for l>ummg wood fuel No 1 

 size (capacity 100 gallons per minute) weighs only 6^ cwt.; 

 No -^ size (capacity 200 gallons per minute) weighs only 

 11 cwt. The pump has given satisfactory results both m 

 Northern Nigeria and in Siberia. 



