Vol. XV. No. 363. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



427 



sliipment had been stored in a fumigation house, otherwise 

 the colony might have migrated overnight and lodged itself 

 in some of the numerous cracks that arp found <:in nearly all 

 the docks. It should be mentioned that before examination 

 the whole shipment was fumigated with hydrocyanic acid 

 gas. 



COTTON SELECTION AND SEED SUPPLY 



IN MONTSERRAT. 



The following information is taken from the Report on 

 the Agricultural Department, Montserrat, for 191.5-16: — 



FLUCTUATION IN LIXT LENGTH FROM SEASON TO SEASON. 



One of the features of interest in connexion with the 

 cotton selection work of the year under review, was the 

 very considerable increase in lint length on the average of all 

 the types examined. 



The following data are given for a few of the strains 

 examined, the figures representing the average maximum 

 length of pulled lint: — 



Heaton 9 Av. on 16 selected plants 1914-15 47 mm. 



„ „ „ 24 „ „ 191.>16 .5-2 mm. 



St. Kitts (Thurston's) „ 40 „ „ 1914-1-5 48 mm. 



,, ,, ,, 45 , „ 191.">-16 5.'5 mm. 



Douglass' „ „ 14 „ „ 1914-15 51 mm. 



„ 42 „ ,, 191.5-16 53 mm. 



The method of examination in each year was the same, 

 and it is now clear from the evidence supplied by the work 

 of Mr. Lawrence Balls in Egypt, that we can expect similar 

 fluctuations in lint length in the same strain of cotton, from 

 season to .season, depending on the climatic conditions during 

 development, the rainfall in particular. 



The rainfalls at Grove Kxperiment Station for the two 

 years were (inches): — 



1914: April 2-93,May 732, .June 419, July 6-34, August 312. 

 1915: April 9-7S, May 4-42, June 4-43, July 8-72, August 8-79. 



In both seasons the cottons mentioned above were 

 planted in April or early May, which meant that the (lowers 

 were opening from late June onwards; the length of the lint 

 being determined during the month that follows the opening 

 of the flower, it is evident that the low rainfall in August 

 1914 was unfavourable for the development of lint length. 



A NEW SYSTE.M OF SEED SUPPLY. 



As the result of facilities extended to the Department 

 by the Montserrat Co., Ltd., it was possible to plant a field 

 of the closely bred Heaton 9 type of cotton, for the purpose 

 of providing seed for distribution to estates, on a more 

 generous scale than has hitherto been possible. The seed 

 from this field has been distributed to estates, on the under- 

 standing that it is to be used to plant a seed field to provide 

 next season's supply of seed for the whole estate. Practically 

 all the cotton estates have fallen into line and taken seed 

 with this end in view, the amount of seed allowed, ennblinK 

 one-tenth of the total acreage in cotton to be planted. 



This system of seed supply it is intended to follow up 

 each year, and it means that not only will the general charac- 

 ter of the type be maintained on a high level, but that should 

 a better type of cotton be secured, the old strain can be 

 replaced by it in two years. 



For the season 1916-17, seed-supply fields will be planted 

 for this purpose with .seed of the Douglass' type (No. 2 of the 

 British Cotton Growing Association's report), and of the 

 Heaton 9 types (Nos. 8 and 11). As growers will understand, 

 it is necessary to exercise considerable caution in the distribu 

 tion of seed of new strains for cultivation on a large scale. 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH 



COCO-NUTS IN CEYLON. 



The following .statement of the result-s obtained 

 froiJi these experiments is referred to in our review 

 of the Report for Ii)1.5 on the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, (.'eylon, in another place in this issue. The 

 information below is taken from the Tropical Agri- 

 culturist for October 1916: — 



The inanurial experiments with old coconuts begun in 

 1911 have not been completed, and the final detailed results 

 will be issued as a bulletin. The general result of the 

 manurinif has demonstrated thai: such old coco-nuts (fifty 

 years and over), which represent an enormous acreage of the 

 small native holdings in Ceylon can be improved in 

 vigour and yield by cultivation and manuring. The average 

 yield per palm has steadily increased from 26'7 nuts in 1911, 

 to 421 nuts in 1914 and 42-7 nuts in 1915— an increase of 

 60 per cent. No manure was applied in 1915 on account of 

 war economy. The application of a complete general mixture 

 gave the largest number of nuts, raising the yield from twenty- 

 nine nuts per palm to fifty-seven nuts or 965 per cent., at a 

 cost of Rs. 25 per acre. The application of a soluble mixture 

 every six months gave even a larger increase from 234 nuts 

 to fifty- four nuts per palm or 131 per cent., at a cost of 

 about Rs. 25 jDer acre per annum 



The most remunerative return was obtained by digging 

 in or mulching round the palms with the sensiiive plant 

 (Mimosa pudica) and other weeds, and applying a mixture of 

 basic slag and kainit in ecjual parts at 4001b. per acre. The 

 mixture cost about Rs. 11 per acre. The yield per palm 

 increased by this treatment from 30 7 nuts in 1911 to 55 

 nuts in 1914 and 56 nuts in 1915. 



A feature in the manuring re.sults is the increased power 

 of the p-ilms to retain the young nuts, although 44 per cent, 

 are still lost annually. Before 1914 the proportion of imma- 

 ture to mature nuts was always greater, but since 1913 

 a steadily increasing proportion of nuts have matured, viz. 

 375 per cent, in 1913, 51 per cent, in 1914 and 56 per cent, 

 in 1915. 



The number of nuts required for a candy of copra (560tb.) 

 is still much higher than in the low country, the average 

 being 1,613 nuts. 



The general appearance of the palms has much improved, 

 the foliage being of a richer dark green and the fronds 

 heavier. Several mannrial experiments with young coconuts 

 are being carried out, but results are not yet available for 

 publication. 



One of the interesting series of papers issued by the 

 States Relations Service, United States Department of 

 Agriculture, in regard to agricultural education, is Bulletin 

 No. 392, entitled, 'Lessons on Tomatoes for Rural Schools'. 

 This bulletin is intended principally for teachers in the rural 

 schools of the Southern States, which adds to its value for 

 schools in the West Indies. The lessons are divided amongst 

 a number of different topics, and arranged for certain months 

 of the year during which each particular topic like that of 

 harvesting, or training, pruning and cultivating, can be most 

 conveniently studied. The bulletin includes sections con- 

 cerning cluls organization and community exhibits. It should 

 prove useful to those engaged in agricultural education in 

 the elementary and secondary schools of the West Indies, since 

 it is suggestive as re;,'ards the framing of lessons on related 

 subjects. 



