Vol. IY. No. 89. 



THE AGKICULTUEAL NEWS. 



2SI 



Cotton Exports from the West Indies. 



The statistics published on pp. 278-9, showing the 

 amount and estimated value of Sea Island cotton 

 exported from the West Indian Colonies during the 

 quarter and half-year, respectivel3% ended June -iO last, 

 are of distinct interest. It will be seen that very 

 decided jjrogress has been made. 



The table on p. 279 shows the half-year's output 

 from the various islands arranged in the order of the 

 value of the cotton exported. Barbados heads this 

 list with an e.xport of -589 bales of the estimated value 

 ■oi £10,-H8. Nevis comes second with (3-58 bales, 

 valued at £6, .582, and is followed by St. Vincent, 

 St. Kitt's, and Montserrat. 



The largest number of bales shipped from a single 

 colony is (567 from Grenada. As, however, most of this 

 Avas Marie Galante cotton, which realizes a much lower 

 price than Sea Island, the value of the cotton exports 

 from Grenada were only £2,-509. The total exports from 

 the West Indies during the six months amounted to 

 3,207 bales, of the estimated value of £34,915. 



It may be mentioned that the following telegram 

 has been received by the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture from the British Cotton-growivig Associa- 

 tion : — 



'Congratulate you, your statf and planters on the 

 marvellous success of the cotton crop.' 



Agricultural Progress at St. Kitt's-Nevis. 



Keportsby Dr. Wa-tts on recent visits to St. Kitt's- 

 Nevis bear testimony to the agricultural progress in 

 the presidency. Elsewhere in this issue is published 

 a note on the sugar industry at St. Kitt's. It is 

 recorded that the crop has been satisfactory during the 

 past year and the prospects for the future ;ire very 

 favourable. Attention is drawn to the advantage the 

 island has reaped from the introduction of new 

 varieties of canes, and to the lively interest taken by 

 the planters in the sugar-cane experiments. 



The cotton industry is fairly established at 

 St. Kitt's and has, so far, proved remunerative, 

 ■especially in consequence of the small cost of cultiva- 

 tion, since the cotton is grown as a catch crop with 

 sugar-cane. 



The position of the cotton industry at Nevis is 

 ■even more satisfactory. This ^^as referred to in the 

 last issue of the Agricidtarul Neus (p. 2(j2). Cotton 

 ■growing has proved distinctly remunerative at Nevis 

 and a considerably increased production is looked 

 •forward to next season. 



Both at St. Kitt's and Nevis etForts arc being 

 made to extend the cidtivation of cacao, which bids 

 fair to prove remunerative. Rubber trees also are 

 being planted at St. Kitt's in considerable numbers. 

 Dr. Watts concludes his report: 'In all of which 

 there is much that is hopeful, and one now feels that 

 there is in St. Kitt's a more marked tendency towards 

 progress and a readiness to adopt new ideas. . . Owing 

 chiefly to cotton, and to developments on the agri- 

 cultural side, the prospects of Nevis appear brighter 

 than I have ever known them.' 



Crown Lands at St. Lucia. 



According to the report on the Crown Lands and 

 Survey Dei)artment, St. Lucia, for 1904, 122 applica- 

 tions were received during the year for a total of 

 843 acres. Of these seventy-five matured (that is, v.ere 

 accepted, fees paid thereon, and surveys carried out), 

 leaving a balance of forty-eight to be dealt with during 

 the following 3'ear. 



Of these applications 10.5 are for blocks of 10 acres 

 and under, while seventeen exceed 10 acres in extent. 

 The Commissioner of Crown Lrnds reports that these 

 facts show that the agricultural labourer is gradually 

 acquiring his own holding and settling upon the land. 



Wood cutting upon high lands is carefully watched, 

 and every effort made to prevent it taking place upon 

 lands of the Crown. Unfortunately, many private 

 individuals, either through ignorance or wilful neglect, 

 allow their hill tops to be cleared of forest growth. 

 Efforts are made to get these people to appreciate the 

 value of forests in connexion with the water supply. 



The demand for economic plants for free distribu- 

 tion has increased, amounting during the year to 4,305, 

 as against 975 in the previous year. The difficulty in 

 transporting boxes of plants by the jioasants, who must 

 ' head ' them to their lands, deters many from availing 

 themselves of this great advantage. 



Butter Making in Trinidad. 



Mr. C. W. Meadeii, Manager of the Trinidad 

 Government Stock Farm, read an interesting j^aper 

 (published in the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. VI, 

 no. 2) at the last West Indian Agricultural Conference 

 on experiments carried out at the farm in connexion 

 with butter making. 



Mechanical separation of the cream is essential in 

 the tropics on account of the long delay required by the 

 settling pi'ocess. The separator used at the farm was 

 an Alpha-Laval with a capacity for separating 55 

 gallons of milk per hour. It can be worked by one 

 strong boy. 



The cream w.is placed in a 'Champion' churn, 

 having a capacity of 3 gallons, with an end-over-end 

 movement. Churning was done from 6 to 7 a.m., 

 when the temperature was about 75" F. Brine was 

 successfully used for salting. The butter was worked 

 with an ordinary butter worker; for small quantities 

 Scotch ' hands ' can be used. 



A good starter is neces.sary, as it hastens the 

 development of lactic acid and controls, to a great 

 extent, the flavour of the butter. This was prepared 

 by setting a sufficient quantity of the separated milk 

 in a special vessel covered with muslin about 4 p.m., 

 the vessel being placed in the sun in the morning t(j 

 hasten fermentation. After ten or twelve hours the 

 curd is removed, and the whey is ready to be arlded to 

 the cream. 



A point of special interest in connexion with these 

 experiments is that it has been demonstrated that it 

 is possible to turn out a good, firm butter without the 

 use of ice. 



