Vol. IX, Xo. 222. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



347 



ST KITTS NEVIS: REFOKT ON THE BOTANIC 

 STATION, ECONOMIC EXPERIMENTS AND AGRI- 

 CULTURAL INSTRUCTION: ALSO ON AGRICUL- 

 TURAL EDUCATION, 1909-111. 



This report shows that the total expenditure in connex- 

 ion with the work which it describes was £1,085 ISs. 8f/, of 

 which £766 18s. 9rf. came from the Imperial Grant in-aid. 

 The total receipts from the sale of plants and produce were 

 £148 7s. The buildings and nurseries at the stations have 

 been kept in good order. A small laboratory has been equip- 

 ped at the Grammar School for the use of the agricultural 

 pupils. The total rainfall at the Botanic Station, St. Kitts for 

 the period under review, was 42'91 inches; in the previous 

 year it was 48'10 inches. 



Useful work has been done in regard to the fumigation 

 of imported plants and seed, under the Plant Protection 

 Ordinance. This forms part of the most important duties 

 of the Agricultural Superintendent. As in Antigua, the 

 r'adet Sy.stem in vogue at the Botanic Station is meeting 

 with success; the system is followed in much the same way 

 in the two colonies. The economic and other experiments 

 carried on in connexion with the Botanic Station, St. Kitts, 

 included trials with food crops, green dressing plants, broom 

 corn, tobacco, cotton, limes and varieties of sugar-cane. 

 A large distribution has been made of the produce from some 

 of the plants. The part of the report describing these 

 experiments is rendered all the more interesting by the cir- 

 cumstance that the results, in many cases, are derived from 

 investigations extending over several years. The manurial 

 experiments with cotton continue to indicate that the best 

 returns from this crop are obtained, in St. Kitts, by good 

 cultivation, and by the use of farmyard manure to maintain 

 the condition of the soil. Valuable results are being obtained 

 with respect to cotton selection; the most aseful of those are 

 given in detailed tables. A part of the report that is of much 

 interest deals with the cotton industry of St. Kitts, Nevis 

 and Anguilla, and with the sugar industry of St. Kitts. 



The report on the station in Xevis shows that a large 

 and useful distribution <if plants is taking place, under the 

 auspices of the Agricultural Department. This distribution 

 is concerned mainly with the dissemination of good varieties 

 of sugar-cane. Particulars are given of experiments with 

 food crops, green dressings and cotton. The rainfall at the 

 Botanic Station in X(!vis was 50'69 inches; this is almost the 

 same as that for 1908^ which was oO'oO inches. 



Accounts of the sugar and cotton industries show that, 

 with regard to the former, the yield of sugar was disappoint- 

 ing, even though a good rainfall had been received during 

 the growing season; an experiment is being conducted at 

 Pinney's estate for the purpose of ascertaining the varieties 

 of cane that are most suited to conditions in Nevis. Satis- 

 factory prices were obtained, during the season, for cotton. 



The report of the work of the Agricultural and Science 

 Master at the St. Kitts Grammar School shows that this is 

 being continued on the some lines as those of former years, 

 and that satisfactory progress is being made. 



MONTSERRAT: REPORT ON THE HOT ASIC 

 STATION AND EXPERIMENT PLOTS, V.tau m. 



The financial statement at the commencement of this 

 report shows that the total expenditure during the yi ar wa3 

 £615 7s. \d.; of this sum £567 6s. id. was granted from 

 Imperial funds. The amount received from the sale of plants 

 and produce was £27 5s. 6j'/. Various minor improvements 

 have been effected at Grove Station. The station at 

 Olveston has proved itself unsuitable for the purposes of 

 agricultural experiment.^, and has therefore been closed. 

 There has lieen a large distrilmtion of plants during the year. 

 The account of the trials conducted on the experiment plots 

 shows that much interesting work has been done in regard to 

 cotton selection — work that is becoming of increasing impor- 

 tance. Of large importance, too, are the experiments that 

 are being made in lime cultivation; these receive detailed 

 attention in the report. The trials on the various experi- 

 ment plots include those with food crops, lemon grasses, bay 

 trees and cacao. A general account is given of the commoner 

 diseases and pests in Montserrat. 



Interesting details with respect to the cotton industry 

 show that the area planted in cotton was about 1,600 acres; 

 this is 700 acres less than the area in 1908-9. The amount 

 of lint shipped to the end of June 1910 was 2.35,021 lb.; the 

 crop of 1908-9 gave 224,711 lb. The season, on the whole, 

 was favourable for the crop, and prices ranged from Is. Id. 

 to Is. 10(/. per tb. 



The rainfall at the Grove Botanic Station during 1908-9 

 was 7671 inches. 



TRINIDAD: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EN- 

 TOMOLOGIST TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 

 lij(iU-ln. 



This report show-s that most of the attention of the entom- 

 ologist, since Januarj' of this year, has been given to the 

 study of the frog-hopper {Tomaitpis postica). An account of 

 the work that has been done in relation to this pest is given 

 in the Insect Notes and Fungus Notes of this number of the 

 Ar/riculturitl News. The other sugar-cane pests that received 

 attention were the giant moth liorer {Castnia licus), the 

 small moth borer (Dintraea sacclidralis and an undeter- 

 mined species), the striped grass looper (Remifjia repanda), 

 the gru-gru beetle {R/i >/nchop/iorus palmnrum), and the small 

 lieetle borer (Splunophorus piceus). Among these, the giant 

 moth t)orer was responsible for a large proportion of the 

 'dead hearts', and treatment by cutting out and burning is 

 recommended. The best means of control for the strij^ed grass 

 looper was found to be weeding, for when this was done, the 

 caterpillars were picked from the ground by the savannah 

 blackbird {Quiscalus crassirostris) and the tick bird (Croto- 

 pihaga ani). Shot borers (Xylelionis perforans) were not 

 numerous during the year. 



The cacao pests dealt with are: the cacao beetle (6^teiVas^ 

 toma depres.'<Miit), the leaf hopper (Iforiola arquata), which is 

 protected by ants when young; and IIdiothrip>s ritbrocititus. 



Of the pests of cocoa-nuts, the following received atten- 

 tion; the bearded weevil {Rhina harhirostyi';): the gru-gru 

 heet\e( /ii/nchop/ior(is2Ml»i't>'U"t); Spihenop/iorus s^.; Xylehoi'us 

 perthrans; a rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes sp.); Brassolis 

 .lop florae; and the scale insects Vinsonia stellifera, Aspi- 

 diotii.i destructor and Icuryn inont serrate iisis. 



After making reference to various miscellaneous insects 

 of interest, the entomologist finally draws attention to the 

 importance of the despatch of specimens to him, in order 

 that he may be assisted in his work. 



