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THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



September 23, 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



ST. LUUIA. Mr. A. J. Brooks reports that work in the 

 Experiment Stations in the month of August was similar to 

 that in the month previous; in addition various ornamental 

 plants were put in. Plant distribution included the following: 

 6,200 lime plants, 10 ornamental, 450 cassava cuttings, and 

 106 packets vegetable seeds. In the Botanic Station, the 

 work on improvements to roads and entrances was continued. 

 As regards staple crops, cacao gives promise of a good crop; 

 the lime crop is characterized as very heavy, while sugar-canes 

 are said to be making good growth. The extension of lime 

 cultivation continues. The Imperial Commissioner in passing 

 through St. Lucia on August 21. visited Government House 

 and discussed matters of agricultural interest with His 

 Honour the Administrator and the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent. In returning from Dominica on August 22, the 

 Mycologist of the Imperial Department (Mr. W. Nowell) 

 made a short visit to the Castries Gardens and discus.sed with 

 the Agricultural Superintendent general matters relating to 

 plant pests and diseases. 



An item of work in contemplation mentioned by 

 Mr. Brooks is the enlargement of the Government Lime 

 Juice Factory. In additional notes having reference to this 

 matter, the Agricultural Superintendent states that owing 

 to the great increase in the peasant produce presented at the 

 Government Factory, it was not possible to accept any juice 

 from planters throughout the month. This juice is being 

 stored, and it is hoped to be able to handle it as soon as the 

 rush is over. On several occasions it has been found 

 necessary for the stafi' to work throughout the night in order 

 to cope with the daily purchases of limes. Thirty-five 

 casks of concentrated juice were prepared during the month, 

 and now await shipment. The Ellis oil engine has not 

 proved equal to the continuous strain, and breakdowns have 

 occurred. A Crossley engine is expected from England 

 shortly, and this will relieve the situation. Further exten- 

 sion of the building has been undertaken to accommodate 

 the large locomotive boiler that is expected to be delivered 

 from England in November. The new boiling vats and still 

 which arrived recently have been erected, and are used for 

 storing raw juice pending the arrival of the steam coils, etc. 



The following Agricultural Credit Societies have been 

 formed and duly registered: Dennery, SoutFricre, Choiseul, 

 and Micoud; others are in course of formation and will be 

 registered shortly. Towards the end of the month weather 

 conditions became abnormal. Heavy rains were experienced 

 on Monday the 28th, particularly at the northern end of 

 the island, where the various estates registered from 2 to 4 

 inches in a few hours. The rivers rose rapidly, and some 

 estates suffered damage from flooding, which carried away 

 the lime crop that had fallen on the Sunday. One estate 

 is said to have lo.st 200 barrels of fruit, and another suffered 

 heavily by having a large number of lime trees washed away. 



.M0NTSEi;u.\T. Mr. W. Kobson writes to say that 

 similar results have been obtained in the Experiment 

 Stations with seeds of the ajowan plant a.s with seeds of 

 the J5ay tree; in unprotected beds they refuse to germinate, 

 but shaded, they grow well. I'lxj'eriments are in progress 

 to counteract the damping off disease of onion seedlings. 

 Plant distribution during the month of August comprised 

 the following: lime plants 2,900, Bay plants 2,430, .sweet 

 potato cuttings 900, fruit trees 10, white velvet beans 8 lb. 

 Seven distillations of Bay loaves are recorded for the 



month, making a total of 4,000 ft. of leaves reaped to date 

 from Chateau plot for 1916. Three hundred and seventy 

 pounds of onion seeds were received and distributed and much 

 more, adds Mr. Eobson, could have been sold. The reaping 

 of the cotton manurial experiment plots in the Botanic Gar- 

 dens has commenced. Concerning staple crop.s, it i.s stated 

 that, ample rains having fallen, the cotton crop, on the whole, 

 has seldom looked more promising, one estate at Windward 

 having already made 200 ft. of lint per acre. On the main 

 area at Leeward, picking has just commenced and dry 

 weather is desirable to facilitate reaping. So far there has 

 been a remarkable freedom from pests and diseases; cotton 

 stainers do not seem to be very numerous anywhere: attacks 

 of worms have been mild — a contrast to last year. The lime 

 crop suffered severely from a dry June, and the limes being 

 reaped are small. Fields hitherto healthy and vigorous do 

 not at present look so. Concerning this, Mr Robson suggests 

 a connexion between the unhealthy appearance of the limes 

 and the attempt to develop a large crop on an insufBcient 

 rainfall. The rainfall has suited the area planted in ground 

 nuts, which at present look promising. Areas in corn are 

 badly infested with what appears to be the corn stalk borer. 

 The rainfall at Grove Station was 8'Sl inches, well distribu- 

 ted. On several occasions the weather had been threatening 

 and very high wind occurred on the evening of the 2Sth. 

 Little damage seems to have been done to crops. 



ANTiGu.i. According to Mr. J. Jackson's report, work 

 in the Experiment Stations during the month of August was 

 of a routine nature. The following plants were distributed: 

 coco-nuts 72, miscellaneous decorative 13.5, economic 

 8, onion seed 949 ft. of which 376 ft. were distributed in 

 Antigua; and 2,000 sweet potato cuttings. A consid- 

 erable amount of nursery work has been done during 

 the month, numerous Bay and Eucalyptus plants having been 

 raised. Concerning staple crops, Mr. Jackson says the young 

 cane crop continues to improve; its condition is equal to or per- 

 haps slightly better than it was this time last year. Onion seed 

 has germinated well in some places. Approximately 65,250 ft. 

 of cotton was obtained from last year's crop. The quantity 

 of crystals manufactured to date at Bendals factory was 2,500 

 tons; at Gunthorpes, 11,600 tons. Two visits were made to 

 English Harbour by the first assistant in connexion with 

 agricultural instruction; the total quantity of .selected 

 seed distributed to dafte was 2,605 ft. Good weather for 

 crops in general has been experienced during the month, the 

 rainfall being 5'69 inches; for the year, 34'96 inches. 



ST. KiTTS. The Agricultural Superintendent reports 

 planting and reaping operations in the Experiment Stations, 

 and the distribution of ;375 ft. white velvet beans, and 30 ft. 

 Rounceval, during the month of August, while in the Botanic 

 Gardens general routine work was cmried on. As regards 

 staple crops, Mr. Shepherd states tlie old cane crop is still 

 being reaped on a few estates in the northern district. The 

 young cane crop, generally speaking, is well advanced and 

 healthy. With a continuance of the present favourable 

 weather, the prospects for the next season are verj' promising. 

 On two estates in the northern district cotton is being picked 

 and ginned with good returns. The j-ounger cotton in the 

 valley district is boiling well and some promising fields are 

 to be seen. The acreage in cotton has been reduced, 

 but actual figures are not to hand. The cotton is healthy 

 and, so far, the worm has not appeared. Visits were 

 made to Nevis during the month and coco-nut cultiv- 

 ations at Pinneys inspected, and experiments laid out 

 concerning lime requirements of soils. The rainfall for the 

 month was 824 inches; for the year, .3.7-62 inches. 



