Vol. XI. No. 270. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



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liRITI^H GUIANA: REPORT OF THE DEPART- 

 MEXT OF SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE FOR THE 

 YEAR r.Jin-11. 



This contains the General Iteport on the l)e|)artment of 

 Science and Agriculture, the Pieport of the Government 

 Analyst, the Ileport on the Botanic r4ardens, the lieport 

 on the Board of Agriculture and the Report froni the 

 Government Veterinary Surgeon. At the commencement 

 of the first of these, educational matters are dealt 

 with, and with reference to science teaching at (.Queen's 

 College, a favourable report has been obtained by the 

 e.vaminer aj)pointed by the University of fambridfie, although 

 it appears that much difficulty is experienced in the instruc- 

 tion of the lower forms. In the Cambridge Local K.\amina- 

 tions held in .July 1910, there were si.K candidates in senior 

 chemistry and twelve in junior chemistry; of these one only 

 in each division failed entirely, while both sections of the 

 e.xamination, practical and theoretical, were passed by at 

 least half of the candidates. Proceeding, this part of the 

 Report give.s information concerning lectures to elementary 

 teachers, model gardens and agricultural apprentices. With 

 reference to the last, si.x boys were indentured as agricultural 

 apprentice?, and duiing the year two of these completed their 

 course of instruction and very readily found employment as 

 foremen in two rubber companies. It is stated that a weak 

 point exists with reference to this scheme, owing to the lack 

 of an ollicer whose time may be employed in giving system- 

 atic instruction. 



Turning from these matters to work connected with 

 agricultural investigation, it continues to be shown at the 

 Issorora Station that Para rubber and Sapium possess the 

 promise of former years, while Castilloa and Funtumia are 

 practically failures, except in isolated instances. The superi- 

 ority of Para rubber is repeated in the results that are being 

 obtained at Plantation Christianburg, where Castilloa, 

 Manihot and Funtumia do not succeed: while unsatisfactory 

 results aie being obtained with Sapium on the lighter soil.-, 

 where Hevea is developing well. The tapping experiments 

 with Sapium in the Bonasika Sapium Reserve have not given 

 Satisfactory results: it may be stated that these are referred to 

 at length in the Agricultural Nefs, \'ol. X, p. 379. The 

 Marlborough Agricultural Experiment Station is intended to 

 serve the purposes of experiments with new crops and of 

 demonstrations in good cultivation of those already existing 

 in the district; it contains among other kinds of plants, 

 different varieties of bananas, cacao, coconuts and coffee, as 

 well as various citrus fruits. Para rubber, Sapium rubber, 

 provision crops, and fallow and cover crops. At the 

 Onderneeraing School Farm, on which there is a fairly 

 detailed report, satisfactory progress appears to have been 

 made; at this place, Hevea is doing well, Sapium .Jenmani pro- 

 gresses fairly, Funtumia makes little growth, and Castilloa is 

 a failure. Efforts were made at this institution to encourage 

 the lime industry in Essequibo. and over 6,000 plants were 

 sold during the year, at practically nominal prices. Good 



progress is being made with fruit and other trees, and with 

 balata. The Stock Farm continues to be conducted satisfac- 

 torily. A last matter of more special interest in this part of 

 the report is concerned with the appointment of an Agri- 

 cultural Instructor in Berbice, and with thj suggestion to 

 establish experimental and demonstration stations on the 

 Berbice River. 



The report of the Government Analyst commences by 

 stating that during the year under review 5,4.5.") samples 

 were received at the Government Laboratory for examination; 

 of these 4,-16-1 were official samples. During the period, 

 only one case of death by suspected poisoning was submitted 

 for investig ition at the Government Laboratory, and in this 

 nothing injurious was detected. It is of interest, with 

 respect to the very different experience in some parts of 

 the West Indies, that heavy fines have been inflicted for 

 adulterating milk, and this has caused that kind of fraud to 

 be practised to a satisfactorily small extent. In another 

 direction, action taken under the Customs Ordinance has 

 practically caused the importation and sale of low grade 

 butter and tobacco to cease. 



The institutions receiving attention in the rei>ort on the 

 Botanic Gardens include the Botanic Garden, Georgetown 

 (Flower (Jarden). Government House Gardens, the Town 

 Gardens, the Head Office Garden, the Public Gardens, 

 lierbice, the old Military Burial Grounds and the Park Land: 

 frfim the first of these, a large and useful plant distribution 

 is shown to take place. This and the succeeding sections 

 contain many interesting details concerning ornamental and 

 useful plants. The total number of economic plants sold by 

 the liepartment during the year was 91,116 as against 

 46,.S'J3 during the previous period — an increase which, as is 

 claimed, indicates an enhanced activity in the Colony, in the 

 planting of u.seful crops. Other interesting matters are 

 presented, including a description of an unfavourable physio- 

 logical condition of the sugar-cane, a note on the distinction 

 between Ihvi-a tirasiliensis and //. con/asa, and particulars 

 regarding a new species of Sapium; space does not permit 

 however of their detailed treatment here. This part of the 

 report concludes with information concerning the herbarium, 

 the library, and meteorological observations. 



Matters of more particularly local interest form the 

 subject of the report of the Board of Agriculture, and the 

 work of various committees is placed on record. 



The report of the Government Veterinary Surgeon 

 refers to the fact that the hygienic condition of the animals 

 in the Colony has, according to police reports been most 

 satisfactory; no cases of anthrax and only two of glanders 

 were recorded. It is the opinion of that Officer, however, that 

 outbreaks of anthrax occur from time to time, and that the 

 true incidence of the disease is concealed. The importance 

 of vaccination against the disease is emphasized, and warning 

 is given concerning the danger that is incurred when the 

 serum is administered by persons who have not had experience 

 of its use — a danger that arises chiedy from the circumstance 

 that the serum contains living anthrax bacilli, and must be 

 kept under proper conditions lest its injection should cause 

 death. With reference to tuberculosis in cattle, remarkable 

 freedom from thi> disease is claimed for the animals in the- 

 Colonv. 



A report has been made by H M. Vice Consul at Jaffa 

 in which it is . tated that the Jaffa orange exports of 1911-12, 

 to Liverpool, have amounted to 638,904 cases, each contain- 

 ing about 1.50 fruits; this comprises about two thirds of the 

 total shipments from Jaffa. 



