Vol. IX. No. 217. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



•263 



Central Cotton Ginnery in St. Vincent, tor the first time, 

 and the results appeared to be encour.iging to the owners. 



The chief pests that were observed to attack cotton were 

 leaf-blister mite and the snow scale. Though these are said 

 to do little damage, it is evident that their presence must 

 result in a lowering of the yield, especially in dry years. 



MAYRfiAU. This has an area of about 600 acres, and the 

 soil and crop conditions are not unlike those of Canouan, 

 although the former appears to be poorer than that in the 

 last-mentioned island. 



In the last crop of cotton, -5,416 fc. ot lint was obtained 

 from 80 acres, giving a yield of 67 '7 lb. per acre. As in 

 Canouan, the cotton was sold for the first time to the Central 

 Cotton Ginnery, and the growers appeared to be encouraged 

 by the results from disposing of it in this way. 



Here, too, cultivation is conducted according to the 

 metayer .system. 



UNION I.SL.\ND. This is the most southern of the islands 

 administered from St. Vincent. It is 40 miles distant from 

 it, and is believed to have an area of about 2,600 acres, but 

 is probably larger. As is still the case with Canouan and 

 Mayreau, it was owned privately until recently, when the 

 Government of St. Vincent purchased it under the Land 

 Settlement Scheme. The soil appears to be nior<; fertile than 

 that of Canouan and Mayreau, and is easily worked. No 

 records of the rainfall have been kept, but judging fromtho.se 

 of the neighbouring Lsland of Carriacou, it appears prob- 

 able that this is Ironi .50 to 60 inches. 



The chief crops grown are Marie 'Jalante cotton, corn 

 and peas, the cultivation being of the kind described already. 



During last season 13,376 ft), of lint was produced from 

 320 acres, or an average of 42 lb. per at-re, which is a fair 

 season's result. 



The land has been cultivated hitherto on the metayer 

 system, but since the acquirement of the island by the 

 fJovernment, a .scheme has been drawn up by which it is 

 proposed to sell it on easy terms in lots of 2 to 4 acres, 

 and also to dispose of, by sale, 3 blocks of good land, measur- 

 ing .50 to 100 acres, in different parts <if the island, to be 

 worked on estate lines. In addition, land will be conserved 

 as forests reserves. 



CARRIACOU. In dealing with this island, the report 

 gives information which is more directly connected with the 

 working of the Land Settlement Scheme there. The soil is 

 derived from limestone and, although it is less quickly affect- 

 ed by drought, it does not seem to be as fertile as that of 

 Union Island. 



The methods of cultivation and the crops raised are simi- 

 lar to those of the other islands mentioned, but the metayer 

 system has given place to the .selling of land under the Land 

 Settlement Scheme, as is proposed for Union Island. This 

 .system has met with a large amount of sticcess and the 

 condition of the people shows signs of a comparatively large 

 prosperity. The cotton raised is sold to the Central Cotton 

 •Ginnery. 



Reserves for reafforestation have been made on the Land 

 Settlement estates and on hillsides and mountains. In these, 

 the chief seed sown has been that of mahogany. 



Other endeavours to effect improvements in the agricul- 

 tural conditions of Carriacou include the planting of limes 

 on a fairly large scale on private estates, and the establish- 

 ment of a small experiment station, by the Commissioner, 

 Mr. G. Whitfield Smith, which is intended to aid in the 

 introduction of useful trees and plants, ar.d to provide a means 

 of demonstrating improved methods ot cultivation for limes 

 and cotton, which are to be the chief crops raised. 



SUGGESTIONS IN RELATION TO 



SCHOOL GARDENS. 



Circular 746 of the Board of Education, England, has 

 just been issued, for the purpose of making suggestions for 

 teachers in relation to the subject of school gardening. It is 

 pointed out that this, when understood rightly, is a branch 

 of nature study, rather than a professional training for an 

 industry, and that its practical nature is likely to make it 

 appeal particularly to the minds of children. The warning is 

 given against allowing the pursuit of nature study to fall 

 into its chief danger — the giving of a disconnected series of 

 object-lessons, which possess neither sustained interest, nor 

 serve as a means of teaching general principles. A good 

 suggestion is made as to the use of reference books by pupils, 

 in order that they may gain the habit of reading for the pur- 

 pose of acquiring useful knowledge. One of the most valuable 

 parts of the circular is a .series of i|uestions, which the teach- 

 er should aok himself periodically, in order that he may have 

 a means of satisfying himself as to the thoroughness and 

 efficiency of the gardening work and the garden, as means of 

 education. The.se are given here, as many of them apply 

 usefully to conditions in the We.st Indies. 



(1) Is the position of the garden satisfactory? 



(2) Is the land sufficient in area for serious practical 

 work ( 



(3) Are the tools suitable and sufficient in number ? 



(4) Are the tools properly kept ? 



(•5) Are the vegetables grown suitable to the district, 

 and sufficiently various to teach the ordinary operations of 

 cottage gardening '. 



(6) Is the system of cropping satisfactory ? 



(7) Is a sufficient quantity and variety of manure used ? 



(8) Is fruit culture included ! 



(9) Are flower culture and bee-keeping included .' 



(10) Is the gardening time-table satisfactory t 



(11) Does each scholar work from a scale drawing of 

 the proposed cultivatif>n of his plot made by him beforehand ? 



(12) Are the manual operations properly taught ? 



(13) Is the garden, as a whole, kept in good order ? 



(14) Do the scholars make notes of their garden work ? 



(15) Is close and accurate observation insi.sted on ! 



(16) Is gardening correlated with nature study i 



(17) Is gardening correlated with drawing ? 



(18) Is gardening correlated with arithmetic I 



(19) Is gardening correlated with reading and composi- 

 tion. 



(20) Are the first, second, and third years' courses of 

 work progressive ? 



(21) Is the disposition of the produce satisfactory ? 



(22) Are seeds saved? 



(23) Is competition kept within proper bounds! 



(24) Is the instruction adapted for girls? 



Of these questions, numbers 1 to 4, 6, 7 and 10 to 23 are 

 of special interest in relation to conditions in the West 

 Indies. Particular value attaches to questions 10 to 20, and 

 the extent to which the teacher can answer them constantly in 

 the affirmative, will give him an indication a,s to the value of 

 his own work and the degree to which advantage is being 

 taken of the usefulness of the garden. Kvery teacher would do 

 well to keep these questions continually before him; he will thus 

 be enabled to conduct a useful inspection of his own work, while 

 he has at his disposal a simple means of discovering and 

 correcting any deficiencies. 



