352 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 



1914. 



C()-operativo' crt'orts, will endeavour to make use, for 

 piumises of investigation, of the facilities now existing. 

 These facilities are considerably extended by the 

 presence on the staff of the Company referred ti> in 

 Canada of an agent in charge of connnercial en<iairies. 



Another case where commercial facilities can be 

 used for investigation is in the numerous co-operative 

 factories that have of recent years come into existence. 

 We have in the West Indies the central sugar factories, 

 one at least of which, at the outset, received .some 

 measure of (iovernment assistance and encouragement. 



From the published accounts of some of these 

 factories much useful information has come to light, 

 whereby precision is given to the local sugar industry. 

 It is now i'aivly well known in some districts what is 

 the avei^age qualitj" and sugar content of the cane 

 grown in each season, how much cane is required to 

 make a ton of sugar, and how much cane, on the 

 average, is raised on an acre of land. A glance through 

 the discussions on sugar manufacture taking place 

 ten or twenty years ago will show how vague were the 

 ideas on these subjects, and a little consideration will 

 show what a gain must result as regards future discus- 

 sions from the precision of ideas thus ac(]iiired. 



Examples of other co-operative concerns which 

 are also aiding pi'ogress are the lime juice and cotton 

 factories. The St. Lucia (iovernment lime juice 

 factory has already been the means <>{ establishing 

 useful data in connexion with concentration anrl other 

 niatters related to the preparation of lime products for 

 the market, though the principal aim of the institution 

 is to pn:)vide a local tactory and market for the small 

 growers, who cannot afford to erect crushing plants 

 for themselves, or to ship the fruit in marketable 

 quantities. These side lines ought to be taken into 

 consideration in judging the benefit of cijmmercial 

 concerns to the general public. Naturally enough, if 

 a private factory discovers, even empirically, econo- 

 mical methods of working, it is not instinctively 

 prompted by the scientific spirit to spread its news 

 abroad. If that were so, in extreme cases, there 

 would be no need for patent (jftices. But, in a general 

 way, in these colonies the all-round development of the 

 island is of sufficient importance to the individual for 

 those who can, to put forwai-d enlightened views and 

 information cm the local industries. 



Cotton factories, especially the Goverinaent con- 

 cerns, have done a very considerable amount of gooil 

 work in the directions indicated in this article. Thev 

 were instrumental in the first instance in demiinstrat- 



ing the manner iu which the machinery re(|uired was to 

 be erected and manipulated: they also demonstrated the 

 lines on which the business of buying and selling should 

 be conducted; and, in chjse connexion with the British 

 Cotton Growing Association, they found the manner in 

 which West Indian cotton was to be placed on the market, 

 and what i|ualities are necessary toi- maintaining 

 a successful industry. As a result of all this a knowl- 

 edge of the cotton business, including the working of 

 ginneries and of dealing in cotton, is now diffused even 

 to some of the very small islands in the West Indian 

 comnmnity. 



Another effort of this kind Ui which attention may 

 be directed is the recently formed ()nion Growers' 

 Association of Antigua. This association by under-- 

 taking to handle, pack, ship, and sell a very large 

 proportion of the onion crop of the island has already 

 demonstrated many useful lessons, and has succeeded in 

 securing for the produce of Antigua a degree of recog- 

 nition for uniformity and excellence in quality, which 

 is proving of very great seivice to the industry. It is 

 in contemplation to extend this work by undei'taking to 

 deal on similar lines with other vegetable products and 

 fruits. The .success of this association will prove u.se- 

 ful in a pionecn'ing sense, as indicating the manner in 

 which similar associations may be formed in other 

 colonies. 



Reference may also W- made to the consolidating 

 effect and stability given to the arrowroot inilustry 

 <jf St. Vincent by the formation of the AiTowroot 

 Growers' Association of that Colony. This association 

 has svicceeded in 'fixing the price of arrowro<:it within 

 reasonable limits brith upwards and downwards, and by 

 judicious ad\ertising has made some move in the 

 direction of oytending rhe use of this connnodity. 



Impetus is being given at the moment to pro- 

 po.sals to extend in' these islands the cidtivation of corn 

 and of various kinds of peas and beans: these develop- 

 ments affonl opportunities for co-operative experiments 

 both in the employment of machinery, such as com 

 drieis, and the .ippliaiices used in shelling, cleaning, 

 and storing giani and pulse. Investigations and 

 experiments of the kind inidiT consideration are also 

 necessarv in this coimexion in the direction of finding: 

 new markets for these prorjucts, and for extending their 

 s;dc and use. No donbi much work along these lines 

 will devolve upon tiio soxcral agricultural depart- 

 ments throughout r.he West Indies. Some of them 

 have begun in a pn^liminary way the work suggested in 

 the preceding paragi'a[)hs, as will be seen by referring to 

 back numbers of this jourr<:il and to the Depai-tmental 



