302 



THE AGEICULTUEAL NEWS. 



SEPTKMBEr. 23, 190.";. 



Niy/'S OX AdlUCVLTURE: iiy J. Edgar Beckett, 

 Assistant Instriu-tor in Agricultuie, Hiitish Guiana. Georrfe- 

 toivn, Dffiiitrara: Estate of C. K. Jardin, Dtceased, 190-'t. 

 Price, in paper covers, 24c.; in stift" boards, 36c.; in leather- 

 ette, 48c. 



This little pocket volume of some 220 pages contains 

 a large fund of practical advice to the small farmer in 

 Briti.sh Guiana. 



As pointed out by Professor .1. B. Harrison, in a preface, 

 ]\Ir. Beckett 'has had e.xceptional oi)portunities of noticing 

 the salient points of the husbandry of the small farmers and 

 .settlers of British Guiana. He has made himself thoroughly 

 conversant with the advantages and defects of the modes of 

 cultivation i>ractised by them, and his long connexion with 

 the Agricultural and Botanical Departments of the colony 

 Las placed him in a position authoritatively to suggest modes 

 adapted for remedying the latter.' 



The hints are simple and straightforward and as such 

 are likely to awaken a more intelligent interest in agri- 

 cultural pursuits. The price of this publication is such as 

 should iilace it within reach of the most humble members of 

 the community, for whom, as well as to all farmers and 

 planters, it will be found to contain nnicli of interest and 

 much of real practical value. 



While dealing, more or less fully, with such crops as 

 cacao, coffee, cotton, etc., which some village farmers maj' 

 be unable to grow, there are also u.seful hints on the cultiva- 

 tion of common fruits and vegetables in which good business 

 might be done. 



The chapter on poultry farming should, as suggested by- 

 Professor Harrison, ai)peal to the wives and daughters of the 

 farmers. This publication will be found admirably suited as 

 a reading-book for the boys and girls of the elementary schools. 



TROPICAL LIFE.- A monthly journal devoted to the 

 intere.sts of those living, trading, holding property, or 

 otherwise interested in tropical or sub-tropical countries. 

 Londun : John Bale, Sons ct- Daniehson, Ltd. Subscription 

 jirice, 10,s. per annum. 



This new journal, which made its first appearance with 

 the July numljer, is devoted, as the sub-title indicates, to 

 matters connected with agriculture and colonization in 

 tropical countries. Its editor is ^Ir. H. Hamel .Smith. 



It is stated that a feature of the publication will be 

 chatty leading articles on the markets, in place of tlie usual 

 cut-and-dry reports. 



The first issue has an interesting account of the 

 ' Foundation in Paris of the International Tropical Agri- 

 cultural Society. Interest also attaches to the article on 

 the cultivation of fibres, which deals particularly with the 

 necessity for a lighter make of fibre-cleaning machine. 



The second issue contains an illustrated review, written 

 by a shareholder, of the work of the ]>ritish Cotton-growing 

 Association. One of the illustrations shows the exhibit of 

 IVest Indian cotton at the Imperial Institute. 



GOMMIER RESIN. 



Particulars were gi\'eii in the A[jrii-ul(ural Xeus 

 (\'ol. III. p. loo) as to the coinmercial valuation of 

 oonnnior resin sent from Dominica to the Im])erial 

 Institute. It was stated that the samples were valued 

 at 17s-. to I8-S. per cwt., as comijarcd with oO.s. to 5o-y. 

 obtainable for true elemi from the Philippines. 



As the samples were reported to be rather dirty, 

 a second small consignment of 50 it), was forwarded, 

 the following report on its value being received: — 



Samples of this consignment of gomniier resin were 

 submitted to brokers for commercial valuation. They 

 reported that a considerable fall had recently taken place in 

 the price of Manila elemi, which is at present worth onlj' 

 from 25,«. to SO.*, per cwt., as against 70.s. to 80s. per cwt. at 

 the corresiionding jieriod of 1903. It was thought that the 

 sample of the West Indian resin, on account of its unsatis- 

 factory appearance, would not at present l>e worth more 

 than lO.s. to 1.5s. per cwt. 



It is stated in the annual report on the Botanic 

 Station that these samples were collected with care 

 but failed to satisfy the market reipiirenients. The 

 prices mentioned would scarcely pay the cost of 

 collecting the resin in the forests of Dominica. 



Particulars as to the collection of gommier resin 

 are given by the Agricultural Instructor as follows: — • 



In the month of April I received instructions to collect 

 a sample of resin in a soft state to be forwarded to the 

 Imperial In.stitute to be reported on by the Director, in order 

 to find out its commercial value. In the vicinity of the 

 Trois Piton mountains and in the Bassinville district I tapped 

 172 trees. I found that in .some cases the flow of sap was 

 .slow and the den.sity seemed a little thicker than turpentine : 

 in other cases it seemed to harden faster. The sap that 

 did not harden quickly was washed away by heavj- rains ' 

 which were falling nearly every day at the time that I was P 

 collecting. The trees tapped b}' the side of the Imperial 

 road wci'e in a good many cases robbed of the resin by 

 jiersons evidently collecting for making flambeaux (torches). 

 The trees having mosses and wild pines growing up the 

 stems gave the worst resin as regards im[iurities, as with 

 even light showers the water running down the stems 

 brought with it a lot of volcanic ash, which adhered in 

 large (quantities to the resin, which in such cases had to be 

 abandoned. The trees giving the largest yield were those 

 growing in pockets where the land seemed richer than the 

 brows, the trees growing on the latter places giving the least 

 resin. At Bassinville at the b.ise of a mountain on which 

 there had been an enormous landslip, I came across a trte 

 with a very large deposit, the weight being fully 1.3 to 20 It', 

 of hard resin, which stood out like a post of sugar candy by 

 the side of the tree and touching the ground. Trees giving 

 such a large deposit are spoken of by the natives as 'trees 

 with a sickness,' as they say the tree does not live for any 

 lencth of time afterwards. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Tlie Impeiial Commissioner of Agriculture for the 

 West Indies, who, as previously announced in the 

 Ayriculfuml Xnrs. has been on an official visit to 

 Jamaica, returned to Barbados in K.iI..S. ' La Plata ' 

 on Thursday, September 21. 



