Vol. IX. No. 215. 



THE AGKICULTURAL XEWS. 



229 



be obtained. In 1907-8, the area in cacao, in the Cameroons, was 

 7,674 hectares (1 hectare = '2i acres) of which 5^072 hectares 

 were producing fully. The crop was 1,174 tons in 190G, 

 1,587 in 1907 and even more in 1908; the value of the exports 

 arose from 1,430,750 francs in 1906 to 3,<i75,000 francs in 

 1908. 



TOGOLANB. In this colony, wliere the interest of the 

 natives in it continually iucreases, the cultivation of cacao 

 has made great progress. The plantations are almost all 

 found in the district of Mi.sahuhe; trials made in the district 

 of Atakpanie have shown definitely that this region is not 

 suitable for cacao-growing. 



The Government of the colony lias made great efforts to 

 encourage this cultivation, in the interest of the natives, by 

 distributing seeds and young plants. There only exists one 

 European enterprise in cacao planting in Togoland — a planta- 

 tion having an area of 90 hectares, which gave a crop of 884 

 kilos. (1 kilo=2-2 ft.) in 1906, and 2,796 kilos, in 1907. 

 The annual exports of oacao are increasing They have been 

 as follows: 1904, 10,617 kilos, worth 10,920 francs: 1905, 

 13,106 kilos, worth 11,897 francs; 1906, 28,651 kilos, worth 

 26,970 francs; 1907, 52,220 kilos, worth 02,410 francs. 



.SAMOA. The efforts which have been made already to de- 

 velop the cultivation of cacao are beginning to have their re- 

 sults. The plantations extend in area from year to year: in 

 1907-8 they occupied 1,420 hectares, with 684,032 plants, of 

 which 280,990 were giving a crop. In spite of unfavourable 

 weather in the autumn of 1907, the exports arose from 90 to 

 117 tons; in 1908, the increa.se has been even more considerable. 

 Up to the present, the cacao plants have not been attacked 

 by any diHease, and they are consequently strong and vigor- 

 ous. The plantation companies estimate that the oldest 

 cultivations can be made to give an average of 510 kilos, 

 per hectare ( = 449 Ih. per acre). The natives of Samoa do 

 not show much aptitude for agricultural work in connexion 

 with which there is any difficulty, so that, in .January 1 908, 

 1,000 Chinese coolies were imported for employment on the 

 plantations. 



GERMAN NEW GUINEA. The Cultivation of cacao in this 

 colony is still in its infancy; the area under the plant in 

 1907-8 was 163 hectares. The number of trees on the plan- 

 tations was 78,945, of which only 2,975 were yielding a crop. 

 The exports in 1908 rose to 465 kilos. The chief enemies of 

 cacao cultivation in New Guinea are weeds and insects. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. H. A. Tempany, liSc, F.I.C., F.C.S,, Govern- 

 ment Chemist and Superintendent of Agriculture for 

 the Leeward Islands, has been grantud leave of absence 

 from the (jth. instant, and left Antigua, for England, on 

 or about that date. It is probable that Mr. Tempany 

 will return to the Leeward Islands toward the end of 

 Pecember next. 



Consequent on the above, Mr. F. R. Shepherd, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, St. Kitts, has been 

 appointed, with effect from the (Jth. instant, to act as 

 Superintendent of Agriculture in Antigua, with per- 

 mission to reside in St. Kitts. paying occasional visits 

 to Antigua and the other Presidencies. 



Mr. H. A. Rallou, M.Sc, Entomologist on the staff 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, left Barba- 

 dos for New York, by the S.S. 'Cearense', on July 18, 

 having been granted four months' leave of absence. 



ST. VINCENT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A meeting of the Agricultiual and Commercial Scjciety 

 or St. Vincent was held on June 17, at which the Imperial 

 Commissioner of ,\griculture was present. After his Honour 

 the Administrator had introduced Dr. Watts to the meeting, 

 a discu.ssion took place which had for its subject the necessity 

 of destroying old cotton plants, as soon after crop as possible, 

 in order to prevent the spread of various pests, especially the 

 leaf-blister mite. A thorough exposition of the diflferent 

 sides of the proldem was given by various speakers, in order 

 to assist as far as possible in arriving at a conclusion as to 

 the best procedure to be taken. 



After the di.scussion had taken place, the Commissioner 

 gave an address on this and other subjects, in which he agreed 

 mth what seems to be the general opinion in St. Vincent, 

 namely, the necessity that old cotton plants should be des- 

 troyed. Further, he stated that he thought the point had 

 been reached at which the Government might be approached 

 with the proposal to consider legislation for the destruction 

 of old cotton plants, on or before a certain date after the 

 close of each crop, as a means of coping with the leaf-blister 

 mite. Dr. Watts also suggested remedies and preventive 

 means in connexion with other pests that more particularly 

 aflFect cotton. In relation to these, lie suggested that meetings 

 of the Agricultural and Commercial Society could be made 

 especially useful by the discussion of subjects which interested 

 planters most nearly, such as those relating to the cultivation 

 of staple products, the methods adopted for the control and 

 destruction of pests, and the means for obtaining improved 

 yields. In regard to the arrowroot industry, he thought that 

 consideration and experiments were required, especially in 

 connexion with the utilization of waste products from the 

 process of manufacture. He considered that it was possible 

 to turn out three or four by-products from arrowroot waste, 

 and it appeared likely that it could be employed in making 

 cattle food, more especially by mixing certain of them with 

 cotton seed meal. 



In reference to implemental tillage, and its introduction 

 into St. Vincent, Dr. Watts acknowledged the courtesy and 

 actual assistance accorded to the planters of the island by 

 those of Antigua, pointing out that, by the provision of such 

 mutual help, the favourable industrial progress of these 

 colonies would be ensured. He also expressed indebtedness to 

 Mr. G. K. Corea for the ready and generous way in which the 

 proposals of the Department had been met by him, and for 

 the practical help given by him, with implemental tillage, in its 

 experimental stage in St. Vincent. In conclusion, the Com- 

 missioner drew attention to the fact that the distinction 

 which the products of the island had gained showed that 

 planters were fully alive to the importance of modern and 

 scientific methods in relation to j)raetical agriculture. 



Before the meeting adjourned, Mr. Conrad Simmons 

 gave an account of his experience in relation to an experiment 

 devised by him for the purpose i)f producing a strain of cotton 

 possessing immunity from leaf-blister mite. The trials 

 appeared to be of a successful nature, and Dr. Watts stated 

 that if this proved finally to be the case, the financial value 

 of the experiment would be very great. 



The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the 

 Commissioner, moved by his Honour the Administrator, and 

 seconded by Mr. Simmons. 



It should be stated that this information is abstracted 

 from a report of the meeting which appeared in the St. Vincent 

 Senary of June 24, 1910. 



