Vol. XI. No. 275. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



367 



■checking the disease; while it also encourages the growth of 

 ■the cane and enables it to outgrow the fungus. Early 

 planting is another useful measure, as it enables the cane to 

 make a vigorous growth before tlie cold, damp weather sets 

 in, and thus to form shoots too tall to be badly damaged by 

 the fungus when it begins to develop. It is also stated 

 that the recovery of the cane after an epidemic will be 

 assisted by the lemoval and burning of dead and dying 

 shoots, through affording the new and healthy shoots more 

 light and air. Finally the soil should be well worked over after 

 the removal of the crop, to ensure the destruction of the large 

 number of Melanconium spores formed on those parts of the 

 cane stools below the surface of the soil. 



THE WEST INDIES AND THE CANADIAN 

 NATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1912. 



A letter received from Messrs. Piokford and lUack states 

 that the West Indian exhibit at the recent Canadian National 

 Exhibition held at Toronto occupied a floor space of 3,200 

 square feet and attracted a very great amount of attention. 

 Most of this space — nearly three quarters of it — was occu- 

 jiied by exhibits from .Jamaica, .so that the area used for the 

 Windward and Leeward Islands was small in comparison. 

 A united exhibit from the West Indies wns not shown, on 

 account of the circumstance that the material sent from 

 Dominica and Montserrat was not placed in the space 

 mentioned above, but in the Horticultural Building. The 

 larger exhibit from the West Indies was vi.sited by His Koyal 

 Highness The Duke of Connaught, who expressed himself as 

 astonished at the variety of what was to be seen. 



It is stated by ilessrs. Pickford and Black that 

 a permanent space of .5,000 feet has been allotted for 

 «xhibits from the West Indies. This is situated in the new 

 Crovernment Building, which is the first building inside the 

 main entrance of the exhibition grounds. The possession of 

 this, by continued and etticient representation at the exhibi- 

 tion, is a matter of importance for the West Indies. It 

 may be said in passing that Messrs. Pickford and Black 

 «peak highly of the material sent on this occasion from 

 Jamaica. 



Mr. Lewis W. Clemens, President of the Canadian 

 Travel Club, writes to emphasize the importance of continuous 

 and united representation of the West Indies at the Exhibition, 

 and in so i^.oing gives evidence of appreciation on many sides, 

 of the last West Indian exhibits. 



The Toronto Glohe refers to the exhibits from the West 

 Indies in the north wing of the Government Building, under 

 the charge of Mr. C. S. Pickford, of Halifax, and Mr. E. J. 

 Wortley of Jamaica, as a unique display. The etlbrts of 

 Jamaica to attract tourists from Canada, and of the 

 ■ St. Vincent Arrowroot Growers' and Exporters" Association 

 to increase the interest in their product, in that country, 

 seem to have drawn some of the greatest attention. The 

 -useful and attractive nature of the Jamaica exhibits is also 

 attested in an article in the Toronto Daily Star. Similar 

 appreciation is expressed in the Toronto Mail and Empirr. 



Suggestions useful in the West Indies for further w^ork 

 in connexion with such exhibitions are given in the Canada 

 ■West India 2Ia;/aune for September 1912. They amount to 

 the following: (1) continuous representation of the different 

 parts of the West Indies and of I5ritish Guiana, year by year; 

 ^2) the employment of the most modern methods of display; 

 and (3) the use of enlarged photographs, such enlargements 

 |)eing easily obtainable in Canada, if not in the West Indies. 



Another article in that periodical describes the display of th© 

 exhibits from Dominica and Montserrat, which was in th» 

 charge of the Canadian West Indian League; and this 

 appears to have been particularly effective. A fea^ture worthy 

 of imitation in connexion with this was the sending of invi- 

 tations to visit the booth, to leading merchants and prom- 

 inent private citizens. 



COTTON AND TOBACCO IN NYASALAND. 



In spite of the exceedingly unfavourable climatic con- 

 ditions of the year for cotton, the value of produce exported 

 shows an increase of 2 3.5 per cent, on last year's figures; this 

 increase (which bears no comparison with the largely increased 

 area under cultivation) was due to the comparative success 

 of tobacco, which thanks to the unusually cold and wet 

 weather prevailing from April to August, could be planted 

 up much later than usual and gave large crops, though the 

 quality suffered. 



Four thousand five hundred and seven acres were 

 planted with tobacco, as compared with 3,271: acres ia 

 1910-11. Two million one hundred and forty- six thousand 

 six hundred and fifteen pounds of cured tobacco were 

 exported, an incrsase of 411,978 ft), over the preceding year's 

 figure; the increase in the local value of the total crop was 

 £11,062 18s. 3d. 



Off 23,332 acres under cultivation on Europeans' 

 estates, cotton to a value of £44,098 11.-:. 6f/. only was pro- 

 duced as against £58,687 5s. lOd. off 12,752 acres in the 

 preceding year. Considering the adverse conditions indi- 

 cated by these figures it is extremely satisfactory to note aa 

 increase of 408 bales in the native cotton crop. 



I'he export of native-grown cotton has increased from 

 190 bales containing 400 ft), lint each in 1908-9 to 1,454 

 such bales in 1911-12. 



The prospects for the 1912 harvest are good for cotton 

 and poor for tobacco, and it is unfortunate that the past 

 year's experience has led to a decrease of the acreage under 

 the former crop and a corresponding increase under the 

 latter. The two crops are admirably calculated to balance 

 each other, the one being as much benefited by an excessive 

 rain as the other is injured by it, while a normal year should 

 produce good crops from both. Tobacco needs less labour 

 than cotton and is of the two perhaps the crop less liable to 

 complete failure, and it is possible that it will ultimately take 

 first place as the European's standard crop in this country. 

 Among natives, on the other hand, the cotton industry is 

 every year obtaining a firmer hold and nothing but 

 a very heavy fall in the price of cotton is now likely 

 seriously to check it. The product is suited as few- 

 others could be to the native's present stage of develop- 

 ment, and though he has yet much to learn as to its 

 cultivation and grading, he can produce an excellent quality 

 of cotton in quantities which pay him well. The system of 

 cotton markets now being instituted by the Government ia 

 the principal native cotton districts will promote competitioa 

 and secure for the native the best prices for his produce; it is 

 hoped that the more marked correspondence of price to 

 quality which is bound to follow competitive buying in opea 

 markets will teach the native to pay more attention to 

 grading his cotton — work which at present has to be done at: 

 the ginneries at greater expense, and, probably, less thorough- 

 ly than the native producer himself could do it. (From. 

 Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 732; October 1912.) 



