Vot. IX. No. 226. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



411 



DOMINICA : REl'ORT ON THE BOTANIC 

 STATION, EXPERIMENT I'LOTS AND AGRICUL 

 TURAL SCHOOL, lOOU-lu. 



The votes in conneximi with the expenditure nn the 

 garden, from local funds during the year, amounted to £860, 

 of which £810 was actually spent. The grant from Iiniierial 

 funds was £615. A sum of £321 7s. Get. was received from 

 the sale of plants, cured cacao, fruits and seeds. 



The report affords evidence that the garden has been 

 maintained in good order, and that many plants of much 

 interest in different parts of the world are being grown suc- 

 cessfully in it. Success is also being experienced in regard 

 to the nurseries, which now occupy an area of more than 

 4 acres. The plants that were sent out during the year 

 numbered over 79,000, and there were, in addition to these, 

 quantities of cacao pods. Para rubber >eed and vegetable 

 seeds, as well as seeds of green dressings, fodder [dants. Fun- 

 tumia and Castilloa, Congo coifee, citrus plants, shade trees 

 and of various palms. 



Among the more interesting experiments tlwt are being 

 conducted in connexion with economic plants, there are those 

 with spineless limes, grafted citrus plants, Para rubber and 

 grafted cacao. In regard to the first of these, an investigation 

 that should be of much eventual interest is being conducted, 

 with the object of devising a means for the improvement of 

 the fruit. Useful results are being gained in the direction 

 of the emiiloyment of budwood of citrus varieties from Florida 

 for use on local stocks; it may be mentioned that an account 

 of some of the most recent work in connexion with the matter 

 is contained in the A'lriridtUKil Neii's, Vol. IX, p. 3-56. 

 A large amount of aid has been given at the station toward 

 assisting planters in Dominica to obtain seeds and jilants of 

 Para rubber. Lastly, much interest attaches to the work 

 with grafted cacao; one of the results of this has been to show 

 unmistakably that Alligator cacao is unsuited for growing, 

 under the conditions obtaining in Dominica. 



The year under report has been the wettest since 1903, 

 81'14 inches having been received at the Botanic Station; 

 this amount is 3 33 inches more than the average for the past 

 seventeen years. The returns fiom thirty-five stations show 

 that the mean rainfall for the whole island is 136 13 inches. 



An innovation has been made during the year by the 

 appointment of an .Assistant Curator, and there are strong 

 indications already of the usefulness of the work of such an 

 officer in Dominica. This is particularly in relation to the duties 

 whichtakehim into country districts and bring the Agricultural 

 Department into closer conne.xion with the interests of plant- 

 ers. Other work of the Assistant Curator has included the 

 making of observations, etc., on scale insects and their natural 

 enemies A matter that should prove itself of some use is 

 that he is always available to give assistance to planters in 

 relation to the making and testing of concentrated lime juice. 



A report is presented by the Curator on the prize-hold- 

 ings competition held during 1909-10. This is of an 

 encouraging nature, and .-^hows that by means of such a scheme 

 the status of peasant cultivation in Dominica can undoubted- 

 ly be raised. 



The condition of the lime industry is good, as is shown 

 by the fact that the crop for the year was larger by 7,000 

 barrels than that of the previous year, being actually 281 000. 

 In regard to citrus products generally, tables are given 

 which show that the exports of lime products from 

 Dominica during 1909 were worth £54,931. Those of the 

 greatest value, in order, were concentratedlimejuice(£21,565) 

 citrate of lime (£11,203), green limes (£9,009), raw lime 

 juice (£7,232). There was also an increase in the export 

 of cacao which rose from 9,820 cwt in 1908 to 10,844 cwt. 

 in 1909. 



A large .section of the report is taken up with a descrip- 

 tion of the experiments that are being conducted in Dominica 

 in connexion with the manuring of cacao. In a general way, 

 it may be said that these continue to uphold the policy of 

 manuring cacao with organic substances, and of mulching the 

 soil beneath the trees. 



The expenditure at the Agricultural School was £527 

 15.S. M.; last year, it amounted to £505 Ss. IQd. A sum of 

 £17 9s. \d. was received for the .sale of plants, poultry, 

 goats, honey, etc. 



The number of pupils in attendance at the school at the 

 time when the report was made was 18; four boys had 

 completed their courses during the year, and were immedi- 

 ately appointed to positions as overseers on estates in the 

 island. The results obtained in the half-yearly examinations 

 have been generally good. 



The experiments conducted at the .school have had 

 relation chietiy to ground nuts, cacao, green dressings and 

 fodder crops. The records show, in relation to ground nuts, 

 that Spani.sh and Carolina Kunning continue to maintain 

 their superiority over the other kinds, in relation to yield. 

 The manurial experiments with this plant have been interfered 

 with by fungus attacks. They are lieing continued, however, 

 and serve at the present time to indicate that the liming of 

 the soil is of benefit to this crop, in Dominica. The work 

 with ruliber includes trials with Para rubber and Castilloa; 

 the plants of both of these are doing well. Experiments that 

 are being conducted with fodder crops show that the highest 

 yield is obtained from Guinea grass, which .«eems to ba 

 approached most nearly by red Kafir corn and Para grass. 



The report concludes with a list of boys trained at the 

 Agircultural School, in which are giver, the names, occupa- 

 tions and addresses of past pupils. It serves as a useful 

 indication of the ways in which a Ifoy leaving .such a school is 

 likely to be employed. 



Rice in British Guiana. 



The last fortnightly report of Messrs. Sandbach, 

 Parker & Co., of Georgetown, on the rice indusi;ry of 

 British Guiana, dated December 9, 1910, gives 

 information as follows: — 



The weather daring the fortnight has l>een fine, and 

 suitable for reaping and milling. 



Paddy is changing hands rapidly, and the end of the 

 present month should see very little remaining with growers. 



Prices have advanced a little since last report, and we 

 look for further advances in the near future. 



Shipments to West Indian islands during the fortnight 

 amounted to 1,200 bags. 



We quote to-day, f.o.b. Demerara, for good export 

 quality: — ■ 



Nominally, 19s. 'id. to 20s. '.'ul. per bag of 180 B). gross. 

 18s. 3c/. to 19s. M. „ „ 164 „ „ 



