184 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 17, 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 apphcations for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



LiH-id Aijrats: Messrs. Boweii & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbm'los. London AfjcnU: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co., 87, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

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

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



The Aiji-kaUvral News: Price !(/. per number, 

 post free l.l'/. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Po'st free, 2s. M. 



Barbados Local Exhibition. 



It has been an-anged that the Local Agricultural 

 Exhibition, for peasant proprietors and others at 

 ISarbados, will be held by kind permission of 

 Mr. Alistair Cameron, the Attorney, at Bushy Park 

 estate, St. Philip, on Tuesday, December (i next. 



The preliminary announcement by means of 

 posters will be issued in the course of a few days. In 

 the meantime, vegetable and other seeds will be 

 obtained for distribution to cultivators and to teachers 

 in charge of school gardens, etc. 



Slnnniltural ^Ifiuii 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, .JUNE 17, 190.5. 



No. s;^. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



Agricultural progress at Tobago is the subject of 

 the editorial in this issue. The exports of Tobago are 

 of a diversified character, and their value has increased 

 153 per cent, in eight years. Cacao is now the most 

 promising industry, the area under cultivation having 

 largely increased." In connexion with this subject 

 interest attaches to the table of exports on j). 179. 



A detailed description is published on p. 181 of 

 the West Indian Court at the Colonial and Indian 

 Exhibition opened in London last month. 



The notes on cotton (see pp. 182-3) include an 

 interesting communication from Dr. Watts on the 

 manuring of cotton. 



On p. 186 will be found two illustrated articles 

 relating to the treatment of insect pests. One deals 

 with a useful machine known as the Auto-spray, and 

 the other with a fumigating tent recently made for 

 the Botanic Station at Dominica. 



On p. 187 an interesting account of the West 

 Indian Whitebait or ' tri-tri ' is reproduced. 



Ripe-rot of bananas is the subject of a note on 

 p. 189; this is followed by a brief review of the pod 

 disejvses of cacao. 



An interesting note of scientific interest, relating 

 to the deterioration of plants propagated vegetatively, 

 is piiblished on p. 190. On p. 191 will be found 

 Mr. J. Russell Murray's monthly report on West Indian 

 produce in Canada. 



Citron Peel from Dominica. 



As an exi)eriment, a barrel of citron peel in brine 

 was recently shipped from the Botanic Station, 

 Dominica, to Messrs. Pink & Sons, Portsmouth. The 

 net weight of the peel was 1 cwt. 



The report received from the consignees intimated 

 that the value of such peel was 19s., and that it was 

 suitable for confectioners' use. It was pointed out, 

 however, that the pulp shouM not have been extracted, 

 as this renders the peel liable to become damaged, also 

 that more salt should be used. The citron, it is stated, 

 should be merely cut in halves, from end to end, and 

 placed in the strongest brine (saturated solution). 



Had the present shipment, which was fermenting 

 slightly on arrival on account of insufficiency of salt, 

 ai-rived in better condition, it would have been worth 

 Is. to Is. 6c?. more. The barrel was sold for 19.s-.: the 

 sale expenses amounted to 3s., packing, freight, and 

 shipping expenses to 9.9. 



Messrs. Pink & Sons suggest that if a net return of 

 1.5.S-. to lO.s. would be considered satisfactory, further 

 shipments might be made, but preferably in small 

 rpiantities at a time at first. 



The Production of Maple Sugar. 



According to an interesting article in the Suyar 

 Flantcrs Jnurnal, the largest producers of maple 

 sugar products are the States of Ohio, Vermont, and 

 New York. Of all the species of maple, the sugar 

 maple and the black maple yield the most and the 

 best sap. 



The old method of collecting the sap by making 

 a diagonal cut in the tree has long been abandoned in 

 favour of boring a hole, 1 inch deep and § inch across, 

 into the sunny side of trees over 12 inches in diameter. 

 LTsually only one hole is made in each tree. 

 Improvements have also been made in the methods of 

 handling the sap. 



Although the output from maple trees has 

 decreased iluring the last twenty years, the demand 

 for both the sugar and the syrup has constantly 

 increased. This means that the trade has been 

 supplied by adulterated products and fabrications. 

 In fact, it is estimated that seven-eighths of what is 

 sold as maple is a .spurious article. Consequently the 

 jirice of the pure article is kept down, and a forest of 

 maples is not as profitable to its owner as it might 

 otherwise be. 



