1S8 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 17, 1905 



GLEANINGS. 



The Curator of the Botanic Station at Tobago announces 

 that seeds of Castilloa elastica are now avaikxble and will lie 

 forwarded to those making application for them. 



The average yield of rice (paddy) in British Guiana, on 

 lands [iroperly irrigated and properly drained, is about 

 28 bags (of 120 lf>. each) to the acre. Such a 3-ield is found 

 exceediiiirly remunerative to the grower. 



In reference to the [iroposal to cultivate broom corn for 

 the Canadian market, it is of interest to note that, according 

 to the St'if/sfiiyi/ YearhuoL- of Canada, the value of the 

 imiiorts of this product from the I'nited States amounted in 

 1902 to 8202,487. 



The output of canned pine-ap[iles from Hawaii in 1903 

 was about 8,000 cases (1 case contains twenty-four cans, 

 averaging 2 tt). each) ; that of 190-t was some 20,000 case.s, 

 while the output for 1905 is estimated to reach fi.5,000 cases. 

 {Comidar Report for 1903-4.) 



Throe Agriculturnl Banks have been started in the 

 parish of Mancliester, .lamaica. These are not Itaiti'eisen 

 banks but are on the lines of Schulze's Credit As.sociations 

 (see pp. 32-3 of Pamphlet Xo. 3-5) except that the liability is 

 limited to the amount of one share. 



It was estimated that the local consumption of cocoa- 

 nut oil in Trinidad in 1902 was 700,000 gallons. In the 

 same year 1G,000 gallons were exported, in addition to the 

 exports of coiira (414 tons). This, with the exports of nuts, 

 re[)resents a crn[i of aliout -50 millions of nuts. 



The rainfall at the Experiment Station, Tortola, lor tlie 

 year ended ilarch 31 last, amounted to 47-74 inches. This 

 was 8 '06 inches below tlie average of the last four years 

 (.5.j'80 inches) and unevenly distributed ; the station 

 suti'ered from drought, particularly in .lunc and -July 1904. 



A steam factory for the extraction of albumen from 

 eggs has been established at Chinkiang, China, and this 

 product, to the value of £G,376, was exported to Loudon 

 during 1904. Preserved egg jolk, valued at £4,17G, also 

 figures in the exports, and nearly 4,500,000 egg.s, fresh and 

 preserved. (Confii/ar licpm-t.) 



The value of sugar, molas.ses, etc., sent to Canada, in 

 tlie year ended .June 30, 1904, from British Guiana was 

 about ,£430,000; in 1900 it was as low as £8,000. The 

 imi'orts into Canada have advanced from >?878,617 in 1900 

 to S4,815,7.")8 in 1904. Of the Ia.st figure, 84,3.52,117 is for 

 sugar, molasses, etc. {Our Western Empire.) 



The !Montserrat Ihrald of May 27 contains a letter from 

 a Surinam correspondent describing cacao cultivation in the 

 latter colony. A number of the estates now dry their produce 

 by artificial heat ; a few have also machinery for sorting the 

 beans according to size. 



An experiment with a steam saw-mill, to -demonstrate 

 the commercial value of the timber in the forests of the 

 interior, is in course of progress at Dominica. Now that the 

 building of the Imperial road has removed many of the 

 difficulties of transport, it is hoped to be able to transport 

 lumber to the coast to comiiete with inniorted material. 



A meeting of East Indians, under the jnesidency of 

 Mr. Nadirally Khan, was recently held at Essequibo, British 

 Guiana, at which an interesting discussion took place on the 

 subject of rice cultivation, ijarticularly with regard to the 

 varieties best suited to the colony. It was decided to ask 

 the Board of Agriculture to import different varieties of 

 paddy from India. 



According to the recently issued Consular Rtport on 

 Truxillo for the year 1904, the chief exports of this district 

 of the reimblic of Honduras are rubber, sarsaparilla, dried 

 hides, deer-skins, and mahogany. The exports of rubber 

 amounted to 20,661 B>. About 1,000 head of cattle were 

 exported to Belize, British Honduras, and 9,000 to the 

 island of Cuba. 



The Trinidad cacao crop is short this year, the exports 

 being 16,816,485 B)., as against 2-5,469,570 in 1904. The 

 exports of cocoa-nuts are gradually increasing, the figures 

 being, 1903, 26,227; 1904, 3,796,725; 190-5, 4,616,940. 

 Up to Jlay 31, the amount of manjak shi[iped was 420 ton.s, 

 as compared with 167 tons for the corresponding period of 

 last year. 



Considerable damage has been done to wiud-ljreaks, on 

 some of the Land Settlement estates at St. A'iucent, by the 

 careless use of fire. In consequence, a notice has been 

 is.sued forbidding allottees to use fire on their lands without 

 first obtaining written iiermission from the Agricultural 

 Instructor or other duly authorized officer of the Agricultural 

 Department. 



Messrs. Latham, Alexander it Co., of New York, have 

 is.sued an estimate of the cotton acreage of the United States 

 for 1905, which they consider as ai>prcixiniately correct as 

 could be secured by direct communication with parties 

 competent to judge. The total estimated decrease of cotton 

 acreage is 111 per cent., or .3,558,870 acres less than last 

 year. The decrease for South Carolina is 9 per cent., or 

 231,570 acres. 



An important meeting of Trinidad sugar estates' 

 proprietors was held at the West India Committee Rooms on 

 Thursday, Jlay 18, to consider vaiious questions regarding 

 cane farming in Trinidad. Sir Nevile Lubbock presided, 

 and there were present : Mr. Norman Lamont, il. P., 

 ilr. Lionel G. Arbuthnot, Jlr. George Christall, and !Mr. W. A. 

 Tennant. A provisional agreement was arrived at regarding 

 payment for canes, which it is hoped will prove acceptable 

 to proiuietors and cane fanners alike, and copies of this have 

 been sent out to the colony. (!)'(,<? India Connni-ltee 

 Circular.) 



