420 



THE AGRICULTURAL XE^yS. 



December 30. 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



GRENAi'A. Mr. .J. C. Moore, the Superintendent of 

 Agriculture, in bis report for the month of November states 

 that work in the Experiment Stations was of a routine 

 nature From the Botanic Station the following plants 

 were distributed: limes, 6.000; budded (jranges, 17; grafted 

 mangoes, 14; ornamental, 10. Beyond the fitting up of 

 a building for storing .-eed corn for distribution, operations 

 here consistec' in routine garden woik. Relative to staple 

 crops, the condition of cacao is said to be good, on the whole; 

 the crop promises to be an average one. The lime crop is 

 characterized as very good, and sugar is normal A new 

 liiue plantation has been started near Calivigny; wh'le in 

 connexion with the new cnne crop, ploughing and planting are 

 said to be in progress at Grand Anse. As regards pests, 

 thrips arc reported on some cacao estates to have decreased, 

 as a result of heavy rains, but this pest is proving very 

 troublesome in several districts. Frog-hopper on canes was 

 discovered in St. Andrew's parish; investigation is proceeding. 

 Officers of the Department were specially concerned in the 

 buying and storing of 60 barrels of corn on cob for seed 

 purposes next Spring. The weather for the month was very 

 wet. Rnin fell about every day in the month: one interior 

 estate recorded 36-.3 1 inches. At Richmond Hill, the total 

 precipitation was 15-10 inches, and rain fell on twenty-three 

 days. Among the coming events of interest and work 

 contemplated, are noted, consideration of the question of 

 a corn drier and granary for Grenada and Carriacou, and. 

 thrips investigation work. 



.ST. VINCENT. Mr. W. X. Sands's report for the month 

 of November mentions the reaping of a small plot of African 

 ground nuts in the Experiment Station, which gave a calcu- 

 lated yield per acre of 2,172 ft. Other work in the station 

 included the .'owing of hybrid cottons, and collecting selfed 

 cotton seed.- In the Botanic Gardeiis general routine w. rk 

 was done. A report on the damage done to staple crops by 

 flooding rain.s was submitted. A small outbreak of cotton 

 worm occurred at two estates: dusting of the plants with 

 insecticide was carried out. The reaping of arrowroot was 

 retarded bj' the wet weather. At the Government Ginnery 

 the Agricultural Superintendent devoted attention to experi- 

 ments with the expelling of oil from the meat of ripe coco- 

 nuts and the perfecting of arrangements for the storage of 

 corn. Over five hundred 1 cvvt. bags of kiln dried cornhave 

 been stored, and there is room for another 80. A visit of 

 Mr. W. Nowell, Mycologist, in connexion with diseases of 

 cotton at the Experiment Station is recorded. The weather 

 was abnormally wet, the rainfall at the Botanic Station being 

 .32-52 inches; at the Experiment Station 29-l?2 inches vvere 

 recorded. 



ANTKiUA. In his report for the- month of November 

 Mr. T Jackson (Curator) states that in the J^lxperinient 

 Stations routine work was performed. Plant distribution 

 included 444 Eucalyptus, 3-50 lime, 269 Prosopis, 25 mis- 

 cellaneous economic, and 12 decorative, plants; 40,800 

 sweet potato and 6,800 cassava cuttings, 111 lb. corn, 17 Jb. 

 beans, and 18 packets vegetable seeds. In the Botanic 

 Gardens ordinary routine work was performed. Touching staple 

 crops Mr. Jackson says the cane crop continues to make good 

 growth; ratoons are somewhat low in places but are growing 

 rapidly. The condition on the whole, however, is perhaps not 

 quite as good as at this time last year. Considerable areas are 

 being prepared for the planting of food crops. A survey of 

 Sawcolts estate was made to ascertain whethsr it 

 might usefully be considered in cotine.xion with a Land 

 Settlement Scheme, In a brief report '6b agricultural in-true- ,^ 



tion, it i.s mentioned that during the month thirty peasants' 

 holdings were visited. The peasants are realizing the 

 possibility of a shortage of food supplies, and are in 

 consequence planting increased areas of ground provisions. 

 The> were advised to plant a diversity of crops so as to 

 prevent loss and wastage by an overplus of any one crop. 

 The rainfall for the moi'ith was 12-10 inches: for the year to 

 date 63-13 inches. 



.ST. KiTTs. Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent, writes to .say that plant distribution for the month 

 of November comprised 3,700 sweet potato cuttings, and 20Eb. 

 white velvet beans. The condition of the Botanic Gardens 

 has much improved 111 regard to staple crops, he states 

 that the condition of the old ca.<c crop is all that can be desired 

 for the tiiue ot year. The earlier planted canes and forward 

 ratoons are arrowing more than usual, and reaping will have to 

 commence earlit r in consequence. The young cane crop is now 

 beinn put in, ami greater attention is being paid to selecting 

 the be.-t cuitingj. 'or planting: in many ca.ses the best plant 

 canes are being u.^ed. The best seedling varieties are being 

 tried on a larger scale, but B. 147 and White Tran.'sparen't 

 occupy the largest areas.'. Owing to the very heavy rainfall 

 the cotton crop has been practic-tUy a failure; only in a few 

 instances has there been a fair return. On the estates the 

 plants are now being turned under to prepare the fields 

 for canes. Cotton stainers have not yet appeared in any 

 number. At a meeting of the Agricultuial and Com- 

 mercial Society held on November 7, a letter from the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture in reference to the 

 planting of corn and ground provisions was discussed. At 

 a meeting of the Society held on the 22nd, Mr. Edgar Tripp, 

 of Trinidad, was present in coniicxion with the question of an 

 -Associated Chamber of Commere for the West Indies. 

 A summary of work conducted at the Government laboratory 

 included analyses of samples of milk and filter-press cake, 

 physical analyses of soils, examination of soils for acidity 

 and amount of lime to be applied to neutralize acidity, and 

 examination of samples of cotton lint. The rainfall for the 

 month was o-94 inche.s, and for the year to date, 63-17 inches. 



DOMINICA. In his report for the month of November, 

 the Curator states that the local price paid for sound yellow 

 limes has risen to 6,». per barrel; many estates expect a fair 

 second crop in December and January. Referring to the 

 increased plant distribution mentioned in'the previous issue 

 of the Ac/ricuUiiral Sews, Mr. Jones regards this as indicative 

 of a certain revival of planting activity, and states that owing 

 to increased cost of labour, the price of lime plants will be 

 rai.sed from 3x. to 4s. per 100 on April 1 next. The 

 rearrangement of the plots in the lime experiment station, 

 which became necessary as a result of the recent hurricane, 

 has received the approval of the Commissioner of Agricultuie. 

 Work in the chemical laboratory included the testing of 

 a number of sam files of juice sent in by planters, and 

 the de.trmiiialioM of the huic requiieuieiils of a number 

 of samples of soils. Two samples of citrate of lime were 

 analy.sed. Wet weather prevailed during the month, the 

 rainfall recorded being 14-28 inches. 



.MoNT.sEEKA-r. ifr. W. Robson, the i. urati.r, reports that 

 during November a |',,-acre of the new Gambia, ground nut 

 under trial in the Experiment Station was reaped and f'ave 

 a poor return. White velvet beans on pigeon pea supports 

 do not pi-omi.se well. Lime trees between Gliricidia in the 

 station ate suffering in the usual way from disease; spraying 

 and mulching have been resorted to. Plant distribution for 

 the month included the following!: lime plants, 280: bay 

 plants, 1,680: swoid beans, 4^. lb.; black eye peas, 39 lb. and 

 -lO snuill packets: bush Lima beans, 3 lb. Routine work in 

 he r.otanic Gardens included the transplanting of bay .•^eed- 



