3£2 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 7, 1912. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for namirifr, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications fur cofiies of the Agricultural 

 News' should be addrc ssed to the Agenis and not to 

 ■the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Baibados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau «Si 

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

 ''^'ill be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural Neivs : Price Id. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Post free, 4s. Ad. 



Nature Object-Lessons and Agriculture in 

 St. Vincent. 



The report on the Examination of Schools, 

 St. Vincent, f-ir 1912, which was gazetted on Octo- 

 ber 31, states that these subjects continue to be taught 

 in the same way as was followed last year, e.xcept that 

 more attention is given in some cases to box experi- 

 meni s. 



It is thought that the recent reorganization of the 

 the Agricultural Department may have one result ia 

 improving the conditions in connexion with the school 

 garden.si. This work has received interference during 

 the year on account of the prolonged drought 



The report states that the pupils still exhibit 

 keenness in the object-lessons and theoretical agricul- 

 ture, but the suggestion is made that the senior pupils 

 at least should provide weekly, brief accounts of the 

 experiments that they have been conducting. 



glflnculturai ^inu!i 



YoL. XI. SATURDAY. DECEMBER 7. 1912. No. 277. The Dodder in St. Lucia. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The leading article in this issue presents some 

 matters concerned with The Educational Work of 

 3Iuseums. A fuller treatment of the subject may be 

 found in Science for November 1.5, 1912. 



Under the heading Sugar Industry, page 387 

 contains an article reviewing methods of making white 

 sugar directly from the sugar-cane. 



On page 389 an account is given of interesting 

 experiments that have been carried out in the tapping 

 of Castilloa elastica on the Ivory Coast. 



A description is given on page 391 of a new 

 African fodder plant called elephant grass {Fenn isetuin 

 purpureum), based on information appearing in the 

 fecent issue of the Kcv Bulletin. 



The Insect Notes, on page 394, contain the first 

 of two articles dealing with ticks. They also comprise 

 two short notes on a new pest of Ficus and a method 

 of treatment for borers in trees. 



An account of an address given by the Imperial 

 CJommissioner of Agriculture at a recent meeting of the 

 Antigua Agricultural and Commercial Society is pre- 

 sented on page 39.5. 



The Fungus Notes, which are given on page 398, 

 <ileal with a recent report by the Assistant Director of 

 Agriculture of Trinidad on coco-nut diseases in Tobago. 



A memorandum regarding the dodder or love vine 

 {Cuscuta sp.) in St. Lucia has been prepared by the 

 Agricultural Superintendent. This is being published 

 in the Gazefte, and it is intended that copies shall be 

 supplied to the Parish Priests and to the Inspector of 

 Schools, who are being asked to co-operate in spread- 

 ing information and making known the expedier.cy of 

 united action against the parasite. 



The memorandum of the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent commences by describing the plant and its 

 common method of propagation, giving attention to its 

 parasitic habit whereby it obtains all its food from its 

 host. 



The chief plants that are being attacked are 

 enumerated, and stress is laid on the importance that 

 every effort should be made by man, woman and child 

 to destroy the vine. The method of destruction is thus 

 detailed: — 



'To destroy the vine it is necessary to collect it 

 carefully and completely from the trees and shrubs on 

 which it is found growing and then to burn it. Another 

 way is to bury- it in a hole in the ground, taking care 

 to well cover it with plenty of soil. The work must be 

 thoroughly done, and in collecting the material care 

 must be exercised that any pieces that get dropped 

 about are picked up. The infested spots should be 

 visited at regular intervals of about seven days to 

 collect any of the vine that may' have begun to grow 

 from pieces that were formerly dropped or overlooked. 



'In some cases it may not be possible to properly 

 hand-clean infested trees that have spiny branches; it 

 will then be necessar}- to cut off the infested parts and 

 burn them with the vine. Persistent and united etforb 

 for a few weeks will reduce this dangerous pest 

 considerably, and then it will be an easier matter to 

 keep it under control, especially if everyone becomes 

 acquainted with its appearance, nature, and habits, and 

 is always on the look-out for a chance to destroy it.' 



It is pointed out that the vine is flowering at the 

 present time in some localities, so that the necessity 

 is indicated for prompt action before seeds are formed. 



