212 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



July 1, 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



t^KENADA. According to a report forwarded to this 

 Office by Mr. J. C. Moore, Suiierintendent of Agriculture, tlie 

 work in tlie Experiment Stations in this island during the 

 months of April and May, comprised the harvesting of nut- 

 eddoes, hor.sc beans, Lima and red beans; spraying limes for 

 scale insects, prejwring land for planting in June, .selecting 

 Marie Galante cotton seed for planting and distribution in 

 Carriacou. In regard to staple crops, cacao trees have put 

 on new growth and are flowering, and the crop is reported as 

 good; shipments of cacao to May 31 were 68,053 bags as 

 compared with 55,82-5 bags at same period last year. Limes 

 are good, on the whole; there is a promising set of young 

 fruit. Respecting sugar, reaping operations are still in 

 progress, and the crop and prices are reported good. There 

 is, however, room for much improvement in cultivation. The 

 Superintendent visited si.x estates on agricultural inspection 

 and instruction work; also Carriacou to arrange for starting 

 a demonstration plot of cotton (^larie Galante) in connexion 

 with a scheme for improving the cultivation of cotton in 

 Carriacou. The appointment of Mr. W. O'Brien Donovan 

 on probation, as an Agricultural Instructor from June 1, on 

 which date he is supposed to have assumed his duties, is 

 recorded. 



ST. VINCENT. Mr. W. N. Sands's notes for May state 

 that in the Experiment Stations, woirk included the planting 

 of a plot of cane B. 147 in the new cane nursery, and the 

 preparation of land for other varieties; experiments carried 

 out on the control of the mole-cricket; manurial experiments 

 with arrowroot, similar to cotton, laid out in four series 

 and manure applied; plots of hybrid cottons sown, while 

 500 imported coco-nuts from St. Lucia were inspected, and 

 3,000 cane cuttings from Antigua fumigated. Plant distribu- 

 tion included 202 Bj. selected Indian corn, 800 potato 

 cuttings, and (5 coco- nut plants. Further progress was made with 

 the destruction of the Silk-cotton and 'John Bull' trees, but 

 much work, says, Mr. Sands, is still to be done, if the cotton 

 stainer is to be kept down. The Agricultural Superintend- 

 ent addressed meetings of small growers at seven centres, At 

 these meetings the present position of the markets for the 

 products grown in each district was described, as well as the 

 outlook for the next few months. A leaflet entitled, How to 

 Grow Indian Corn or Maize in St. Vincent, was distributed 

 at each meeting. 



The weather was showerj', but drier than usual for the 

 month. The rainfall recorded at the Botanic Station was 

 9'93 inches, and 6'54 inches at the Experiment Station. 



Thc! cotton Inspector rendered considerable assistance in 

 arranging meetings for the Agricultural Superintendent, and 

 devoted time to the dissemination of information in different 

 districts in regard to the recent work on cotton stainer 

 eradication, and the desirability for the destruction of 'silk 

 cotton' and 'John Bull' trees. 



DOMINICA. Mr. Joseph Jones (Curator) writes tn the 

 effect that work in the Exiieriment Stations during the niDUth 

 of May consisted in picking and recording the crop, weeding 

 and forking in tiie lime experiment station, and mulching, 

 applying manures, picking and recording the crop in the cacao 

 experiment station. From this station 20 bags of cacao were 

 shipped to London. In the Botanic Gardens operations partook 

 of the nature of general routine work in keeping the gardens in 

 order. Touching the condition of the staple crops, lime trees in 

 the Roseau district are reported to be suffering from want of 

 rain, but in most of the out-districts light siiowers have been 



general. Three heavy shipments of green limes were made 

 during the month. The local price for unpacked green limes 

 fell to 12.-:. per barrel. A plot of land of about l-g acres 

 was enclosed with a fence and planted up in selected 

 coco-nuts. This constitutes an interesting item of special 

 work by this officer. The weather is reported dry, the rain- 

 fall for the month being 2-05 inches. 



MONTSERRAT. Mr. Hobson reports that two distillations 

 of bay leaves were made, some 8,000 lime plants were trans- 

 planted for distribution later, and a fair amount of seed of 

 the Ajowan plant was collected. This represents the chief 

 work in the Botanic Gardens during the month. Regarding 

 staple crops, the greater portion of the windward cotton 

 crop was planted in March and early April, while the larger 

 proportion to leeward was not planted till May. The crop 

 generally has received a fair start. The area grown in 

 1915-16 was ' 1,953 acre.s, and the average yield of lint per 

 acre is estimated at 142 lb., a few bales remaining yet to be 

 shipped. Some of that .shipped has sold at l.s. 6(^. per lb., 

 and valuations prove, on the whole, to be satisfactory. 

 A very considerable increase is anticipated in the amount of 

 sugar shipped, and a healthy interest is being shown in the 

 cane crop generally. The extension of lime cultivation at 

 Roches, Blakes, and Whites is also a good sign, and 

 Mr. Robson entertains no doubt that another good season 

 would revive considerably the planting of limes. A large 

 area has been planted in ground nuts. An interesting line 

 of development is, that one estate proposes raising its own 

 bay trees for planting; the seed for thc purpose will be 

 supplied from the Chateau experiment plot, at present 

 carrying a large crop of seed. 



ANTIGUA. During the month of May, Mr. T. Jack- 

 son states, the following plants were distributed: cane 

 655, sisal 175, coc-o-nut.s 49, mahogany 54, Eucalyp- 

 tus 127, whitewood 4, papaws 50 and miscellaneous dec- 

 orative 85. Work in the Botanic Gardens included 

 the raising and potting of a number of new sweet 

 potato varieties; new cane varieties were transplanted into 

 nurseries, and a considerable amount of work was done in 

 raising Eucalyptus, Prosopis, etc. About half of the cane 

 crop in the island has been reaped. ( iunthorpes Factory has 

 made to date 6,000 tons of sugar, and Bendals 1,338 tons. 

 Difficulty is being experienced in shipping molas.ses owing to 

 limited facilities. The cotton crop for the past season, it is 

 anticipated, will approximate 56,000 lb. lint. A committee 

 meeting to consider the formation of a lime growers' associa- 

 tion was held during the month. Included in work con- 

 templated, are the reaping of manurial and variety sugar-cane 

 experiments, the cultivation of Skerretts sugar-cane nursery, 

 and the planting of various economic experiments. 



ST. KIT IS. The Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. F. R. 

 Shepherd) says that in the Experiment Stations selected 

 cotton seed was planted in progeny rows, and cotton manu- 

 rial plots were planted. Operations included also the reaping 

 of the sugar-cane varieties at Estridges, and the manurial 

 experiments at Buckleys and Brighton estates. With the 

 bright weather of the past month the reaping of the cane 

 crop has rapidly progressed. The Central Factory has made 

 well over 8,000 tons of sugar, and exjiects to complete opera- 

 tions in about six weeks' time. The muscovado planters have 

 not yet been able to ship their sugar in any (juantity owing 

 to the want of shipping facilities. St. Kitts being the last 

 port of call for the steamers, they arrive here with little space 

 to spare. The young cane crojj is well advanced and presents 

 a very healthy appearance. With the present weather the 

 prospects for next season are very hopeful. The young cotton 

 planted in the northern district in March, is well advanced 

 and boiling. Thc absence of 'rogues' is very conspicuous. 



