360 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 25, 1 905 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well 

 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Local Agents : Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulaii & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Coni- 

 niittee, 15, Seething Lane, E.G. A com]ilete list of 

 Agents will be found at foot of page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News : Price \d. per number, 

 post free IkZ. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Po'st free, 3.s. M. 



gl0riciiltural llinuii 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2.j, 190-5. No. 94. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue is devoted to the 

 question of transport for bananas from Barbados to the 

 United Kingdom. 



A summary of the report on the experiments with 

 the varieties of canes, carried out under the direction of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture at Barbados 

 during the season 1904-.5, is published on p. 3.55. 



A short article on grape fruit and shaddocks 

 appears on p. 357. This is followed by a note on 

 growing strawberries in Cuba. 



Various notes of interest to cotton growers will be 

 found on p. 358. 



The insect notes on p. 362 deal with (1) the 

 species ofniosquitos commonly found in England, and 

 (2) the matter of the search for the natural enemies of 

 the fruit fly. 



A very successful agricultural show was held at 

 the Experiment Station, Tortola, Virgin Islands, on 

 September 13 last. The full report of the show 

 committee appears on p. 365. 



The article on p. 360 contains full directions for 

 forwarding specimens of diseased plants and insect 

 pests for examination. 



Mr. J. Russell Murray's usual monthly report on 

 West Indian produce in Canada is published on 

 p. 367. 



Exports of the Cayman Islands. 



It may be of interest to make brief mention of 

 the ]M-incipal articles of export from the Cayman 

 Islands — a dependency of Jamaica. 



The principal industry is turtle fishing. The 

 exports of turtle and turtle products from the Grand 

 Cayman during the year 1904 were of the value of 

 £3,070. Cattle and horses (valued at £1,0C7) and 

 thatch ropes (£351) were also shipped. 



From the smaller Cayman Islands there were 

 shijiped 855,200 cocoa-nuts of the value of £2,570, and 

 turtle and turtle products, £848. 



Forwarding Diseased Plants and Insect Pests. 



It is desired to draw the attention of those 

 who may have occasion to forward diseased plants or 

 specimens of insect pests for examination to the notes 

 published on p. 36G. 



Specimens of vegetable matter shoidd be forwarded 

 in oO-per cent, spirit in a bottle or corked tube. Large 

 specimens such as portions of trees, etc., should be sent 

 in well-ventilated cases. 



The manner in which insects should be forwarded 

 will naturally depend upon the kind of specimens. 

 Directions are given which will meet the different 

 kinds. 



In all cases it is desirable that all the available 

 information as to the occurrence of the disease or 

 pest, the nature of the damage done, etc., be forwarded 

 at the same time. 



■■ I M 



West Indian Agricultural Conference, 1906. 



Owing to the insuperable difficulties that have 

 ])resented themselves in connexion with the proposal 

 to hold the next West Indian Agricultural Conference 

 at Jamaica, the idea has now beendefinitively abandoned. 

 Nothing has yet been determined as to the possibility 

 ot holding the Conference in any of the other colonies. 



The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was good 

 enough to offer the services of the R.M.S. 'Solent' to 

 take the representatives to Jamaica while she was on 

 duty as a tourist steamer; but this offer the Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agiiculture was not in a position to 

 accept. On the first voyage of the 'Solent' the stay in 

 Jamaica would bo only three days, which would be too 

 short. On the second voyage, the stay would be fifteen 

 days, which would be too long, as it would require the 

 representatives to be absent from their homes for 

 nearly five weeks in all. 



It is evident that under the time-table of the 

 Royal Mail Company now in force, Jamaica is cut 

 off from rapid communication with other parts of 

 the West Indies. The voyage to Jamaica by Ro3'al 

 Mail steamers, by way of Trinidad and South and 

 Central American ports, will now occupy ten days, as 

 compared with six days to New Yoi'k and twelve days 

 to Southampton. Formerly, the voyage from Barbailos 

 to Jamaica took only four days. Further, owing to 

 the fact that the homeward steamer leaves Kingston 

 two days before the airival of the outward steamer at 

 that port, a reply b}' letter from Jamaica cannot be 

 obtained in Barbados under about thirty-two days. 



