54I- 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 21, 1915. 



EDITORIAL Sf^A^^ 

 ^'■- •'■»"•■■-* ■ ' 



Head Office 



NOTICES. 



— Barbados. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News ' and other Departmental publications, should be 

 addressed to the Agents, and nbt to the Department. 



The complete list of Agents, and the subscription 

 and advertisement rates, will be found on page 3 of 

 the cover. 



Imperial Vummdssioner of 

 Agriculbire for the West Indies 



Francis Watts, C.M.G., D.Sc, 

 r.I.C, F.C.S. 



SCIENTIFIC STAFF. 



Scientific Assistant and 



Assistant Editor \V. R. Dunlop. 



Entomologist H. A. Ballon, IM.Sc. 



Mycologist W. Nowell, D.I.C. 



CLERICAL STAFF. 



Chief Clerk 

 Assistant Clerh 



Clerical Assistants 



Typist 



Assistant Tifpist 

 Assistant for Publications 



A. G'. Howell. 

 M. B. Connell. 

 rL. A. Coibin. 

 - P. .Taylor. 



Miss B. Robinson. 



Miss W. Ellis. 



A. B. Price, Fell. Jouru. Inst. 



Siqriciittiirat M^m 



Vol. XV. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1916. No 378. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



in view of the probable continuation of the ri.se in 

 the price of wheat, the editorial in this issue deals 

 with the question of possible substitutes for flour that 

 can be more extensively produced in the West Indies. 



This issue contain.s important information in con- 

 nexion with weathei- conditions: see pages 3.S9, f>4.5, 

 and :-!5(). 



A suggestive article will be found on page 85(i 

 dealing witli methods of measuring growth in sugar- 

 cane. 



A review of reports on the Leeward Islands Onion 

 ( irowers' Associations will be found on page 340. 



Sugar Production in Cuba. 



Some facts and figures concerning the production 

 of sugar in Cuba appeared in the last issue of this 

 Journal. These indicated the low cost at which sugar 

 is being produced in that councrv: Modern Cuba for 

 August reproduces the following general observations 

 iin the subject: — 



'As long as great areas of virgin forest remain 

 untouched she can easily maintain her position as the 

 greatest and cheapest sugar producer, without material 

 change in existing methods. In the older sugar districts, 

 which to-day contain a larger share of the capital 

 invested in this business, forest lands no longer exist. 

 ' Here all these basic agricultural problems must be 

 faced and solved if the next period of low prices, sure 

 sooner or later to follow , the present war inflation is 

 not to be followed M' the disastrous collapse of many 

 heavy investments It only takes a hasty trip through 

 Camagliey and Oriente toshow with what feverish rapid- 

 ity (Jubas remaining forests are being cut down and 

 planted to cane. At the present rate, less than 

 a generation will see the end of them. The entire 

 island must then settle down to a study of cane 

 agricultiire. The importance of its problems are, there- 

 fore, sufficiently great to make it the duty not onl}' of' 

 the mill owner and colono, but of every person in 

 any M'ay connected with the sugar industry to give 



them most thoughtfid' consideration." 



Trade and Industries of Turks and Caicos 

 Islands, 1915. 



Colonial Reports — Annual (No. S8i)) constitutes 

 a report on the Blue Book of the Turks aud Caicos 

 Islands for the year. ,1915. From this the following 

 particulars are gleaned concerning the principal 

 industries. 



The sponge industry showed a falling off to 

 the extent of £1,2.S0,. due, it is said, to the war 

 now being waged in Europe. ( )n the other hand, 

 it is mentioned with gratification, that artificial 

 culture of sponges continues to make satisfactory 

 progress. Mr. George Silly, the lessee of Chalk 

 Sound (Blue Hills, Caicos Island.s), was able to report 

 that at the close of the year lit I."), his work in this 

 direction extended to .upwards of 2.'')(),000 cuttings, 

 chiefly of the 'reef variety. The take of 'wool' sponges 

 has almost reached vanishing point, a condition of 

 affairs for which no one seems able to ascribe a reason. 

 It is suggested that it would be both interesting and 

 valuable to have the matter investigated scientifically. 



An advance of 3ij cents per lb. in the American 

 market stimulated reaping operations in connexion with 

 the sisal industry, and resulted in an increase of .£1,580, 

 in the exports under this head, as compared with 1914. 



Not the least interesting among the sudsidiary 

 marine products of the (^aicos Islands is the export of 

 coiichs to the neighbouring republic of Haiti. This 

 trade, which for some years had wavered between .£500 

 and £700 per annum in value, reached its maximum 

 during the year under review, when over one million 

 conchs, v.alued at .£L217, were shipped from the 



