Vol. XV. No. 379. 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS. 



365 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



MONTSEERAT. According to tlie report of the Curator 

 (Mr. W. Piobson) for September, work in the experiment 

 stations consisted of reaping operations. Plants distributed 

 comprised 3,050 lime plants, 4,650 V.\y planes, 10 tanger- 

 ines, and 15 ft). fleshy pod beans. Three distillations of Bay 

 leaves were made in the Botanic Gardens. Regarding staple 

 crops, Mr. Eobson considers that the return of cotton per acre 

 will be above the average; the weather since the middle of 

 September has been ideal for reajjing. The price paid at 

 present for peasants' .seed-cotton is 4ii. per lb., not more 

 than 3c/. having been paid in any previous year. There 

 does not seem to have been much loss of cotton through pests 

 or diseases, and cotton stainers are not reported anywhere to 

 be very numerous. Results from ground nut trials on estates 

 are considered fair. There, were considerable complaints from 

 onion growers about the damping off of seedlings, and in 

 many cases a partial failure to get the plants past the seedling 

 stage. Experiments carried out in the vStation in connexion 

 with damping off do not promise to be very conclusive. The 

 examination of the progeny of the selected cotton was 

 commenced, about 200 plants being examined for lint length. 

 Dr. Watts the Imperial Commissioner visited the island from 

 Sej)tember 3 to 8, and addressed a representative meeting of 

 planters at the Court House on the Gtk. The rainfall at 

 Grove Station was 554 incJies Most of the rain fell during 

 the first nine days of the month, with only one good shower 

 of 84 parts on the SGth. 



.\NTi(;UA. Mr. T. .Jackson reports plant distribution 

 for the month of September to have been as follows: 

 coco-nuts '27, coffee 24, cacao 19, mahogany 1 2, decorative 46. 

 A considerable amount of routine work in the nursery has 

 been performed and large numbers of Prosopis, Eucalyptus, 

 Bay seedlings, etc., have been raised; onion seeds planted have 

 germinated well; beds, borders, lawns, etc., have received 

 necessary attention. The young cane crop continues to 

 improve, although at the present time rain is required. Orders 

 for 1,000 coco-nuts have been received. Fairly large order 

 for vegetable seeds has also been received and forwarded to 

 the United States of America. In regard to pests, grubs of 

 hard back beetles have been attacking onions in nursery beds; 

 attempts have been made to control the pests with carbon 

 bisulphide emulsion. Leaf-blister mite has been attacking 

 cotton, while attacks of caterpillars have been experienced in 

 some localities. The rainfall for the month 'was 2'90 inches; 

 for the year 37'87 inches. Kain is required throughout the 

 island at the present moment. Appended to this is a short 

 report on agricultural instruction work for the month of 

 September. 



NEVIS. Mr. W. I. Howell writes to say that during 

 September the plots in the Experiment Stations have been 

 kept weeded, and are in good order. The following plants, 

 seeds, etc., were distributed from the Station: 19,850 sweet 

 potato cuttings, 11,450 cassava cuttings, lift), black-eye peas, 

 6 ft), eddoes, 150 onion slips. The cane crop, on the whole, is 

 looking very promising, and a good return is expected 

 throughout the island. The cotton crop throughout the 

 island has improved and picking has begun in some places, 

 but the returns will be poor. Cotton worms attacked many 

 fields but they were kept in check by poison. Eighty-three 

 pounds of onion seeds were imported and supplied to growers. 

 The germination, on the whole, was very good, and about 10 



acres will be planted in onions this season. Cotton stainers 

 made their appearance in a few fields, and the growers 

 were advised to destroy the stainers at once. A meeting 

 of planters was held on September 14, at which an address 

 was delivered by Dr. Watts the Imperial Commissioner. 

 The first meeting of ttie Nevis Onion Growers' Association 

 was held on September 20. Several meetings re a Ceo*al 

 Factory for Nevis were also held during the month. The . 

 rainfall for the month was -2'00 inches; for the year to 

 date 41 70 inches. 



TOETOLA. Mr. W. C. Fishlock's report for the month 

 of September mentions a continuation of work commenced in 

 the Experiment Stations previously, coupled with manurial, 

 cultural, and planting operations. Touching staple crops, all 

 the cotton he has seen appears to be in good condition : no 

 .serious damage appears to have been done by wind. Canes 

 also promise well. Regarding pests, he says, Batocera, in 

 considerable numbers has been reported from Cappoons Bay: 

 it is now reported as attacking avoeado pear.s and mangoes. 

 Weather is reported as good. Rain fell in measurable 

 quantity on twenty-four days of the month, the total record 

 fall being 5-48 inches; average for the month for previous 

 fifteen years is 4 '80 inches. A cyclonic disturbance passed 

 to north-east on the 20th inst., while an account of the 

 destructive hurricane of October 9, is given on page 355 of 

 this issue. 



Agricultural Conditions in Barbados.— A 



statement as to the progress of sugar-cane cultivation in 

 Barbados is contained in the Agrindtvral RepmUr of that 

 island for October 21. The cane crop is described as beiog 

 well advanced and in excellent condition, with the exception 

 perhaps that fields of B.376 show a tendency to trail, under 

 the influence of heavy rains and wind. In at least half 

 a dozen parishes arrows are now to be seen which is not to 

 the liking of the planters, more especially in the case of 

 B.376. The variety Ba 6032 is sending up spikey blades as 

 though it meant to flower, but actual flowering very seldom 

 occurs. The greater part of the black soil area is under 

 B.6450 and Ba 6032. 



For some weeks past the principal work on the estates 

 has been the application of manures, and weeding. This 

 latter operation has been troublesome this year owing to the 

 heavy and persistent rains, which have stimulated to an 

 unusual degree the rapid spread of devil's grass and other 

 weeds in newly planted fields. 



The corn crop has been a large and plentiful one this 

 sea.son, and at the time of writing several fields of this 

 cereal are still outstanding to be broken in. Early yams 

 are gradually being placed on the market, though nowhere 

 in the island are as many vegetables planted as in past year.s, 

 the result, it is supposed, of the present high price of sugar. 



A paper appears in the Journal of Agrieultural 

 Research, Vol. VI, No. 24) on bacteriological studies of the 

 soil subjected to different systems of cropping for twenty- 

 five years. Continuous corn and wheat with no additions of 

 manures or chemicals have brought about a relative low 

 oxidizing power in the soil complex. The addition of 

 njanure materially raises the oxidizing power, especially 

 under continuous corn and wheat. The addition of com- 

 mercial fertilizer brings about a condition similar to that of 

 manure, though perhaps less marked. 



