296 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



September 14, 1912 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 apecimens 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 

 the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents : Messrs. Dulau & 

 Oo„ 37, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



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 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 28. Id. Post free, 4s. 4d. 



^gricitltiiral fliviuH 



Vol. XI. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 1912. No. 271. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue treats of the Direct and 

 Indirect Values of Scientific Work, the examples for 

 illustration being mostly drawn from instances where 

 the labours of investigators have been concerned with 

 the life-history and control of insects and similar animals. 



On page 292 an article is presented which deals 

 with a consideration that is generall}^ neglected in 

 cacao cultivation, namely the humidity of the air in 

 the plantation. 



An account of a recent address on cotton-growing 

 in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan is presented on page 294. 



The last issue oit\\Q Agricaltunil iVeit-x contained 

 an account of feeding experiments with cotton seed 

 meal, employing guinea pigs and rabbits. Page 295 of 

 this number gives a report of other, similar vvork, the 

 animals in this case being mules and horses. 



The Insect Notes, on page 298, contain the second 

 and concluding part of a report on a visit to St. Kitts, 

 by the Entomologist to the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture; this article is illustrated. They also com- 

 prise a note on Zalophothrix mirum, to the effect that 

 this name for the insect is a synonym of J,eca7noliius 

 ciickerelli, Ashmead. 



A short article on page 299 deals with the repre- 

 sentation of the Imperial Institute at the International 

 Rubber Exhibition. 



St. Vincent and Visitation by Hurricanes. 



With reference to a statement that appeared 

 recently in an editorial article on Hurricanes, in the 

 Agricultural Neivs, Vol. XI, p. 241, His Honour the 

 Administrator of St. Vincent, the Hon. C. Gideon 

 Murray, writes to point out that this may cause 

 inaccurate and detrimental conclusions to be drawn 

 regarding the liability of that island to be visited by 

 hurricanes and high winds. The statement is as 

 follows: — 



'Experience has shown that while Trinidad and 

 Grenada are not likely to be visited by a hurricane, 

 St. Vincent and Barbados are much more subject to 

 such disturbances, or at least to the high winds that 

 occur towards the outer limit of the storm area.' 



In his letter. His Honour proceeds to state: 'In 

 these circumstances therefore I have taken the trouble 

 to ascertain exactly how often St. Vincent has been 

 visited b}- hurricanes during the past 100 years. 



'From an investigation of the records of West 

 Indian Hurricanes in the United States of America 

 Department of Agriculture Weather Bureau, Bulle- 

 tin H, a standard work on the subject, I find that 

 a hurricane is stated to have occurred at St. Vincent 

 on the 21st October, 1817, but this hurricane evidently 

 was not serious as there do not appear to bfi any local 

 records of damage done. In support of this I may say 

 that while the hurricane of 1831 is fully described in 

 a despatch to the Secretary of State from the 

 Governor of the day there is no similar despatch to 

 the Secretary of State on the subject of the alleged 

 hurricane of 1817. In fact Sir Charles Brisbane, who 

 had been away on leave, in a despatch dated the 17th 

 December, 1817, states that on his return to assume the 

 administration of the Colony he has found that during 

 his absence "everything has been tranquil". 



'On the 11th August, 1831, the Colony was visited 

 by a severe hurricane. Not tmtil 16th August, 1886, 

 55 years later, did she suffer again in this way, but 

 this time the hurricane or cyclone as it was called, 

 was confined to a limited area of the island, 5 miles 

 broad. St. Vincent was 3gain inflicted by a severe 

 hurricane on the 11th Sepoember, 1898, since when 

 she has been free of hurricanes. 



'Thus in an hundred years St. Vincent has been 

 the scene of one hurricane about which no information 

 can be obtained locally so it cannot ha,- been of 

 a serious nature, two destructive hurricanes and one 

 cyclone over a limited area; a record which I am sure 

 will compare favourably with that of any of the other 

 West Indian Islands excepting Trinidad and Grenada.' 



Following this. His Honour adds that he does not 

 question the contention that Sc. Vincent is much more 

 subject than Trinidad and Grenada to the high winds 

 that occur on the outer limit of the storm area, but 

 draws attention to the fact that the mean track of 

 recorded hurricanes is undoubtedly well to the E*st 

 and North of the island. In support, further, of the 

 opinion that St. Vincent is not specially subject to 

 high winds, he adduces his own experience that, during 

 three years' residence in the Colony, no high winds 



