Vol. IX. No. 207 



THE AGRICULTURAL NKWS. 



105 



Bees and Foul Brood. 



An interesting correspondence between the Board 

 of Management of the Jamaica Agricultural Society 

 and Messrs. A. I. Root of Indiana, U..S.A., as to the 

 possibility of the introduction of foul brood into the 

 West Indies through the importation of queen bees 

 from the United States, is given in the Journal of the 

 Jamaird Agricultural Soi-lety for February 1910. It 

 is stated, on behalf of the firm mentioned, that there is 

 no likelihood of such infection being carried by a queen 

 bee, even if this was obtained from a badly infected 

 colony. It has never been shown that either European 

 or American foid brood has been communicated through 

 the queen bee. A precaution to be observed in conne.xion 

 with such importation is advised, however. This 

 consists in re-caging the bee, immediately on its 

 delivery, with fresh food and a new escort. The 

 reason why this precaution is recommended is that 

 foul brood may be carried in the food in the queen- 

 cage, as the germs of the disease will live in the honey. 



In consequence of this, it was resolved by the 

 Board of Management to ask the Government of 

 Jamaica to prohibit the importation of bees, used hives 

 or used combs, an exception being made, in the case of 

 the first, to the effect that importation of queen bees 

 may be permitted on condition that the importer 

 intimates previously his desire to effect this to the 

 Director of Agriculture, to whom the imported queens 

 should be addressed, and who would destroy the old 

 escort and food, and provide fresh supplies of these. 



'Bichet' on Cacao. 



A sample of the growth on cacao known as ' bichet , 

 in Grenada; has been received from Mr. (!. (!. Auchin- 

 leck, B.Sc, Agricultural Superintendent in that island. 

 In forwarding this, Mr. Auchinleck states that it may be 

 described as the result of the rapid subdivision of the 

 roots of cacao near the surface, under a leaf mulch, so 

 that the minute rootlets seize upon partly decayed 

 leaves, twigs, etc., and give rise to a mass of inter- 

 tangled fibres. 



The name 'bichet' is employed in the patois of 

 the island for the growth, and is probably derived from 

 a similar dialect word meaning 'sieve', owing to the 

 rough resemblance of the structure to the meshes of 

 a sieve. 



The development of bicliet is looked upon as 

 a proof of lack of care, for it only occurs where a mulch 

 lies undisturbed for long periods. The growth is healthy, 

 as it indicates that food is being rapidly absorbed 

 by the plant from which it springs. Any advantage in 

 this direction appears, however, to be outweighed bv 

 the fact that, during drought, the very possession of it 

 by a tree results in markedly bad effects. 



Mr. Auchinleck states, further, that the growths of 

 bichet are usually cut away deliberately, in view of the 

 harm that they are supposed to effect. The subject is 

 of interest, in view of the success that has been obtain- 

 ed in Dominica by actually applying mulches of grass 

 and leaves to cacao, and it would be valuable to know 

 if there is any conne.xion between the roots in bichet 



and the useful roots that are developed more deeply 

 when mulching of the kind practised in Dominica is 

 employed. 



Demonstrations at Agricultural Shows. 



Attention was drawn, in the last number of the 

 Ai/ricidturul Kews, to information in connexion with 

 agricultural education contained in the Report on the 

 Ojierutions of the De'part inent of Agriculture, EaMern 

 Bengal and Assam, for the year ending June 30, 

 1909. An additional interesting feature of this 

 report is the accounts of agricultural shows that 

 were held with the assistance of that Department. 

 At these, an important part of the proceedings 

 seems to have been demonstrations with various 

 agricultural implements and machines, new to the 

 district, such as maize crushers, maize shellers, wheel 

 hoes and spraying machines. These were shown at 

 work on the show ground, and attracted the attention 

 of a large number of peasant cultivators. For the 

 purpose of demonstrating the methods of spraying 

 Bordeaux mixture, a crop of potatos had been planted 

 on the show ground some time before the show 

 itself was held. 



It would seem th;it similar demonstrations might 

 profitably take a larger place than they occupy, ab 

 present, at agricultural shows held in the West Indies. 



Vanilla in the Seychelles. 



Information concerning the markets for vanilla was 

 given recently in the Agricultural News (Vol. IX, 

 p. 52). Additional facts are contained in the Bulletin 

 (if the Imperial Institute, Vol. VII, No. 4, with 

 especial reference to the state of the vanilla-growing 

 industry in the Seychelles. According to this, the crop 

 of the spice in 1908 amounted to 24 7-5 tons, as against 

 66 5 tons in 1907, the cause of the decline being the 

 weakening of the plants after the heavy yield of the 

 preceding season. The best of the Seychelles vanilla is 

 said to be sold in France: the reason for this is that the 

 market for the finer kinds is better there than in the 

 United Kingdom. The price of vanilla does not show 

 any improvement, as artificial vanillin continues to com- 

 pete with it more severely than ever. For this reason, 

 experiments in manuring, etc., have been instituted in 

 recent years, in order to find means of lowering the cost 

 of production. So f;ir, the results have shown that the 

 application of ground limestone, or of nitrate of soda, 

 gives an increase in the yield of pods, and that the 

 latter manure tends to prolong the period during which 

 the plants are in bearing. Plants grown in a mixture 

 of fern roots and soil gave better returns than those 

 planted in ordinary soil, probably because the roots of 

 the ferns are rich in lime. It has been found advan- 

 tageous to grow the plants under shade. 



Manurial experiments and analyses of the ash 

 of the plants have shown that the most important 

 manurial constituents for vanilla are lime, soda and 

 phosphates; potash and magnesia are less important. 

 Investigations as to the effect of each of these con- 

 stituents are now being made. 



