Vol. IX. No. 201. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



IMPLEMENTAL TILLAGE FOR 

 ST. VINCENT. 



Agricultiinil conditions in Sc. Vineeiit have recent- 

 ly given rise to an interest in implemental tillage and, 

 as a result of a desire, on the part of those concerned, 

 to gain information in connexion with the matter, the 

 Agricultural Instructor (Mr. G. Fraser) was sent to 

 Antigua, where this form of cultivation has been 

 employed on a fairly large scale for some time, in order 

 that he may be in a position to give advice and instruc- 

 tion in the subject. Mr. Eraser's report has been duly 

 made and published in the St. Vincent (jutyrninent 

 Gazette. Apart from its intrinsic interest, the circum- 

 stance of his visit has a value which it derii'es from 

 the fact of its being an illustration of the ready provis- 

 ion of assistance to one colony by another, under the 

 direction of the Department of Agriculture. It should 

 be mentioned that, in forwarding the report, his Hon- 

 our the Administrator of St. Vincent requested that, 

 in the event of its being used in any wa}* in the 

 publications of the Department, expression should be 

 made of the acknowledgement, on the part of the 

 (iovernment, of the courtesy of Mr. H. A. Tempany, 

 the Superintendent of Agriculture of the Leeward 

 Islands, and of those planters who gave assistance in the 

 matter. The gist of Mr. Eraser's report is as follows : — 



Mr. Fraser, who was accompanied liy a labourer sent 

 by ilr. G. R. Corea, left St. Vincent on August i, and 

 arrived in Antigua on August 4. On hi.s arrival, Mr. Tem- 

 pany obtained an interview with his E.xcollency the Acting 

 Governor for him, to whom he stated the object of 

 his visit, and who kindly offered to assist him in every 

 ])ossible way. Subsequently, Mr. Fraser was introduced to 

 Mr. I. E. Dyett and Mr. VValrond of P'itehes Creek Estate, 

 who promised to give him every facilitj- for gaining a practical 

 knowledge of the implements, their use and their working. 



In preparing land for cane or for cotton, it is first close- 

 ploughed, and then harrowed once or tv/ice in ditferent 

 directions. After the laud has been lined oft", the banks are 

 thrown up by means of a single mould-ltnard plough which 

 runs along each side of the line in opposite ways. The 

 furrows are cleaned out and the bank raised by using 

 a double mould-board plough, called a 'middle burster ':then 

 the banks are shaped by an ' Orleans' disc cultivator, and if 

 they are still uneven, a 'gee- whiz ' cultivator is run along 

 the sides of them. 



For cane-planting a shallow trench is run along the top 

 of the banks by means of a double mould board plough, the 

 canes being subsequently covered by a plough or cultivator; 

 another method is to harrow over the banks after the cane 

 has been planted in the furrow. In planting cotton, 

 a Georgia single stock plough is run along the top of the 

 banks, and is followed by an Avery Union corn and cotton 

 seed drill. 



The first weeding is done with the Planet Junior horse 

 hoe, followed by an 'orchard' harrow: subsequent weedings 

 are performed in the same way, with the addition that the 

 .«5ides of the banks are cleaned with a 'gee-whiz' cultivator. 

 Weeding by hand has still to be done along the track line of 

 the plants. Banks which become broken down badly are 

 moulded up by means of an 'Orleans' disc cultivator. In dry 

 weather, when the soil becomes hard, it is broken up by 

 means of a 'comet' cultivator. 



Corn is planted liks cotton, but green dressings are 

 usually sown with it on each side of the b.mks, and only one 



cultivation is given, that is by means of the hoe. After the 

 corn has been reaped, the green dressings and the corn .ota'ks 

 are thrown mto ilie furrow and ploughed in. After this, the 

 land is again prepared for cane. 



For drainage purposes in .Xatigua, cross drains every 20 

 or 30 feet are run with a double mould-board plough, after 

 the land has been prepared. The ibain drains are made by 

 hanrl laljour, and have to be constaptly cleaned. 



The implements employed are described below. Before 

 they are used, it is necessary to break up the land by means 

 of a plough. Any type of light iron plough with a high 

 beam, such as the 'South African Eagle' plough, made by 

 Messrs. Itansomes, Sons and Jefteries, is suitable. 



No. 2 U-B.IE STEEL FK.VME LEVEE HARROW.— This is 



a harrow with bars made of U-shaped steel to which are 

 attached 60 teeth, 30 on each section. The teeth are adjusted 

 to the .slant required, whether for releasing trash, for pulver- 

 izing the soil, or for smoothing, by means of levers. The 

 length of the teeth is also adjustable. The machine is drawn 

 by two mules or oxen. 



No. 2 cuB.vs DOUBLE M0ULn-B0.4ED FLUKE. — This is 

 made by ilessrs. B. F. Avery and Sons, Louisville, Ken- 

 tucky, and is specially used for cane and cotton banking and 

 trench cleaning. The width of the mould-board can be 

 regulated to give the distance required between the banks. 

 It is drawn by two oxen. 



No. I si.\<:le plough >tock. — This is a light imple- 

 ment which is drawn by one mule, and is used for opening 

 a furrow on the top of the banks. ■ 



oRLE.vss Di.sc CULTIVATOR. — This is used to complete 

 the banking of lands for cane, cotton, etc., and for moulding 

 up the young plants. It is also useful for the cultivation of 

 ratoon canes before they have become 3 feet high. The 

 implement has 3 di.scs attached to each lever, which can be 

 adjusted at different angles, and both low and high axles aro 

 supplied to suit the height of the plants. It is drawn by 

 two mules. 



COMET cultivator. — This is used for breaking up hard 

 soil and for moulding up plants. Like the one just mention- 

 ed it straddles the banks, but has shovels in the place of 

 discs. It is specially suited for hillside work and for rough 

 ground, as it posses.ses an arrangement of springs to minimize 

 shocks, and has not to carry the driver. It requires two mules. 



No. 9 PLAXET .JUNIOR iioRsE uoE. — This is very use- 

 ful for weeding purposes, when the growth is not heavy; 

 though it can be readily adjusted to carry out several differ- 

 ent operations. It is drawn by one mule. 



No. G 'orchard' HARROW, 14-tooth. — In this, the 

 width and depth of the work can be regulated. It is chiefly 

 used for cleaning and pulverizing the soil after it has been 

 worked by the other cultivators above mentioned. It requires 

 one mule. 



' cEE-WHiz ' cultivator. — This is a combination 

 spring tooth, side, and V-harrow, and is adapted to almost 

 any kind of cultivation. It is drawn by one mule. 



No. 16 aveky's uxion corn drill. — This is very 

 useful for sowing cotton seed and Indian corn. With the 

 exception of the handles, it is made entirely of steel and 

 iron; it is strong, and is drawn by one mule walking on the 

 top of the bank. 



Mr. Fraser left Antigua on August 2.5. He concludes 

 his report by expressing his indebtedness to those in Antigua 

 who so kindly did everything pcssible to help him to gain 

 the necessar)' information and experience, particularly 

 Mr. H. A. Tempany, B.Sc, Mr. I. E. Dyett and Mr. L. C. 

 Walrond, of Fitches Creek Estate, and Mr. Sidney Smith of 

 Blubber Valley and Vorkes Estate. 



