Vol. IV. No. 74. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



il 



Exports of Surinam. 



From the Consular Report on the trade of Dutch 

 Guiana for the year 1903 we extract the following 

 particulars with regard to the exports of agricultural 

 produce from the colony : — 



The most important industry is the cultivation of 

 cacao. Mr. Consul Pigott's remarks in this connexion 

 are published elsewhere in this issue (p. 36). 



The sugar crop was somewhat below the average, 

 but the yield was, on the whole, satisfactory. The 

 exports were 7,492 tons of sugar and 10.5,93.5 gallons 

 of rum, the total value being £90,987. 



The amount of balata (370 tons) brought to the 

 coast was again in excess of that of the previous year. 

 The value of this was £61,79.5. 



The coffee exports amounted to 238 tons of the 

 value of £6,964. This was Liberian ; a small quantity 

 of the Arabian variety is also grown. 



It may also be mentioned that there was a con- 

 siderable increase in the amount of rice produced, 442 

 tons against 304 tons in the previous year. It is 

 stated that, considering the large area of land suitable 

 and available for this crop, it is to be regretted that 

 so little attention has been given to it ; practically all 

 that is produced is grown by the British Indian settlers, 

 who, as a rule, cultivate only small patches. 



West Indian Bulletin. 



The third number of Volume V of the West 

 Indian Bulletin is i.ssued to-day. It contains 

 a number of interesting articles on general subjects. 

 The first of these is a memorandum, prepared by his 

 Honour the Administrator of St. Kitt's-Nevis, on the 

 ' Muscovado Sugar Industry in Barbados and the 

 Leeward Islands.' Mr. Bromley discusses in detail the 

 cost of producing sugar by the muscovado process in 

 comparison with the cost by the Central Factory 

 system. The comparison is in favour of the factory 

 .system. 



The next article contains full information, compiled 

 from most recent publications, upon the subject of the 

 ' Extraction and Preparation of Rubber.' Reference is 

 made to the results of the experimental cultivation of 

 rubber trees in the West Indies. 



Cotton growers in these islands will find useful 

 information in the article on the ' Fertilizing and 

 Feeding value of Sea Island Cotton Seed.' Com- 

 parisons with Upland seed show that the Sea Island 

 seed has a higher fertilizing value and is also superior as 

 a food-stuff, being richer in protein and nitrogen-free 

 extract. In this issue of the Bulletin full information is 

 supplied in reference to the methods of soil inoculation 

 for leguminous plants devised by the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture. 



Another useful article is the account of the 

 ' Sugar-cane Industry in Hawaii.' Full particulars, 

 ■extracted from official reports, are given in relation to 

 cultivation, manuring, irrigation, and yields of sugar. 



This number also contains several shorter articles 

 of an interesting character. It can, as usual, be 

 obtained of all agents of the Department, price 6c/., 

 post free Sd. 



Mosquitos and Malaria. 



In this issue of the Agricultural Neivs (p. 35) 

 we publish a note from a Colonial Office Report 

 (Miscellaneous, No. 27), 'Selections from Colonial 

 Medical Reports,' in relation to effoi'ts being made in 

 St. Lucia towards the extermination of mosquitos. 

 Special mention is made of the good results following 

 drainage and filling up of pools. 



In this connexion it is of interest to record the 

 success that has accompanied the emploj'ment of 

 stringent measures in the direction of sanitary 

 precautions among the American troops serving on the 

 Isthmus of Panama. So successful have these measures 

 been that the Brigadier-General in command has 

 recently reported that the health of the troops was 

 remarkably good. ' The compulsory employment of 

 mosquito nets prevented, to a large extent, inoculation 

 by mosquitos. The proportionate number of cases of 

 fever was remai'kably small, having in view the records 

 of previous commands in Pamnna, and the cases that 

 did exist responded quickly to treatment. There were 

 no deaths in the command. 



It is also reported that ' in this considerable 

 detachment of officers and men, encamped on the 

 Isthmus since January 1904, the total percentage of 

 sickness reported was but 40.5, of which 3'10 was 

 chargeable to malaria. Not a single case of yellow 

 fever occurred.' 



Nitrogen-fixing Organisms. 



The Agricultural World of January 7 contains 

 interesting correspondence, which appeared recently in 

 an Irish newspaper, with reference to bacterial cultures 

 used for the inoculation of the soil. The reply to 

 a letter addressed to the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture by the Department of Agriculture for Ireland 

 contains information which may briefly be summarized 

 as follows : — 



The organisms for the common legumes, such as 

 alfalfa, peas, beans, clovers, vetches, etc., will be 

 distributed to applicants desirous of aiding in testing 

 the efficiency of these organisms in different parts of 

 the United States. As a general rule, the quantity 

 sent will be sufficient to inoculate about 2 bushels of 

 seed. Full directions for use are supplied with each 

 package. The bacteria are beneficial only in connexion 

 with leguminous plants, and with them only where the 

 proper nodide-forming organisms are lacking in the 

 soil. 



Reference is made to this subject in a note in the 

 Agricultural Neivs, Vol. Ill, p. 51 ; while a full 

 account of the work that has been carried on in the 

 Laboratory of Plant Industry, of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, in connexion with the preparation of 

 cultures of nodule-forming organisms, will be found in 

 the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. V, no. 3, issued to-day. 



Cultures have been obtained from Washington by 

 the Imperial Department of Agricultui'e and will be 

 used in connexion with alfalfa. As alfalfa has rai-ely 

 been grown with good results in the West Indies, this 

 experiment will be watched with interest. The results 

 will be published in due course. 



