120 



THE AGIUCULTURAL NEWS. 



April 22, 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. 



Local A<j(iitx: Messrs. Boweii & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Diilau & 

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

 mittee, 1.5, Seething Lane, E.G. A complete list of 

 Agents will be found at foot of page :^ of the cover. 



The Agrtctdtural Neu'S : Price 1(7. per number, 

 post free IhL Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2.S. 2d. Po"st free, 3.s. 3(7. 



gigncultural ^linuii 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 190.J. No. 79. 



Attractive Shade Plants. 



A coMes])ondent writes as follows : — An attractive 

 climbing plant of slender habit suitable for growing as 

 light shade for fowl runs, etc., was observed a short time 

 ago at Government House, Grenada. The leaves are 

 small and the flowers, produced in little panicles, are rosy 

 or pale purple. It is probably a species of Hi-fcmpterin. 

 Sir Robert Llewelyn has pi'omised to supply some ripe 

 seed later on. In the meantime it would be useful if 

 readers of the Agvicallurid Nevx would give their 

 experience in regard to fast growing and attractive 

 plants that are suitable to ))rovide shade for verandahs, 

 etc., without shutting out too much light and air. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The important subject of ratooning cotton is fully 

 dealt with in the editorial of the present issue. Cotton 

 growers are strongly advised not to carry over their 

 cotton plants from one season to another. 



A further contribution by Dr. Watts on Musco- 

 vado sugar appears on pp. 114-5. The .sampling of 

 muscovado sugar is discussed. The table shows that 

 there is considerable variation in ihe polariscopic test 

 of the various samples which were taken from different 

 parts of the same bag. 



An account is given on p. 117 of a new disease of 

 cacao, known as the ' thread ' disease, which has appeared 

 in the West Indies. It was first noticed in St. Lucia, 

 but has since been found in Trinidad and British 

 Guiana. It will probably- best be controlled by means 

 of pruning and the use of a lime-sulphur wash. 



Ill connexion with the cotton industry we publish 

 on p. lliS a brief report of an interesting Conference of 

 Cotton Growers recently held at Barbados. 



The first part of an article on the Preparation of 

 Honey for the Market will be found on p. 125. This 

 article, which appeared in the Journal of tit'i Board of 

 Afjricaltnre, is likely to be of interest to bee keepers 

 in these islands. 



On p. 137 we publish a summary and review of 

 interesting correspondence which has been appearing 

 in the West India Committee Circular on the cause 

 of the immunity enjoyed by Barbados from malaria. 



Egyptian Cotton Seed for the West Indies. 



During his visit to the West Indies, Mr. E. Lomas 

 Oliver suggested that it would be desirable to carry 

 out experiments, in certain localities, in the cultivation 

 of the best varieties of Egyptian cotton. Mr. Oliver 

 specified the following varieties as likely to give good 

 results in the West Indies: Janovitch, Abbassi, and 

 IMitAfiti. 



With the view of assisting cotton planters to carry 

 out experiments to test the suitability of Egyptian 

 cotton for these islands, the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture has obtained, with tlu- assistance of his 

 Majesty's Consul-General in Egypt, 500 11). of each of 

 the abijve-mentioned varieties. 



Those desirous of obtaining a supply of this seed 

 should communicate with the Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture at an early date. 



Sugar-cane Experiments in the Leeward Islands. 



The Second part of the large ofhcial report on the 

 experiments with sugar-cane conducted at Antigua and 

 St. Kitt's during the season 1903-4 is issued to-day. 

 Part II deals with the manurial experiments. 



The bulk of the report is considerably lessened this 

 year owing to the change in the Uicthod of making the 

 comparisons in these experiments. Instead of analysing 

 the canes from each plot, comparisons are made upon 

 the tonnage of canes, since it has been shown that 

 manures 'exert their influence chiefly in altering the 

 weight of the cane per acre without profoundly altering 

 the weight of sucrose to the ton of cane.' 



The results of the experiments appear to show 

 that it is not necessary to use orfifii-iol manures for 

 plant canes in the Leeward Islands, provided an 

 adequate amount of good pen manure is used. With 

 ratoon canes, however, the pen manure must be 

 supplemented with nitrate of soda or sulphate of 

 ammonia. The quantities of these manures found to 

 give the best results are at the rate of 2.V cwt. to 

 3i cwt. of nitrate of soda, or 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. of 

 sulphate of ammonia per acre. The experiments bring 

 out clearly the fact that better results are obtained 

 when the nitrogen is given all in one dose than when 

 it is divided into two dose.s. 



