NEW Yt>K 

 BOTAMCa 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. <»^'*'*^ 



A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW 



OF THE 



Vol. IX. No. 209. 



BARBADOS, APRIL 30, 1910. 



Prick Id. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Agricultural Kx|iLiiuient 

 StiitioiiK.Tlie Fuiiitinns 



(.f 12!) 



Hunk Shelf ... 139 



Ciitch Cr(i|is fur Kul)l>er in 



Miilaya 141 



Charcoal in Fattening 



Ducks, Use of 137 



Cucoa-nut Palin,fjri'iigraph- 



ical Distritmtiun i.f ... 132 

 Coffee Plant, tlio Congo ... 1:53 

 Cotton Notes ; — 



Cotton in the Britisli 



West Indies 134 



Di.stance fur Planting 



Cotton 134 



West Indian Cotton ... 134 

 Klectrcplating, A Siiuiik- 



Method of 136 



Fungus Notes ; — I 



The Chief Groups of 



Fungi, Part V 142 



Gleanings 14<» 



Index and Title Page 

 In.sect Notes ; — 



Forest Entonii>logy 

 the rniteil States 

 Natural Eueinies o 

 I Sugar-Cane Pests 



j Market Reports 



I Notes and Connnents 



I Para Kiil>l)er, A Means 



Preparing 



Pastures, Sclieuie for 

 provenient of ... 

 , Plougli, l"se.>f The... 

 Rainfall in St. Lucia 

 Sources of the World 

 Kul)lier Supply, ' 

 Students' Corner 



Sugar Industry :— 

 Seedling Sugar-Cane> 



Louisiana 



Tiiulii-r, Preservation o 

 \Ve>f Indian Product- 



Page. 



l.Ui 



l.-fS 



144 

 13c. 



^ f I ir 

 Im- 



... 143 



137 



13.T 



13(; 



The 



13:'. 

 141 



]:ii 

 1.37 

 I4:i 



The Functions oF Agricultui'al 

 Experiment Stations. 



I. Ix STiMri..\TiX(; Rkseakch. 



T^ HE nature of the work that is carried on in 

 ,Xli,agiicnltural e.xperiment stations necessitates 

 ^»oS''% the existence of a large degree of rotitine. 

 This is brought into being chiefly by the constantly 

 recurring matters that relate to the crops most com- 

 monly grown, such as sugar, cotton, cacao and limes, 

 during each season in which they are receiving atten- 

 tion, in order that they may give their produce in 



a successful manner. There is a seasonal c)cle of 

 activities that claims a large amount of the time at 

 the disposal of tho.se who are responsible for the conduct 

 of the work of the experiment station. 



This side of the activity of the station is naturally 

 of great importance. It is the one which enables it to 

 keep most closely in touch with those for whom it 

 e.\ist.s, and, too often, it is the sole criterion by 

 which the e.xistence of the station is justified. This 

 fact, aided bv the circumstance that such work 

 is continually in evidence, and constantly demands 

 attention, constitutes a source of danger to the effic- 

 iency of the labours of those who are engaged there. 

 Routine may demand so much attention that there is 

 no time left for research. 



Two (irMcticil meanings may be attached to the 

 word Research. It may be employed for the purpose of 

 giving the idea of Odreful search, or it may, as its form 

 indicates, connote search ing again. Both these aspects 

 of it are before the scientific investigator and, it may be 

 added, the second is the more often present with the 

 agriculturist, chiefly because the practice of agriculture 

 is so ancient that many of its problems have been 

 worked out empirically, long ago. What is wanted is 

 the reason why these problems can be solved in the 

 way that has been found, in order that such a know- 

 ledge of them may be obtained as to enable modifica- 

 tions to be suggested that will improve old methods and 

 make these applicable, with the necessary changes, to 

 new conditions. 



In answering certain kinds of agricultural questions, 

 routine and research approach one another in such 

 a way that one becomes part of the other. This 



