Vol. XV. No. 371. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



•235 



REPORT ON SAMPLES OF DOMINICA 

 WATER. 



Published in the Dominica Otfi'-i-d Giueite. for May 29, 

 is a report by Dr. H. A. Tempany, Government Analyst, 

 Leeward Islands, on two samples of water taken in Roseau 

 (1) from the intake of the Reservoir, and (2) from the tap 

 in the laboratory at the Botanic Gardens. 



The analytical results, which are supplementary to 

 those reported on previously show the composition of the 

 water after a prolonged period of drought. The previous 

 analyses were made with water taken after periods of consid- 

 erable rainfall. 



In point of view of the content of dissolved mineral 

 matter the results are, in the circumstances, in surprisingly 

 close agreement with those found in the ease of the samples 

 reported on in October last. From the .point of view of the 

 contained organic matter, the samples are slightly superior 

 in quality to those previously reported on, and for snch 

 types of upland surface water must be regarded as of 

 extremely liigh purity. 



The groups of analyses taken together indicate that 

 under the range of conditions occurring at the times of taking 

 the two sets of samples, the tjuality of the water supplied to 

 the Town of Roseau leaves little to be desired when judged 

 by the usual chemical standards. 



UTILIZING PALMETTO IN THE UNITED 



STATES. 



The scrub palmetto — of which there are several varieties, 

 the most common being Serenoa serrulata — is a veritable pest 

 in Florida, where vast areas are densely covered witli the 

 growth. Heretofore it has been put to little economic use; 

 now, however, according to a report by a special agent of the 

 United States Department of Comnifrce, a process has been 

 perfected whereby mattings, bind, r twine, and the like are 

 made from fibre extracted from the leaves. This fiore takes 

 dye readily, and its wearing qualities are said to surpass 

 anything yet found in the way of floor coverings. ^Machines 

 are set up in the palmetto fields and the leaves fed into them 

 while green. 



An aspect of the new industry that is of considerable 

 value, apart from the manufacture of floor coverings, is that 

 the twine made from the leaves is easily handled by grain 

 binders, knots being tied without difficulty. For the manu- 

 facture of twine, however, the species known as the 'cabbage' 

 palm {Sabal palmetto) is employed, as it yields a fibre of 3 to 

 .5 feet long. 



The 'cabbage' palm is native to the maritime parts of 

 the United States from Florida to North Carolina. It 

 attains a height of 40 to .50 feet, and has a crown of large 

 palmate leaves, the blade 1 to 5 feet in length, and the 

 footstalks long. The tlowers are small, greenish, and in long 

 racemes; the fruit black, about as long as a pea pod, and 

 inedible. The leaves are made into hats, mats, etc., and 

 are also largely used for thatch. The terminal bud or 

 ' cabbage ' is often eaten. The wood is extremely porous, 

 but is preferred to every other kind of wood in North 

 America for wharves, and it is very durable and not liable to 

 be attacked by the teredo. The streets of Savannah and 

 some other Southern cities are lined with these trees. 



A second American species, the 'saw' palmetto (^Serenoa 

 serrulata), occurs from South Carolina to Florida. It 

 has a short stem and numerous clustered fan-shaped leaves, 

 while its berries have certain medicinal properties. A still 

 smaller species is the dwarf palmetto (SaUd Adamsonii), 

 a stemless plant which bears a cluster of leaves a foot or two 

 long 



So far the scrub palmetto of Florida has been regarded 

 as of little economic value. The leaves have been cut and 

 shipped abroad (mainly to Germany), where they are turned 

 into the 'artificial palms' ,so extensively used for permanent 

 decorative eftects. Export of palmetto leaves to Germany 

 from the Florida customs district had an aggregate value of 

 i$l 1,6-50 (about £2,390) in the year ended .June .30, 1914. 

 The shipments to other States of America, of course, are very 

 much larger. The fibre has been used to some extent for 

 mattress stuffings, and upon special order has been utilized in 

 mixing plaster. 



While the plant contains some tannic acid, the commer- 

 cial production of tanning extract has so far not been attempted 

 on a large scale because of the competition of other materials 

 more easily and cheaply obtained. Rees evince a fondness 

 for the flowers of the scrub palmetto, but the resulting honey 

 is dark-coloured a,nd has a peculiar taste. {Jourwil of the. 

 Royal Sori'cf// of Art.'t.) 



Address to the Legislative Council of 

 Dominica. — In the course of his address to the Legislative 

 Council of Dominica on May 17, 1916, His Honour the Ad- 

 ministrator said that he thought it was of the utmost possible 

 importance that some industry other than that upon which 

 the island now so progressively thrives (i.e. limes) should be 

 started and maintained. He felt sure that there were consid- 

 erable opportunities for successful work in other directions. 

 He appealed to all those who have the opportunity to con- 

 sider how they may best avail themselves of it while there 

 is yet time. Coco-nuts seemed to His Honour to be the best 

 soluti'in. Sisal he considered a possibility, probably also 

 vanilla; but he felt certain that the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent and Curator would be in a position to give sound 

 advice in this connexion. His Honour referred to an experi- 

 ment with coco-nuts that was in course (f being carried o'lt. 



Hybrid Bougainvillaea — The Revue HorticoU for 

 March 16, describes a new hybrid Bougainvillaea, which is 

 said to be the result of an accidental cross between B. spccta- 

 fjilis, var. lalcritia, and B. fflabra. The cross is described by 

 Dr. G. V. I'erez, Saint Ursula, Teneriffe, who states that his 

 plant of B. s. l<t.terilia is growing in proximity to one of 

 B. (jlabra. The first- named species has lately produce<l seeds, 

 which gave rise to plants with foliage of a glabrous nature, 

 the bracts of which were of the dark magenta colour of those 

 of B. sjyeciosa or B. spectabilis. 



Rice Planting Operations in Trinidad.— 



Profiting by the favourable weather and the bright prospects, 

 a great many agriculturists have been preparing their lands 

 for rice cultivation principally in the Caroni, Savanna and 

 Penal districts. In other parts attention is being also paid 

 to the cultivation of this product, especially as more mills 

 are being erected to deal with the paddy. 



