338 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



XoVEMBEE 11, 1905. 



Efforts are now being made in St. Lucia to 

 encourage the cultivation of the Chinese banana. 

 Preparations are being made at the school to cultivate 

 this banana with the view of making experimental 

 shipments and of increasing the number of plants 

 available for distribution. In previous trials strong 

 suckers planted in June produced eight- and nine-hand 

 bunches in April and May of the following year. This 

 would appear to be a very suitable cultivation for 

 St. Lucia, as it is hopeil I hat adequate shipping facilities 

 can be secured by means of the Roj'al Mail steamers. 



Woolless sheep, Belgian hares, and bees are being 

 successfully maintained at the school. Pupils are 

 instructed in the best methods of bee keeping, and 

 arrangements are being made to extend the apiary so 

 that each boy can have a hive to himself. 



The report of the Agricultural Instructor shows 

 that three cacao plots were in operation, and seven 

 cotton plots. The Soufricrc cacao plot has shown 

 steady increases in yield since it was taken over in the 

 year 1900-1. The other cacao plots, owing, apparently, 

 to deficient rainfall, have not given as good returns as 

 in the previous year. As showing the beneficial effect 

 of these plots, it may be mentioned that the Agri- 

 cultural Instructor reports that several estates now 

 have their own experiment plots and are adopting the 

 methods that have been demonstrated in the Depart- 

 ment's plots to be successful. 



The results of the experiments in cotton growing, 

 which have been carried on at eight different ))oints 

 scattered over the island, were not, owing to the 

 abnormal season, altogether conclusive. The\- indicate, 

 however, that Sea Island cotton can be successfully 

 grown in St. Lucia. The cultiv.ation expenses in the 

 first year are somewhat higher in St. Lucia than in 

 some of the other islands, but in the second year the 

 returns are likely to be satisfactory. 



In spite of what has been done by the Department 

 and by the AgriciUtural Society, which provided the 

 funds for woiking the plots in the country districts, 

 the prospects of a cotton industry at St. Lucia are not 

 encouraging. Success can only be obtained by the 

 larger planters taking up the cultivation of Sea Island 

 cotton, which variety alone offers remunerative returns. 

 There are districts in St. Lucia where, if the soil were 

 well cultivated and the worm promptly dealt with. Sea 

 Island cotton could do as well as in any part of the 

 West Indies. 



In his report, Mr. Hudson discusses many points 

 of vital interest to cacao planters. Interesting ob.serva- 



tions are made upon such questions as the use of 

 leguminous plants for green dressing, shade trees and 

 wind-breaks, and other problems which require to be 

 solved at the present time, to which end much useful 

 work can be contributed b>' the planters themselves. 



An interesting minor industry of much promise is 

 the keeping of bees. Mr. Hudson has devoted much 

 attention to this and has met with considerable 

 success. In 1902 there were onl}- seventy colonies of 

 bees in the island ; at the time of writing he was able 

 to report 400 colonies, nearly all of which are worked 

 for extracted honey. In 1904 about 4 tons of honSy 

 were exported in addition to local .sales. 



It may be added that the St. Lucia Agricultural 

 Society has encouraged the establisiiment of school 

 gardens. During the year £5 was devoted to prizes. 

 Such encouragement is likely to have a useful effect in 

 aiding this important branch of agricultural education. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Improvement in Sugar-cane. 



In a paper on ' Improvement in Plants,' read 

 before an agricultural conference held in Queensland in 

 IVIay last, Mr. Edward Grimley, Secretary of the 

 Queensland Acclimatization Society, made the following 

 .'illusion to work in connexion with the improvement of 

 the sugar-cane : — 



In British Guiana, in 190-f, the acreage of seedling 

 .sugar-canes was 1,882 and the increase of sugar per acre was 

 .31 per cent, over the acreage grown under Bourbon, the 

 standard variety. It may not be out of place here to mention 

 that one of the seedling canes imimrted b}' the Queensland 

 Acclimatization Society, named B. 208, and since distributed, 

 has given exceptionally good returns. We have now 

 a report from Jlessrs. Gibson, of Bingera, which gives 

 a return of 69 tons 6 cwt. of cane to the acre, with 22'2 per 

 cent, of sucrose and Brix. 23'9, or 21 '4.3 per cent, of possible 

 obtainable cane sugar, or over 14 tons to the acre. These 

 results were obtained under irrigation, and the experimental 

 plot was well manured. The average yield in Queensland 

 per acre for the last seven years was l."5'16 tons, so that 

 B. 208 gave more sugar per acre than the average tons of 

 canes per acre in Queensland. 



Sufficient is said to show that an advance is being made; 

 at all events, enough to show that in time we shall get 

 a 20-per cent, cane with fair weight to the acre. Such a cane 

 would drive beet sugar out of cultivation, unless protected 

 by high duties. 



Jlr. .James ilitcliell, tlie overseer of the Queen.sland 

 Acclimatization Society, has lately given attention to the 

 hybridization of sugar-canes, and claims that he has a few 

 hybridized plants from which he expects great results. Tlie 

 society I represent can fairly claim, with the Colonial 

 Sugar Refining Companj', to be in the front rank in Australia 

 in trying to improve sugar-cane. 



