398 



THE AGEICULTUEAL NEWS. 



Decembee 2, 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



GRENADA. In his report for October, Mr. J C. Moore, 

 the Superintendent of Agriculture, states that general progress 

 in the Experiment Stations is .satisfactory. Plant distribu- 

 tion included the following: limes 1,3.50, coco-nuts 6, various 

 18. In the Botanic Station routine work in the nurseries 

 and grounds was maintained. Referring to staple crops, 

 cacao and limes are reported as satisfactory, on the whole, 

 while the condition of the cane crop remains normal. Experi- 

 ments in the preparation of hat straw from Carludovica 

 jmlmata are in progress. The Agricultural Instructors are 

 advising peasants to plant extensively, cassava, corn, 

 potatoes and other provisions, in anticipation of short- 

 age of bread and wheat tiour. Owing to the departure of 

 Mr. Hedog Jones, science teachmg at the Grenada Boys' 

 School is in abeyance. This has caused delay in the begin- 

 ning of work under the new agricultural cadetship scheme. 

 Heavy rains were general from the 6th to the Sth, and on 

 the 19th and 20th of the month, while high winds occurred 

 on the 7th. Mr. Moore mentions a« work contemplated, the 

 storing of 60 barrels of native seed corn, for distribution at 

 cost during the 1917 Spring .sowing season, as a precaution 

 against any shortage due to peasants overdrawing on their 

 stored corn for food purposes. 



ST. VINCENT. Mr. W. N. Sands writes to say, it is 

 feared that the heavy rainfall of the second half of the 

 month (October) will cause a considerable amount of damage 

 to the cotton crop. Small pickings of cotton have been made. 

 Sugar-cane promises well. The reaping of arrowroot was 

 retarded on account of the wet weather. Special attention 

 w;is devoted to questions connected with the kiln-drying and 

 storage of corn at the Government ginnery The work of eradi- 

 cating .silk-cotton and '.John Bull' trees was continued by the 

 Inspectors in the Leeward and Windward Districts. A large 

 number of trees of both kinds were destroyed. The Agri- 

 cultural Superintendent visited Young's Island and Calliaqua 

 district in connexion with this work. In the Experiment Sta- 

 tions and Botanic Gardens work consisted of a general routine 

 nature; 7.5 fi). of selected Indian corn was distributed. The 

 rainfall at the Botanic Station was 15'97 inches, and at the 

 Experiment Station 17'54 inches. 



jxisirNiCA. In Mr. .Jones's report for October, it is 

 stated that on most estates the lime crop for the present is 

 over and the trees are flowering lightly. Planters are busy 

 clearing up their fields. The local price for ripe lime.s has 

 risen to 5s. per barrel. Twenty five thousand lime plants 

 have been offered for sale, and the plant distribution 

 indicates a certain renewal of activity in planting. The 

 plant distribution was as follows: limes 6,225, cacao 225, 

 •■thade trees 150, budded citrus 121, miscellaneous 42, making 

 a total of 6,76.3. The work of clearing the Gardens has 

 licen completed: new species have been planted out, and 

 attention is now being given to repairing the nursery sheds 

 and fences. The question of forming an Agricultural 



Co-operative Society at Grandbay for working a lime factory,, 

 formed the subject of a special communication after a visit 

 to the district. The opportunity was taken to explain to- 

 the people the probable rise in the price of flour, as mentioned 

 in a letter from the Imperial Commissioner. A tour of the 

 most seriously damaged properties by the recent hurricane 

 has been completed and a report submitted, which is dealt 

 with on another page in this issue of the A<jricuhural News. 

 Work in the chemical laboratory during the month was 

 confined to the testing of several samples of lime juice for 

 planters. The rainfall for the month was 1006 inches. 



MONTSEREAT. Mr. W. Eobson's report for October states^ 

 that the following were included in the plant distribution: 

 lime plants 1,180, bay plants 3,350, cane plants 570, English 

 vegetable seeds 86 packets, sword beans 4ilb. The total 

 number of bay plants sent out is 14,000, and the Curator 

 adds that the orders for bay plants invariably exceed the 

 number of plants that can be raised. In the Botanic Gardens 

 the cotton-breeding plot has given a large return, |-acre 

 yielding at the rate of 392ft). lint per acre, with H.9, Xo. 23, at 

 5001b. lint per acre. The rainfall is considered to have just 

 suited the development of the plants. Five distillations of 

 bay leaves have been made, making a total of 5,500 ft), of 

 leaves reaped from the Chateau plot, for 1916. Six gallons 

 of bay oil from this plot were shipped to England. Regarding 

 staple crops, it is stated that a dry month would have suited 

 the cotton crop better than one of excessive rain, and a large 

 amount of cotton has been lost on account of the wet weathei", 

 chiefly through the disease known as soft boll rot. As the 

 result of the bad weather the crop is not estimated to be 

 above the average. At the close of the month 320 bales of 

 cotton were shipped to England. The price paid for peasants'^ 

 seed-cotton still remains at 4fZ. per ft). The major portion of 

 the lime cultivation at Itoches is in as vigorous a condition as 

 could be wished. A suitable soil, in a well sheltered valley, 

 aided by the close proximity of the forest with its attendant 

 humidit}-, says Mr. Piob.son, is the obvious reason for success 

 of limes at this place. There would seem to be quite a large 

 area in the Roches and Tar River districts that could be 

 u.sefuUy planted in limes. It appears that, on the whole, the 

 cultivation of onions will be more successful 'than it was last 

 year: the damping oflT of seedlings is not so prevalent. 



Fourteen samples of the lint of the various strains 

 of cotton grown were submitted to the British Cotton 

 Growing .Association for report and valuation. In 

 addition, five samples were prepared and sent on for 

 spinning tests. The analysis to .show the purity of the 

 various strains cultivated has been practicall)' completed. 

 This has involved the examination of 400 plants for lint 

 length and percentage of lint. The examination of .sixty 

 plants of the St. Kitts-342 strain still remains to be done. 

 Self-fertilized seed of all the plants examined is on hand. 

 Circular letters have been addressed to 100 of the leading 

 planters in regard to the shortage of wheat flour, and the 

 necessity for growing food crojis The attitude of the 

 small growers to the Montserrat Onion Growers' Association 

 is said to be discouraging, and the opinion is expressed that 

 it will probably take some years for them to see the benefit 

 of the association. The rainfall for the month at Grove 

 Station was 19'43, and at Harris's 15-64 inches. On the 

 30th, 7'59 inches were recorded. This heavy fall seemed 

 to have been local, as at Windward only 1.', inches were 

 recorded. 



.XNTIOUA. In his items of news for October, Mr. T. 

 Jackson states that heavy rains have prevented the cultiva- 

 tion of the sugar cane plots at Skerretts. Plant distributioa 



