Vol. IV. No. 90. 



THE AGEICULTIJRAL NEWS. 



301 



ANTIGUA : AX X UAL REPORTS OX THE 

 JiOTAXIC STATIOX AXD AGRICULTURAL EDUCA- 



TIOX, nm-o. 



Botanic Station. — The expenditure for the year under 

 J review was £549 Is. \d. The receipts amounted to 

 £i\ 4s. 6rf. 



Owing to .several changes in the staff during the year 

 and the serious and prolonged drought, the work at the 

 station has been carried on under difficulties. Useful work 

 has, however, been done, notwithstanding these. 



The nurseries for raising economic and other plants for 

 distribution have been kept well stocked. Some 4'400 

 plants and quantities of seed were distributed; in addition, 

 10,000 seedling forest trees were raised and planted iu the 

 re-atforestation jilots. 



The rainfall at the station during the year was only 

 32-94 inches ; this figure is 20-03 inches below the average 

 for the past five years. 



Iu connexion with the work iu the experiment plots, 

 .special interest attaches to the efforts to raise a new variety 

 of cotton, havdy and disease-resisting, specially suited to 

 local conditions. The Rivers' variety of Sea Island cotton 

 was crossed with (a) local wild cotton, (h) Nevis wild cotton. 

 The experiment is being proceeded witli and will be watched 

 with interest. 



Economic experiments were continued at Scott's Hill 

 and Skerrett's stations. They included an interesting 

 experiment with the Rivers' Sea Island cotton seed to 

 ascertain the reason for the lack of uniformity in the 

 appearance of the imported seed. The results of this 

 experiment have already been recorded in the Agviculfural 

 News (Vol. IV, p. 106). Interest attache.s, also, to the 

 experimental cultivation of broom corn. 



This report is of considerable interest and contains 

 useful information on a variety of subjects. 



Agricaltural Education. — The Agricultural and Science 

 pilaster has preparetl an excellent record of the work carried 

 on by him in connexion with the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



,Mr. Kirby's iirincipal duties have consisted, as before, 

 in giving lessons iu chemistry, physics, and agriculture, at 

 the Antigua Grammar School. In addition he has given 

 instruction at the GirLs' High School and at the Female 

 Training College. A useful course of lectures on Tropical 

 Hygiene for elementary school teachers was also given during 

 the year. 



DOMINICA : ANNUAL REPORTS ON THE 

 BOTANIC STATION, AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL, 

 AND EXPERIMENT PLOTS, 190^-5. 



Botanic Station. — The expenditure on the Botanic 

 Station for the year under review was £830 18s. 9tZ. This 

 sum was, however, supplemented by a local vote of £12-5. 

 The sale of plants and produce yielded £172 19s. 9(7. 



The number of plants distributed was 46,736; large 

 quantities of cacao and rubber seeds were also supplied. 



ilr. -lones reports that there was a continued increase 

 m the demand for budded plants. This involves much more 

 wovk_ on the station staff than the production of ordinary- 

 seedlings. 



The report contains a summary, prepared by Dr. Watt.s, 

 on the manurial experiments with cacao at the station, which 

 .should prove of considerable interest and importance to 

 jilanters. The results, which are brought out very clearly in 

 the diagram, go to show that ' proper care and manuring 

 can be relied upon to give substantial increases in yield.' 



With regard to other crops in the experiment plots 

 attached to the station, it may be mentioned that the rubber 

 trees are making good jirogress. Large numbers of plants 

 and seeds of Cadilloa dastica and Fimtumia elastica were 

 distributed during the year. 



Interesting information is supplied in the report in 

 reference to experimental shipments of rubber, gommier 

 resin, fruits, and fish oils. Particulars of these shipments 

 have already been given in the Agi-icuitural News. 



The report contains much that is of interest to Dominica, 

 planters in reference to economic experiments and other 

 matters. 



Af/virultural School. — The expenditure on the school 

 during the year was £-5.50. The sum of £30 18s. 3(7. was 

 realized by the sale of vegetables, eggs, service of stallions, etc. 



In the experiment plots attached to the school a large 

 variety of crops was grown, special success being recorded in 

 connexion with onion growing; the yield of onions was 

 4,000 lb. per acre. 



A special feature of the practical instruction is the 

 lessons in budding. Owing to the extensive planting of 

 oranges in D(3minica and the large demand for budded plants, 

 this instruction .should prove particularly valuable and is 

 likely to result in a demand for the services of boys familiar 

 with this process. 



The list of boys who have left the .school, with their 

 present occupations, would appear to indicate that the 

 Agricultural School is fulfilling a very useful purpose ia 

 Dominica. 



Ej-periment Ploti. — The report of the Agricultural 

 Instructor deals with the working of seven cacao plots, 

 two lime plots, one orange plot, and one rubber plot. The 

 tables appended to the report show that increased yields 

 have been obtained in the cacao plots in consequence of good 

 cultivation and manuring. 



In his journeys ^Mr. Branch has visited the cultivations 

 of peasants, advising them as to their crops, the preparation 

 of produce, etc. He has also given useful practical, instruction 

 in budding oranges and grafting mangos. 



Mr. -Branch is able to report that much more attention 

 is now being devoted to pru)iing, manuring, and draining, on 

 the part of the peasants ; and the experiment plots appear to 

 be serving a useful purpose in bringing to the notice of the 

 peasants the requirements of their crops in regard to 

 cultivation. 



Coffees -without Caffeine. The Pharmaceutical 

 Journal, reviewing a paper in the Compter Rendtcs, mentions 

 that it was shown in 1901 that the coffee of the Comoro 

 Islands {Coffm lliuuhlotiana) contains no caffeine. Recently, 

 three new species of CoffiM have also been found on examina- 

 tion to contain no caffeine. These species are indigenous to 

 Madagascar or its neighbouring islands. This non-occurrence 

 of the alkaloid cannot be attributed to soil or climatic 

 conditions, .since other coffees grown there contain the normal 

 amount of caffeine. 



