Vol. XV. No. 357. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



11 



AN ADDRESS TO ST. VINCENT. 



Afairlylarge number oflocal men interested in agriculture, 

 including also prominent otticials, responding to the invitation 

 issued by the Agricultural Superintendent, bad the pleasure 

 of listening to a very able and comprehensive address by 

 Dr. Watts on Wednesday last at the Court House. The 

 meeting was opened by Hi.s Honour the Administrator, who 

 having another engagement asked to be e.xcuscd for leavino- 

 before its close, but he delegated the Hon'ble A'incent Prior 

 to move the vote of thanks to the Imperial Commissioner at 

 the termination of his discourse. 



Dr. Watts having visited different districts since his 

 arrival and gained first hand information regarding the 

 condition of the several cultivations, his expert opinion is of 

 first class value, and those who did not avail themselves 

 of the opportunity of hearing his address, which was charac- 

 terized by a frank, friendly and encouraging ex[)Osition of his 

 views, have lost a privilege. 



The Commissioner's discourse embodied a lecture on 

 cotton, particularly concerning the position of the industry 

 in this island. He advised planters to avoid the risk of too 

 early planting, a practice., in which they have been 

 unfavourably caught this year. He urged the undesirability 

 of changing .seed; and suggested that they follow the advice 

 of the expert, Mr. Lawrence Balls, \«hpse book on cotton 

 growing he recommended for- their earnest study, emphasizing 

 the advisability of devoting special : attention to raising 

 regularized types and maintaining purity of strain. 

 Importation of foreign seed is unnecessary, as we are 

 growing here a type with length and strength of fibre 

 demanded by those spinners who re(juire a Superfine Cotton. 

 He also gave a warning against the possibility of importing 

 the boll weevil, which would be most difficult to eradicate if 

 we got it well established in one of these islands, for even as 

 much as .30 miles of sea afford nc) impassable barrier to its 

 spread. 



With reference to the operation of the Central Oil 

 Factory, he referred to its utility as producing the cotton 

 seed meal which is of great value as a fertilizer, besides 

 useful for feeding stock. 



The Commissioner spoke briefly on the arrowroot 

 situation, which needs only an .obseifvance of the law of 

 .supply and demand. 



He considered that the arrowroot situation will be 

 ameliorated, if the hopes confidently entertained for the 

 development of a third staple industry be fulfilled. He 

 alluded to coco-nuts. In his travels through .the country he 

 was very pleased at tinding thousands of growing coconut 

 trees in well established plantations coming on extremely 

 well in various parts of the island. In . one district there 

 were 1,000 acres of growing coco-nuts, giving fair promi.se 

 of a remunerative industry in the next few years. His 

 advice to the growers however was, 'Don't treat the coco-nuts 

 meanly'; and as there were pests which should be kept under 

 control, he advised planters to keep in touch with ]Mr. Sands 

 whose advice would prove useful to them. 



As a rotation crop he dwelt on the advantage of corn, 

 and advised that a properly cultivated area be given a fair 

 trial, the Government machinery being at the public's 

 disposal for kiln drying for export, in case the production 

 became in excess of local demand. 



Although mixed crops were generally condemned ho 

 con.sidered that by reason of the fertilizing value of peas, the 

 cultivation of corn and peas together deserved a trial; and he 

 recommended the broad bean (known in Antigua as the 

 Larbuda bean) as the best variety, fetching as it does the 

 Jnghest price in the market. 



With respect to sugar, the Commissioner could make no 

 announcement touching the probability of the Government 

 being induced ts promote the erection of a central factory for 

 the revival of that industry here. In fact, conditions owing 

 to the war would greatly hamper the importation of sugar 

 machinery from England now, even if the owners of land 

 desired to combine for the establishment of a factory here. 

 In any ca.se, he urged, it was a matter in which the people 

 and not the Government had to make the first step, and 

 having assured the jjroduction of sufficient cane for a factory, 

 then approach the Government for a subsidy. He referred 

 to the practical illustration offered by the Antigua Sugar 

 Factory, the value of which now stands at £120,000. Sugar 

 it surely bringing a fair price, and would so long as the war 

 lasts;^ but there was, he said, no certainty as to the future of 

 the industry. ^ There were countries in the Empire with 

 unlimited possibilities for sugar production, and he mentioned, 

 for example, Natal alone, whose sugar output to-day is more 

 than that of the whole of the West Indies and British Guiana. 

 He advised the expansion of sugar-cane cultivation, the patch- 

 ing up of our old sugar works as efficiently as possible, and 

 the )nanufacture of Muscovado, for which there is a consi- 

 derable local demand, as well as a ready market elsewhere. 



In conclusion. Dr. Watts made some remarks relating to 

 the domestic position of the colony generally. He did not 

 agree with those who are wearing long faces, for from his 

 observations from an agricultural standpoint, he could find but 

 little cause for complaint, and none for any alarm. The 

 economic situation in St. Vincent in particular, and in the 

 West Indies generally is, ie said, very much better than it is 

 in England,' and we practically have no hardship to bear. 

 Foodstuffs are plentiful, and although imports m.ay show 

 a decline affecting the Treasurj-, the people are being fed as 

 they were before. Agriculture is in a flourishing condition and 

 he could see nothing to make him feel that the jjrospects are 

 glooiny. Whatever might be the commer;ial inconvcniencies, 

 we ought to consider ourselves fortunate that things are not 

 worse. He felt sure that in about a year's time St. Vincent 

 will have passed through a critical period and entered again 

 in the march of progress. (St. \'incent Sentry for December 

 10, 1915.) 



DEPARTMENT NEWS 



Bin W. R. Dunlop, the Scientific A-ssistant, left 

 Barbados by the S. S. 'Albanian' on December 28, 

 1915, for Trinidul, on two weeks leave of absence. 



Mr. H. A. Ballou, Entomologist, and Mr. W. iVowell, 

 Mycologist, left for St. \'incent in the (".R.M.S. 

 'Chaudiere' on December 2!», to make investigations 

 concerning the occurrence of thrips on cacao in that 

 colonv, and also to make general enquiries concerning 

 plant pests and diseases there. 



< )n their return journey it is expected that they 

 may spend two or three days in Grenada, arriving at 

 Barbados by the C.R.M.S. '('araqtiet' on the l.'Jth. 

 instant. 



