Vol. XV. No. 359. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



39 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



ST. VINCENT. Mr. W. N. Sands furnishes this Office with 

 information to the effect that the general condition of crops, 

 with the exception of cotton and cacao, is satisfactory. Some 

 trouble is being occasioned by pests and diseases; by thrips 

 in the case of cacao, and by internal boll disease in the case 

 of cotton. Some difficulty has also been experienced in 

 regard to the control of ants and mole crickets in onion seed 

 beds; but methods have been devised and information has 

 been given to those planters concerned. During November 

 the agricultural officers paid a number of visits to estates, 

 while in December this work was continued on a larger scale 

 in connexion with the visits to the island of the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture and the Entomologist and 

 Mycologist of the Imperial Department. Work in the 

 Experiment Stations and nurseries has consisted in the 

 picking of cotton, the reaping of Indian corn, the transplant- 

 ing of onions, and the inspection of coco-nuts. In December, 

 the following plant distribution took place: 2,500 onion 

 seedlings, 175 Oliricidia cuttings, and 300 sweet potato 

 cuttings. The weather has been fairly good, though some- 

 what uneven as regards rainfall. 



ST. LUCIA. Observations relating to staple crops in 

 December are as follows: cacao, crop about normal; limes, 

 crop slackening; sugar, reaping about to commence. In the 

 Experiment Station, work has consisted in preparing beds, 

 sowing and transplanting limes, transplanting orange stocks, 

 distributing lime plants, cassava cuttings and banana suckers. 

 Mr. A. J. Brooks, who furnishes ns with this information, 

 records the following plant distribution for December: lime 

 plants, 1,000; oranges (budded), 31; decorative and economic 

 45; total, 1,076. The number of cassava cuttings and 

 banana suckers sent out was considerable, namely, 2,500 

 and 500, respectively. The driving roads and entrances in 

 Castries Botanic Gardens are being improved. The Govern- 

 ment Lime Factory has received a visit from the Head of the 

 Agricultural Department of ilartiniijue, who was desirous of 

 obtaining information relating to its management. The 

 rainfall during the month has been considerable. 



DOMINICA. Mr. Joseph Jones writes to .say that during 

 December the local price paid for good yellow limes rose from 

 4s. to 6s. per barrel. The cable quotations for concentrated 

 juice showed a further drop to £23 per pipe. The market, 

 however, according to recent advices from England is quite 

 steady, and may be expected to remain so throughout the 

 New Year. In the nurseries the usual routine work has 

 been continued, while in the lime and cacao experiment 

 stations, picking and recording of crops have been the chief 

 feature of the month's work. In the Botanic Gardens trees 

 have been pruned and roads repaired. Special efforts of the 

 agricultural officers have consisted in visits to several estates. 

 In the chemical laboratory, analyses concerning citrus pro- 

 ducts have been carried out. The half-yearly examinations 

 of the agricultural pupils were held on December 22. The 

 rainfall for the month has been fairly heavy, namely, 

 8'4 inches; but that for the year 1914 was the highest on 

 record, namely, 10001 inches. The usual plant distribu- 

 tion, consisting principally of limes, was effected during the 

 period under review. 



ANTIGUA. From an agricultural point of view, writes 

 Mr. J. .Jackson, the year 1915 with its 63'60 inches of rain 

 (recorded at the Botanic Station) can be considered a good 



one. In December as much as 9'25 inches fell. During 

 the month, work in the Experiu'.ent Stations has consisted 

 in the distribution of plants, chieHy cane cuttings, and maho- 

 gany and Eucalyptus seedlings. The experimental sugar-cane 

 plots were planted at two estates, and molasses manurial 

 experiments laid out. Mr. .Jacksi;>a goes on to say that the 

 island's cane crop, on the whole, is good: it is estimated at 

 nearly 16,000 tons. The ratoons in some parts are somewhat 

 low but are still making fairly good growth. Some trouble 

 is being experienced with the grubs of brown hard back 

 beetles in fields of corn and onions. 



MONTSEEEAT. Mr. W. Robson informs us that there 

 has been practically no second crop of cotton this season, and 

 that the destruction of old plants has been pushed forward. 

 The date for completion had been fixed for .January 31, and 

 the date at which planting can begin, fixed for ]March 16. 

 There has been a general response to the offer of pedigree 

 cotton seed, and all the estates are taking seed to plant 

 a seed-field next season. The remaining seed will be offered 

 for sale to small planters, later. The bulk of the lime 

 products, and most of the cotton crop are awaiting ship- 

 ment. The cotton crop is estimated at about 160 fl). 

 per acre, and the lime crop has been very satisfactory, consid- 

 ering the condition of a large portion of the cultivation. 

 Cotton stainers became numerous in most parts of the island 

 during December. Mr. Robson says the equipment of the 

 building of the Onion Growers Association was to be 

 completed about January 10. An examination has been 

 made of the relative qualities of the Rangpur and West 

 Indian lime, which at present do not appear to be in favour 

 of the new fruit. In the Experiment Station another 

 plot of the local type of the papaw has l>een planted, and 

 cane cuttings, a large number of lime plants, bay tree 

 seedlings, and horse beans have been distributed. It is stated 

 that a second generation of the Ajowan plant has been 

 damaged by a caterpillar of Prodenia sp. A new still has 

 been received for bay oil. Three distillations of the leaves 

 have been made, and the results indicate that during wet 

 weather, a low yield of oil is to be expected. The pink-seeded 

 horse bean recently brought from Porto Rico to Montserrat 

 promises to be very suitable for cultivation between lime 

 trees. It is long-lived, and shows little tendency to bear 

 pods. 



ST. KiTT.s. Owing to the fine rains during the past 

 month of December the canes have continued to make good 

 growth and the prospects of a record crop are well assured. 

 Grinding will start at the Factory on February 1. The 

 general condition as regards pests and diseases, continues 

 ilr. Shepherd, is must satisfactory, only in a very few 

 instances are signs of root disease met with. The young cane 

 crop is being planted rapidly and there is evidence of much 

 greater care being taken in the matter of selecting planting 

 material. The cotton crop is aU finished; the returns, 

 generally speaking, were below the average, the rains having 

 been too heavy for the production of a good crop. Special 

 work has consisted in the laying out and planting of the 

 varieties of cane for the Leeward Island experiments. 

 The number of varieties on each station has lieen increased to 

 twenty-four ami the number of stations by two. Analytical 

 work in the Government Laboratory is being continued along 

 usual lines. 



NEVIS. Mr. W. Howell states that the cane crop 

 throughout the island is very promising, and that a good 

 return is to be expected. A second crop of cotton has been 

 interfered with by the recent heavy rains. Provision crops 

 are, on the whole, in a satisfactory condition. 



