Vol. XIII. Xo. 323. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



the pots without ami with gra-ss had been reiiwved and cuni- 

 pared at the .same time, but it was found that if the latter 

 -were given extra time to mature they eventually gave 

 ■a larger yield than the former. This is explained on the 

 lines previously indicated as due to the eventual over- 

 jxiwering of the action nf the toxin by the influence of 

 it.s own oxidisation pnxlucts. This, it must be rememliered, 

 i.s in the ca.se of herbaceous plants in pots. The absence of 

 such a recovery in the ca.se of tlie Woburn fruit trees is 

 explained as being due to the permanence throughout the 

 life of a hardwood plant nf the etfect of a severe check 

 received in its early years. Thi> explanation seems scarcely 

 adequate, since the eai'lier paper gives evidence of tlie possibi- 

 lity of at least partial recovery in tlie ca.se of trees from whose 

 roots the grass is renrnved. 



WEST INDIAN 1 oNliITIOSS. 



It is nf course impossible to say how far such results are 

 to be expected in the very dirt'erent i-ondition.s obtaining in 

 the tropics, but it is obvious that the whole suliject is of 

 great practical importance and is worthy of close attention. 

 It may be, as is often the ca.se in such matters, that there 

 already exists amongst experienced planters practical know- 

 ledge bearing on the subject. It >liou]d be worth the while 

 uf local ntticers to collect sucli information as a V)asis for 

 le experiinent.s. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



SI'. vixcKNT. .Vccording to inlormation received from 

 the Acting .\gricultural Superintendent, 5,.500 coco-nuts and 

 I'.OOO lime plants togetlier with a large number of seeds and 

 planting material of diti'erent kinds were fumigated during 

 the mouth of .Inly. Cacao plants numbering LodO were 

 distributed. Two plots of cassava .were planted in the 

 Experiment Station for the purpose of comparing their yield 

 with those of plots planted earlier. As regards the condition 



■of cotton on the e.states, it is said that the crop has come up 

 regularly and has grown well except on a few estates where 

 the Ijrou/.e beetle has again been trou1>lesome. A very slight 

 attack of cotton worm was reiiorted from one estate, 

 but the outbreak has been suppressed. A .special eft'ort of 

 the Department has been the establishment of a lime nursery 

 at Heipiia and I'liion. The rainfall during the month has 

 been satisfactory. 



DOMI.NKA. During .luly in this island, work in the 

 Experiment Stations has incliideil weeding and cutlassing in 

 the lime plots aiul picking, recording yields,,and selling limes 

 in .same. An interesting innovation has been the establish- 

 ment of a plot of camphor and a ri:>w of shea butter trees. 

 Other work has consisted in nuileliing young limes, sowing 



.green dressings and applying cotton seed meal to an additional 

 manurial plot of old limes. In regard to the crop, limes 

 were coming in ra|)idly towards the end of .luly, but the 

 shipments of green limes relaxed. The total for the month 

 ■was 8,o00 bairels. It may be noted that the cable cpiota- 

 tion for concentrated lime juice at the end of the month 

 was £41 10.1. per pipe. Special work on the part 



•of the Agricidtural Orticers has included the experi- 

 mental shipment of mangoes to Xew York and Canada. 

 As regards agricultural education, an examination of agricid- 

 tural pu|iils was held on the 3rd instant. Three new boys 



•ente<-ed the cla.s.ses for a two years' :o;'.rse of training. 



Plant distribution during the month was as follows: — lime* 

 12,0.50: budded citru.s, 109: cacao, 100: grafted mangoes, 2-5; 

 Para rubber, 2.5: nutmegs, 16: camphor, 18: vanilla, 20; 

 Eucalyptus, 8; miscellaneous, 67: total, 12,-133. The rain- 

 fall for the month was 11-.S3 inches. 



MoNTsERRAT. The Cuiator in this island states that 

 the low rainfall dining .\ugnst will affect adversely the 

 cotton crop. Picking is now fairly general and the fields 

 w'hich were planted in .\]iril. having had good weather, will 

 be satisfactory. Some trouble has been occasioned by insect 

 pe.sts on various crops, but the pcjsition in this respect is no 

 worse than usual and is receiving careful attention. In 

 a short time the selection of cotton plants will be the most 

 important w-ork in hand, and particular attention will be 

 paid to the new St. Kitts seed. 



.VNTKJUA. The Sun for August 27 gives an account of 

 a meeting of the Agricultural and Commercial Society to 

 receive and listen to an address by Dr. Marshall, the Inter- 

 national Health Commissioner of the Rockfeller Institute. 

 Dr. .Marshall dealt principally with the hook worm, a disease 

 which is an important factor involved in the efficiency of 

 estate labour not only in Antigua but in other islands. The 

 Society decided to do all they could in the matter of render- 

 ing Dr. Marshall facilities for making observations. 



s'l'. KiTTs. Ill this island during Augu.st the earlier 

 planted cotton matured and picking commenced on many of 

 the estates. At this stage, the dry weather has benefited the 

 crop in bearing, though the younger and later cotton reijuircs 

 rain for its development. At a meeting of the Agricultiual 

 Society held on August 25, notes on root borers affecting 

 .sugar-cane were read \i\ Mr. Shepherd, and specimens of 

 canes growing in tubs were shown with eggs of the root 

 l)orer (E.iojihthalmus esiniens) laid on the leaves. Speeimen.s 

 of the adult beetle were also exhibited. The rainfall for the 

 month was 2"05 inches. 



viK(;ix ISLANDS. Inforiiiatioii has been received from the 

 -Vting Curator, Tortola. to the effect that exhibits have lieen 

 forwarded from that Dependency to the Toronto Exhibition. 

 The articles shipped include cotton, rum, cacao, arrowroot, 

 cassava, and ciico-nut oil. This is the ninth consecutive 

 year in which the \'irgin Islands has participated in the. 

 Canadian Xational Exhibition. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Iiiipcrial Commissioner of Agriculture left 

 Baibachjs on Septeinber .S, I9I4. by the ,S..S. (Jiiian;!,' 

 for the purpose of paying an official visit to St. Lucia, 

 where the Commissioner intended to remain for one 

 week. Dr. Watts will then proceetl by Royal Mail to 

 Antigua, and from there return to Montserrat, arriving 

 back in Barbados on or about September 23. 



In connexion with the action of copper and oth er 

 metals on rubber insulation, the India Ruhher World 

 (Auo-u.st 1, 1914) .states that the following conclu.sions have 

 been arrived at in a recent investigation: (1) the composition 

 of the rubber insulations must be such that a quick and 

 reliable combination of the sulphur and rubber results; 

 (2) the vulcanization .should be a ipiick one, a high temper- 

 ature being resorted to if necessary: (3) the tin plating on 

 the copper wire must be uniform: (4) under-vulcanization, 

 even with a sub.seipient after-vulcanization, is not perniissilile. 



