152 



THE AGRICULTURAIj NEWS. 



May 11, 1912. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Oommissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

 ♦he Department 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. Lovdon Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co,, 37, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News : Price Id. per number. 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 28. 2d. Post free, 4s. 'id. 



Agricultural |leii!i 



Vol. XI. 



SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1912. No. 262. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



In this issue, the editorial is entitled The Inter- 

 pretation of the Results of Field Experiments. It is 

 intended to pursue this subject further in the next 

 issue of the Agricultural News. 



Under the heading Frnit.s and Fruit Trees, on 

 pages 148 and 149, detailed information is given con- 

 cerning methods that are employed in the curing of 

 vanilla. The matter is of some importance with refer- 

 ence to the increased interest in this product that is 

 being shown in the West Indies. 



Page 151 contains an interesting note dealing with 

 observations on the partial sterilization of soils and their 

 fertility. This is in continuation of the subject in 

 several articles that have appeared from time to time in 

 the Agricultural News. 



The Insect Notes, on page 1.54, contain the con- 

 cluding article dealing with eel worms or nematodes. 

 There is also presented on the' same page a note on the 

 pernicious or San Jose scale. 



On page 1.58, the Fungus Note^s contain an article 

 in which consideration is given to the possibility that 

 Hevea rubber stumps may carry disease. The subject 

 is of special interest in view of the fact that these are 

 being imported in certain cases for the purpose of 

 supplying planting material of Hevea. 



The same page contains an account of rubber 

 experiments that have been conducted in recent years, 

 in Uganda. 



Publications of the Imperial Department of 



Agriculture. 



The West Indian Bulletin, Vol. XII, No. 2. con- 

 taining an account of the West Indian Agricultural 

 Conference, 1912, is just being issued. The details 

 included in the account are arranged under the 

 foll''wing heads, as an abstract of the papers and pro- 

 ceedings: List 'of Representatives: Presidential Address; 

 Agricultural Progress in Trinidad and Tobago; Cacao; 

 Sugar: Plrttir, Diseases and Pests: Cocoanut, Lime and 

 Fruit, and R'ce Industries; Cotton; Agricultural Educa- 

 tioti; Excursions and Demonstrations; Trade Commis- 

 sioner in Canada; Telegraphic Service: Entomological 

 Research Committee: Committee on Entomological 

 Research, West Indies; Nomenclature Committee; Use- 

 fulness of Agricultural Conferences; Forestry; Closing 

 of the Conference. 



The West Indian Bulletin, Vol. XII, No. 2, may 

 be obtained at an early date from ail agents for the sale 

 of the publications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture; price ijd.. post free, 9d. .^ 



Medical Work in St. Lucia. 



With the St. Lucia Gazette for Saturday March 16, 

 1912, there is issued a supplement preisenting the 

 Laboratory Report for the Half-year Ending Septem- 

 ber 30, 1911, by Dr. Lucius Nicholis. This deals with 

 many matters and some of them are of sufficiently 

 general interest to receive attention here. 



As regards the prevention of malaria, the distri- 

 bution of the fish millions, and of quinine, is stated 

 to be proceeding satisfactorily, and good results are 

 undoubtedly being shown. A large amount of the 

 information has regard to research in connexion with 

 yaws {Framboesia tropica), and considerable success 

 has been obtained from treatment with the remedy 

 salvarsan, commonly known as 606. With reference 

 to prophylactic measures against this loathsome disease, 

 the suggestion is made that these should include: 

 (1) the strict isolation of all cases which arise; (2) the 

 thorough treatment of these cases; (3) the careful 

 watching of all cases which are discharged as cured; 

 (4) the look-out for 'chronic carriers': (5) the disinfec- 

 tion of clothes and dwellings. As is pointed out, the 

 only practical scheme includes freely supplying dress- 

 ings, disinfectants and ointments for the protection 

 and treatment of injuries, and the keeping away of 

 flies, and it aiay be other insects, as far as possible. 

 The suggestion is made that the dressings should be 

 doled out at suitable situations on all estates and in 

 villages, and that agricultriral overseers should be asked 

 thoroughly to acquaint the labiiurers with the fact that 

 these are available: further that, when they see un- 

 covered abrasions or ulcers, they should ensure that the 

 labourer properly attends to them. Stringent regula- 

 tions for isolation should be made, and a thorough 

 trial conducted of salvarsan; so that if this is successful 

 the remedy may be used continually hereafter. 



