Vol. XIII. Xo. 32M. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



371 



palailius ill the pas.-i of KoiH-e.<valles — a name therefore wliich 

 ■would ea.sily lend it.self t<) any striking new variety, e.specially 

 one of great siz'.-. So it was transferred by the colonists from 

 the pea known in England to the bean cultivated by them in 

 Jamaica. This name is also in u.se for this bean in Barbados. 

 Sloane also describes what appears to be the catjanc/ under 

 the name 'calevances'. This name seems to have died out 

 of the ^\ est Indies, although 'calevances' are mentioned in 

 customs' lists of these islands as articles liable to duty. On 

 the whole, it seems a pity that one name should not be 

 attached to the .same thing throughout the West Indies, .so 

 as to avoid confusion. If the name cowpea, as unfamiliar, 

 should not be acceptalile, it might be suggested that 

 'rounceval', which has the cdc/iH of antiquity, be adopted for 

 Vi'ina uniiuiculatii, and that the name 'black-eye" be restricted 

 to Vigna caijuny. its less vigorous and less productive 

 congener. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



s'l'. Lucn. Strong winds and heavy showers have been 

 cxperimced, causing an improvement in the growth of the 

 sugar-cane fields. The second crop of limes is coming on 

 fa.st, and the extension of this industry continues, no less 

 than 1 1, •">-")0 lime plants having been sent out from Reunion 

 alone. The local price for peasants' cacao continues low. 



iioMiXKA. There are complaints of the lime crop being 

 rather below average; ])rices fell heavily during the month 

 tlown to i;2S per iji[)e f.o.b. for concentrated lime juice. 

 The investigation of the root disease of limes, made by the 

 Mycologist during his visit to the island in October, has 

 been described by him in the last number of the Agricultural 

 Neti'S. There is only a moderate crop of cacao. In the 

 IJotanic Station wherever diseased trees are noticed they 

 are lieing removed, and supplies put in where necessary. 

 The Agricultural Depai-tment is authorized to make fortnightly 

 shipments of fruits from the Botanic Gardens to the Netley 

 Hospital for the use of the wounded soldiers. 



,MoN TsEKRAT. The Curator reports the eomi)letion of 

 the planting of the pine-apple plot of ]-acre containing 1,000 

 plants. The reaping of the experimental ground luit plots 

 has lieen completed, and a good deal of information accumu- 

 lated for future use. Three bags of the ground nuts have 

 been shipj)ed experimentally to Canada. A new grass 

 (C/doris Gayana), which is being experimented with, is found 

 to be easily rai.sed from locally produced seed. The cultiva- 

 tion of pigeon peas seems to be attracting some attention. 

 Sixteen thousand plants of the Bay tree have been distriliuted 

 frcpui the Station up to date: J, -acre of these trees have been 

 planted on fjovernment land. The moth of a grub attacking 

 sweet potato stems has been sent to the Entomologist of this 

 Department for identification. Onion growers are disposed 

 to follow Dr. Watts's advice to use crates for shipping. 

 A further trial shipment has been made to Canada of 

 pine-apples. 



ANTIGUA. From the Experiment Station of this island 

 we have the comiilaint of prolonged drought. Though 

 the work of plant distribution is continued, the lack of rain 

 has retarded it. Both the cane and cotton crops are suffering 

 from the effect of prolonged dry weather. In most places the 

 soil is too dry for the transplanting of onion seedlings. Up 

 to the end of October Mr. Jack.son reports that there has only 

 fallen L'9-34 inches of rain for the year. The efi'ect of this 

 .small rainfall is felt in all parts of the island, but especially 



so in the northern distiicts. The Onion Growers' Association 

 promises to be prepared for curing the coming onion crop. 

 In the Antigua Sun (Octiiber 28, 19U) it is .stated that at 

 a meeting of the above association it was unanimously decided 

 that the money recjuired for the preliminary working expenses 

 of the society this year should be obtained from a firm of 

 merchants. It was also agreed that members may be allowed 

 to sell onions locally, liut not to ship them except through, 

 the association. 



.ST. KiTTs. The Agricultural Superintendent says that 

 the weather has been very dry up to the latter part of 

 October; since then, however, 3 inches of rain have fallen. 

 The canes, especially in the Ba.sseterre district, have been so 

 affected by the drought that, even if the rains keep up, the 

 crop must be beloAv the average. The rains will benefit the 

 later cotton. Some promising fields are to be seen. Leaf- 

 blister mite is attacking the old cotton, and unless it is kept 

 in check by hand picking, there will be no second bearing. 

 Termites, similar to those which have attacked the canes on 

 Pond estate, have been found also in some cane fields at 

 Buckleys near the sea coast. At a meeting of the Agri- 

 cultural and Commercial Society held on October 13, it was 

 decided, on account of the war and the drought, not to hold an 

 agricultural show in 191.5. 



NEVI.S. There is not much to report from this island. 

 The growing cane crop has suffered much from drought. 

 The cotton crop is nearly reaped, but the new growth is 

 att'ected by leaf-blister mite to some extent. Attention 

 will have to be paid to prevent the spread of this pest. 



VIRGIN' ISLANDS. In these islands there is also the 

 report of prolonged drought. Fields of young cotton seem 

 to have been atfecteil throughout the Presidency by want 

 of rain. The cotton fields of Virgin Gorda, however, 

 pr<jmise fair results. In spite of the dry weather the amount 

 of limes purchased at the Station shows an increa.se on any 

 previous year. The opening of the cotton factory for- 

 purchase of cotton from growers ^vill, it is hoped, soon take 

 place. 



SISAL PLANTING IN EAST AFRICA. 



It seems that British East Africa will soon be in a posi- 

 tion to supply a good deal of fibre to the world's markets. 

 In a recent number of the Agricultural News attention was 

 directed to late experiments in planting sisal in Jamaica. 

 From an article in the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, 

 for August 14, 191-f, it would appear that the planting of sisal 

 (Agave sisalana) in certain upland districts of British East 

 -Vfrica in rich volcanic .soil, which was begun in 1907, is now- 

 an assured .success. Planting is steadily progressing, and 

 a large increase of production may be looked for, as the con- 

 ditions of soil, climate, and labour are favourable, enabling 

 the planters to pi-oduce sisal fibre at a low cost. On the 

 coast-line, on coral limestone soil, the industry is also being 

 extended, though the yield of fibre per acre there seems to be 

 rather less than on the upland plantations. The article 

 referred to considers that the industry must soon become 

 most importiint in East Africa. The siutable climate, the 

 fertile soil, the cheap labour, and the low price of lancE 

 combine to allow of the output of first-class fibre at a low 

 enough cost to ensure a good profit at the average selling 

 price of the last ten years (£33 per ton). As the planters of 

 sisal in East Africa appear also to be using the best decortica- 

 ting machinery, and baling presses for the preparation of their- 

 product, their future success would seem to be assured. 



