Vol. XV. No. 371. 



THE AGMCULTUKAL NEWS 



233 



The Spread of Agricultural Credit Societies. 



According to the Dominica Chronicle for June 24, 

 it would appear that the Government of that Presidency 

 is endeavourinor to foster the establishment of agricul- 

 tural credit societies among the peasant proprietors 

 in the various country districts, such as exist already 

 in St. Vincent, Trinidad, and St. Lucia. It is understood 

 that the Government is prepared to offer financial 

 -assistance on the understanding that the money is 

 applied to productive purposes. It is stated that the 

 Assistant Curator has toured the island in order to gain 

 closer personal contact with the small cultivators 

 whose needs these societies are to meet, and to explain 

 to them the working of the scheme and the benefits 

 they may derive from it. 



The above indicates a further spread of a useful 

 movement that originated in St. Vincent. The adop- 

 tion of the scheme last year in Trinidad was another 

 hopeful feature of the movement, and it would appear 

 that good progress is being made in Trinidad. In 

 a recent issue of the Port- of -Spain Gazette, a notice 

 appears to the effect that the Director of Agriculture 

 (who is also Registrar of the Credit Societies) has 

 appointed, under the Act, Mr. W. G. Freeman, Assist- 

 ant Director, to be Inspector of the Agricultural 

 Credit Societies in that Colony. The effect should 

 be to stimulate the movement. 



Thymol Production in the West Indies and 

 Florida. 



The Imperial Department of Agriculture for the 

 West Indies is again responsible for starting what may 

 possibly develop into a minor industry in these islands. 

 This statement has reference to the introduction of 

 C(X?'w»i cop</cit?n (Ajovvan) seed, the plants of which 

 yield the well-known antiseptic thymol. The plant 

 has grown well at several of the Botanic Stations, and 

 if the oil can be satisfactorily distilled (and there is no 

 reason to think that this cannot be done), it is possible 

 that the cultivation of this plant in certain districts 

 might pay. 



The object of this note, however, is to call atten- 

 tion to an effort that is being made in Florida to pro- 

 duce thymol conmiercially from horse-mint {Monarda 

 punctata). A Bulletin (No. 372) contributed from 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, states that the annual consumption 

 of thymol in the United States is sufficiently great 

 to warrant a small industry for its production when 

 carried on in connexion with the distillation of other 

 volatile oils. This is exactly the position in the West 

 Indies. If the stills used for bay oil, lime juice or rum 

 <;ould be made use of when unemployed for their 

 principal function, Ajowan oil could be profitably 

 produced. Figures are not available as to the return 

 per acre to be expected from Ajowan cultivation in 

 the West Indies, but it is estimated in Florida that 

 afoer the first year the Monarda crop would give 

 a gross return of about S40. The cost of production 

 would of course be cheii{)er in the West Indies than 

 in the Southern States. 



Agricultural Conditions in Honduras. 



It is stated in The Board of Trade Journal thati 

 there has been a gradual increase in agriculture, 

 especially on the north coast, where the banana industry 

 is contmually expanding. Tobacco continued to be the 

 chief source of income to Copan, and was cultivated to 

 a considerable extent in other Departments. The high 

 prices recently obtained for indigo in foreign markets 

 stimulated producers in Honduras, who are now culti- 

 vating indigo in the Departments along the border 

 between Honduras and Salvador. Good harvests o^ 

 maize, sorghum, beans, rice and cassava, wheat, coffee, 

 potatoes, etc. have been reported from various parts at 

 the country. It is stated that the means taken to cope 

 with the locust pest, which caused great injury to the 

 crops, have proved successful. 



There has recently been considerable railway 

 development in Honduras, and this has resulted iu 

 the extension of agricultural industries. 



Exaggerated Statements Concerning Bacter- 

 ized Peat. 



The discovery by Professor Bottomley of bacterized 

 peat has aroused a considerable amount of attentions 

 during the last two years, chiefly on account of the 

 statements that have been put forward concerning the 

 revolutionary effect it was expected to have upon 

 British farming. 



While bacterized peat does undoubtedly possess 

 some power of stimulating plant growth, its useful 

 value in the field has not yet been established. Hence 

 such statements as 'the discovery has made it possible 

 to double the production of our food supply' in regard 

 to Great Britain are completely unjustified, and have 

 been responsible recently for a strong critical statement 

 of the matter by certain authorities, namely, the 

 Secretary of the English Board of Agriculture, 

 Professor T. P. Wood: and Professor R. H. Biffen, of 

 Cambridge. In some correspondence in Science Pro- 

 gress (No. 40, April 1916) it is clearly shown that there 

 is no foundation lor saying that bacterized peat has 

 any practical manurial or stimulating value in the 

 field. 



In another publication (the Agricultural, Gazette 

 of Canada, for May 1916) an article on the same 

 subject appears, describing an attempt made to 

 produce bacterized peat at Macdonald College. Con- 

 firmp,tion of the results stated to have been obtained 

 by Professor Bottomley, the inventor, was rendered 

 impossible by Professor Bottomley refusing to give any 

 adequate information as to the methods he adopts. 

 The Canadian work has indicated, however, the 

 difficulties and intricacies of the problems involved, 

 and it is believed that the whole problem of bacterized 

 peat is in an experimental stage. While one may be 

 be inclined to the opinion that there may be possi- 

 bilities in the use of peat or some derivatives of peaf> 

 as a fertilizer, the only wise plan is to wait for further 

 data and confirmatory results both from the laboratory 

 and from field trials. 



