294 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



Septembee 9, 1916. 



CYCLONIC WEATHER IN THE 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



In connexion with tlie note in this issue, page 297, on 

 the recent hurricane in Dominica, observations received 

 from Mr. W. C. l'\shlock of the Experiment Station, Tortola 

 Virgin Islands are of particular interest. .Mr. Fishlock's 

 observations first concern weather conditions of August Iq 

 and 15 which indicated that a cyclone of wide area but low 

 intensity pa.ssed to the south or south-west of Tortola on 

 Sunday afternoon, August 13. Mr. Fishlock's second set of 

 observations refer to the night of Monday August 21 and 

 record the passing of a storm of small area but comparatively 

 high intensity which visited Dominica the same evening. The 

 centre of this storm appears to have passed close to the south 

 of Tortola. Some damage was done in that island, but more 

 in St. Thomas, while Porto Rico appears to have suffered 

 seriously. 



CROWN LAND DEVELOPMENT 

 BRITISH GUIANA. 



IN 



The following information is extracted from the Report 

 on the Lands and Mines Department of British Guiana for 

 April to December, 191-5. 



CULTIVATED AREAS. 



The area under cane cultivation at September 30, 1915, 

 was 75,744 English acres and under mi.xed cultivation 

 (consisting of rice 4,046, cacao and coffee 146, limes and 

 rubber 320, rubber 46, plantains 1,339, coco-nuts 1,038 

 acres) was 6,935 English acres, showing an increase 

 on the previous year of 3,587 acres in the area under canes, 

 but a decrease of 436 acres of the area under mixed culti- 

 vation. 



RUBBER PLANTATIONS. 



Of rubber, 3,778 tt». were exported during the nine 

 months as against 1,932 lb. exported during the financial 

 year 1914-15, an increase of 1,846 Bb. Of the amount 

 exported the whole of the 3,778 B). were cultivated rubber 

 (Hevea, braziliensis) from private property, the largest 

 producer of plantation rubber being the David Young Estates, 

 Aruka River, North Western District, now owned by the 

 Consolidated Rubber and Balata Estates, Limited, which was 

 responsible for 3, 653 11)., and, in addition, had on hand at 

 the end of December 1915, 1,197 lb. of dried rubber, which 

 was .shipped during February 1916. 



BALATA. 



The royalty collected during the nine months under 

 report was $23,793'37. This industry, which had suffered 

 adversely at the commencement of the war had practically 

 quite recovered by the beginning of April 1915, and bleed- 

 ing operations were pursued during the period as hitherto. 

 The quantity of balata exported during the nine months was 

 1,188,807 ft). 



THE DEVELOPMENT OK RANCHING. 



At December 31, 1915, there were in existence thirteen 

 permissions for grazing cattle on the Rupununi and Takutu 

 savannahs. 



The number of cattle on these ranches was estimated in 

 the last report at not less than 10,000 and allowing for 

 a natural increase of only 25 per cent., the number can now 

 safely bo placed at 12,500 head of all sizes. 



The raising of cattle on the coastal savannahs was 

 successfully continued. The Abary Cattle Ranch Company 

 Limited, whose land leased from the Crown is situate on 

 the right bank Abary river, experienced another prosperous 

 year, and on December 31, 1915, the actual number of 

 cattle of all ages on this ranch was 2,010 head, and 106 

 head had been sold during the year, so that the forecast given 

 in paragraph 62 (b) of last year's report on this department 

 has been more than justified. 



A few more ranches run on the same intelligent business 

 lines of this company w-ould mean that this colony would in 

 a few years be in a position to engage in a cattle export 

 trade, either of live stock or canned meat, and the byproducts 

 of the slaughtered animals. 



ST. LUCIA GOVERNMENT LIME JUICE 

 FACTORY. 



Results ok Past Season's Operations. 



The following are the results of the crop dealt with at 

 the St. Lucia Government Lime Juice Factory during the 

 period May 1914 to February 1915, as reported in the 

 recently issued Report on the Agricultural Department 

 St. Lucia, 1915-16. 



The factory opened on May 29 with prices fixed on 

 a £24 basis, viz.; 3.<. M. per barrel for ripe limes, and Qd. per 

 gallon for raw juice testing 12 oz. 



Owing to the abnormal condition.s created by the war, 

 it was impossible for some months to gauge what the effect 

 would be on the lime juice market, and the prices paid for 

 produce, as first payment, fluctuated from ]s. 8}.d. to is. 8d. 

 per barrel for limes, and for raw juice from 3 id to 6rf. per 

 gallon. 



Upon receipt of the account sales for the first few ship- 

 ments of concentrated juice, it was seen that the prices had 

 risen far above the brightest expectations. 



The whole of the concentrated juice shipped from the 

 factory between .Tune and October sold on the record basis of 

 £52 10s. per standard pipe (108 gallons, testing 64 oz. to the 

 gallon). 



The following three shipments sold on a £42, £38 and 

 £37 basis, respectively; the remaining shipments sold at 

 £31. 



I'^very effort was made to improve the quality of the 

 juice manufactured, and the average sediment was reduced 

 to 2i to 3 units, and in .several strikes the sediment was 

 reduced to below 1 unit. 



Each strike of juice was carefully tested while boiling 

 and again after cooling, the average test for the entire crop 

 being 107'3 oz. citric aoid per gallon in terms of free acidity. 



The produce dealt with was 1,410;,' barrels of fruit, and 

 .5,71 5 j^ gallons of juiie, which represents a total crop of 

 2,125A barrels as against 326 for the year previous. 



The business of the factory was conducted on a co-oper- 

 ative basis. 



The price paid for produce was ba.sed on a scale of 

 prices having relation to the current market value of concen- 

 trated juice, and insuring a margin of profit to the factory. 



The following charges were then deducted from the 

 proceeds: actual working exjienses, 10 per cent, interest and 

 sinking fund on capital, 6 per cent, interest on money 

 advanced for purchase of produce, and a sum of £50 for 

 Government supervision. 



