296 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 23, 1905. 



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. 



Loeal Agents : Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

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

 mittee, 15, Seething Lane, E.G. A complete list of 

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



The Agri cultural Xetcs : Price 1(7. per number, 

 post free li.fL Annual subscri]ition jnivable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Po'st free, 3.s. 3-/. 



glgricnltural ffeiuH 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, SEPTEilEER 23, 1905. No. 90. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



In the editorial in this issue reference is made tu 

 the success of the West Indies at the Colonial and 

 Indian Exhibition. It is anticipated that a stimulus 

 will be given to the trade in many products between 

 these colonies and Great Bi'itain. A sunniiary of the 

 awards secured by the West Indies is given on p. 293. 



An interesting review of the progress made in 

 Cuba in connexion with the sugar industry will be 

 fiund on ]i]). 200-1. 



Notes of special interest to cotton growers are 

 published on p. 294. 



The cultivation of pimento is an important indus- 

 try in certain parts of Jamaica. The article on p. 295 

 is of interest. 



It is desired to draw the attention of cotton 

 growers to the article on p. 298 on ' Beneficial Insects 

 in Cotton Fields.' It is of the greatest importance 

 that growers should learn to recognize their insect 

 friends. 



A short note on the bud-rot of the cocoa-nut jjalm, 

 which has been causing some loss in Trinidad, places 

 the present knowledge of this disease before cocoa-nut 

 growers. (Sec p. 299.) 



(3n p. 303 there appears an account of the efforts 

 that are being made in St. Vincent for the iniprove- 

 iiiCnt of allotments in connexion vith the Land 

 Settlement Scheme. 



Tenerife Onion Seed for Sale. 



Messrs. Gardiner Austin & Co., of Barbados, as 

 representing Messrs. Jliller .L'^ Co., of London, who arc 

 extensively engaged in the onion industry in the Canary 

 Islands, have in stock 3 cases of onion seed which 

 they offer for sale at S-s. Qd. per lb. The seed is from 

 this year's crop and is the white variety. Any person 

 desiring this seed should communicate directl}' with 

 Messrs. Gardiner Austin & Co., Barbados. 



Cacao in the Virgin Islands. 



Ecference was made in the Agricultural A'eit'-s 

 (Vol. Ill, p. 205) to a report by Dr. Watts on a tour in 

 the Virgin Islands in July 1904, in which he pointed 

 out the suitability of cacao growing as an industry 

 for the peasant proprietary. 



Since that time the cacao experiment plot at the 

 Experiment Station has continued to thrive, and the 

 last annual report on the station shows that there is 

 some demand for cacao plants. 



In a recent report Mr. Fishlock mentions that there 

 is a very nice little plot of cacao near Soldiers' Hill, 

 from which the proprietor shipped about \\ bags last 

 .season. This, Dr. Watts writes, confirms his impression, 

 founded on the experiment plot at the station, that 

 cacao can be grown in the Virgin Islands, and it will 

 be well to do everything possible to foster this 

 industrj'. ' The conditions of the Virgin Islands are 

 peculiar, the people, who are really a sea-faring race, 

 not being accustomed to sustained agricultural etibrts. 

 They are much more likely to develop such industries 

 as depend on tree crops, such as cacao and rubber, than 

 crops requiring sustained efforts, as cotton, though the 

 latter should have attention.' 



Growing Tobacco under Shade. 



In view of the promising experiments carried out 

 at the Hope Experiment Station, Jamaica, in connexion 

 with the growing of tobacco under shade, it may be of 

 interest to review briefly somewhat similar experiments 

 carried out in Porto Rico by the Tobacco Expert 

 attached to the Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 These are fully reported in Bulletin No. 5, 'Tobacco 

 Investigations in Porto Rico during 1903-4.' 



In an experiment occupying about -^-.r acre 2,200 

 plants were set out under shade in rows 3 feet apart 

 and 1 foot apart in the row. After curing, the tobacco 

 was fermented, sorted, and graded by a local tobacco 

 company. The results showed a total of 171 lb. of 

 wrappers of different grades, 36 ft. of 'tripa capa,' and 

 21 Ih. of 'tripa;' a total yield per acre of 1,482 ft. 

 Samples of the light and medium wrappers were valued 

 at .'?2'50 and ^?2'00, respectively, and one large factory 

 offered .'?r50 per ft), average. 



It is stated that last year 200 acres of tobacco 

 were grown under shade, and the fact that the area will 

 be extended to 300 or 350 acres during the present 

 year indicates the belief that the enterprise will prove 

 a financial success. 



