Vol. XI. No. 278. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



403 



It may be said, in short, that the present state of 

 the Reading Courses and Examinations of this Depart- 

 ment is a matter for encouragement; and the active 

 co-operation of the practical agriculturist in the 

 different islands, particularly of those planter examiners 

 who are giving their personal assistance, is one of the 

 best auguries for continued success. 



A synopsis of the results of the examinations that have 

 been held is as follows: — 



AN APPARATUS FOR DRYING COTTON. 



An account has been received from Mr. W. N. Sands, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, St. Vincent, of a system for 

 drying cotton devised by Mr. C. O. Hazell, K.C., of that 

 island. In forwarding the matter Mr. Sands states that he 

 considers this system the best that has been devised so far 

 for local use. 



In the memorandum describing the system, Mr. Sands 

 points out that the heavy rainfall of St. Vincent makes it 

 necessary to equip buildings with special drying arrangements 

 for the purpose of preventing the deterioration of Sea 

 Island seed- cotton. Among the many method.s in use, some 

 follow closely the principles of the sliding roof and the sliding 

 tray, of cacao boucans; while others include shallow open 

 trays that can be covered quickly or moved into a building 

 when rain threatens. In all these methods, most of the seed 

 cotton has to be dried in the open air, so that the process is 

 much delayed in wet weather. 



The system of Mr. Hazell is referred to as the Car 

 System; it comprises an arrangement of a drying rack on 

 wheels. Its advantages over all other dryi^ig arrangements 

 devised so far are that the seed-cotton does not deteriorate 

 by 'heating', and that drying can be carried on both in and 

 out of doors. 



The cars are such as can be moved easily. Their length 

 is 13 feet, their width 3 feet 7 inches, and their height 

 8 feet 4 inches. They bold seven trays each 5 inches deep, 

 running the whole length and width of the car; the bottoms 

 of the trays are made of ^-inch galvanized wire netting, so 



that air passes easily through the cotton. As the cars run 

 on rails both inside and outside of the drying house, their 

 attention requires little labour. 



When the cars are inside of the house, the cotton is 

 protected from the weather by the device of having the 

 outside end of each leading car covered with galvanized iron 

 sheeting, which exactly fills the exit space in the wall when 

 the car is pushed home. 



The account is accompanied by photographs which 

 show plainly that a most efficient means of drying cotton 

 has been de\'ised by Mr. Hazell. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS 



Mr. H. A. Ballou, M.8c , Entomologist on the Staff 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, returned to 

 Barbados, from Antigua, by the S.S. 'Korona', on Friday 

 December 20. 



Conditions Suitable for Sisal Hemp Cultiva- 

 tion. — An article in the Tropical Agriculturist for Septem- 

 ber 1912 states that the International Fibre Congress and 

 Exhibition, held at Soerabaya, Java, in 191), came to the 

 following conclusions regarding the conditions that are best 

 suited for the growing of sisal. The experience is obtained 

 from the cultivation of Agave (chiefly A. cantala) in Java, 

 where this is the most important fibre plant. It is quite 

 different from the sisal (lienequen) of Mexico, which is 

 A. sisalana: — 



'The culture of sisal hemp is not remunerative on lands 

 which do not permit cheap transport of the raw material, nor 

 on poor land nor in a cool region where the yield falls below 

 650 lb. of fibre per acre. It can be grown with advantage on 

 soil deficient in humus, where cacao and coffee no longer 

 flourish. The soil must be free, and situated not more than 

 1,200 feet above sea-level. It is most profitable grown as 

 a secondary product, since it can then be left untouched when 

 the market price is low, or during seasons when the production 

 of leaf is small. It cannot be recommended as a catch crop 

 or intercrop. If sisal is the chief product, estates of less than 

 700 acres are not profitable. For an estate of 900 acres the 

 cost of upkeep and replanting, upkeep of buildings, manage- 

 ment, etc., together with 5 per cent, interest on the capital, 

 will be about 54 rupees per acre. The capital required is 

 estimated at 335,000 rupees. The expenses of harvesting, 

 transport, commission, etc., and depreciation are reckoned at 

 about 100 rupees per ton of fibre, while the value per ton of 

 dry fibre, fob. Java, is about 300 rupees. The net profit, 

 with a production of 65011). per acre is not more than 5 per 

 cent., but with a production of 1, 3001b. per acre it increases 

 to 20 per cent.' 



The Superintendent of Agriculture, Grenada, has drawn 

 attention to an account of milk made from soy beans, which 

 appeared in the Times Weeliy Edition dated October 18, 

 1912. A demonstration of the milk which, it is claimed, 

 contains all the elements of the best cow's milk, and can be 

 used for the same purposes, was given in London before Sir 

 William Crookes and representatives of the Home Oftice and 

 the Local Government Board. It is stated that the product 

 would yield a profit at the price of M. a quart, and it is 

 proposed to form a company and to erect factories for its 

 manufacture. 



