Vol. IV. No. 80. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



133 



I hold no such erroneous views as are attributed to me in 

 the JVfsfer)! Morning Ke>fs. The shipment of the .Jamaica 

 bananas to New Yorlc liegan in a small way about thirty 

 years ago, i.e., before I came to the West Indies. As it was 

 i'ound that the fruit carried very well to New York without 

 being jiacked in crates, that plan was generally ado[ited and 

 has been continued to the present time. When the question 

 came up for .Jamaica fruit to be brought to England, I was the 

 first to urge on Sir Alfred .Jones the desiraliility of packing the 

 Jamaica bananas in exactly the same way as the Canary 

 • bananas, but I was assured that, owing to the enormous 

 quantity shiiijied at one time, it would be impossible to find 

 crates enough for the purpose. Further, I was informed 

 that the i)rice likely to be obtained for .Jamaica bananas 

 would not justify placing them in crates as they aie intrin- 

 sicall}' not so good as the Canary and Barbados sorts. It is 

 singular how this misapprehension of my views has come 

 about. I suppose it is because I have accepted the position 

 taken up by the exporters of .Jamaica bananas as inevitable.' 

 I think it is only right, considering the excellent work 

 that has been, and is still being, done in the West Indies by 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture that Sir Daniel 

 jNlorris' correct views on this important subject should be 

 known. 



(Sgd.) .JOHN E. JACKSON. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE LEEWARD 

 ISLANDS. 



The following interesting sumniar}- of agricultural 

 oporation.s in the Leeward Islands is extracted from the 

 Annual Report on the colon}- for 1903-4 : — 



The estimated acreage of cultivated land in Antigua is 

 16,481 acres out of 52,794 acres, in St. Kitt's-Nevis 

 (exclusive of Anguilla) 18,268 out of 7.5,.520 acres. In 

 Dominica there are about 177, -549 acres of uncultivated land, 

 of which about 80,000 are Crown lands suitable for 

 cultivation. 



Sugar constitutes the chief agricultural industry of 

 Antigua, St. Kitt's-Nevis, and Montserrat ; the production of 

 lime juice, essential oil of limes, and cacao forms the main 

 industries of Dominica, while considerable quantities of lime 

 juice are exported from Montserrat. 



In Antigua there are e.stablished ten, and in St. Kitt's 

 nine, local sugar experiment stations, where experiments are 

 being carried on, in order to select and introduce into local 

 cultivation the most piroductive varieties of sugar-cane, and 

 also to ascertain the manurial requirements of the sugar-cane 

 wider the .special conditions prevailing in various localities. 

 The work at these stations is carried on jointly by officers 

 working in connexion with the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture and by the planters. The experiments are 

 followed with great interest : reports of the work done are 

 published annually and have had an important bearing on 

 the work of the sugar plantations. The cultivation of new 

 varieties of sugar-cane continues to make progress throughout 

 the colony ; as a consequence diseases of sugar-cane have 

 occasioned comparatively little loss of late years. The 

 manurial experiments have also afforded results of importance 

 calculated to lead to economies and precision in working, and 

 thereby to afford substantial monetary savings. 



In Antigua there has been maintained in connexion 

 ■with the Botanic Station a small station for the experimental 

 cultivation of various economic plants other than sugar-cane ; 

 here experiments have been conducted with yams, sweet 

 jiotatos, eddos, guinea corn, corn (maize), beans, cotton, and 



a variety of other products of interest. Similar work has 

 also been done in connexion with the Ex[)eriment Stations in 

 Montserrat, and a small station of a like nature has been 

 started in St. Kitt's. 



The cultivation of cotton has attracted much attention 

 during the year. The British Cotton-growing Association 

 has given valuable assistance in the way of money, 

 machinery, and advice, the energies of the association being 

 largely directed through the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. A ginnery, with a steam engine, an oil engine, 

 three gins, and a baling press, has been erected in Antigua. 

 A ginnery has been erected in Nevis by private enrerprise, 

 assisted by the British Cotton-growing Association. In 

 St. Kitt's the operation of the privately-owned ginnery has 

 been continued. In Montserrat one privately-owned ginnery 

 and two ginneries assisted by the British Cotton-growing 

 Association have been steadily worked. The cultivation of 

 Sea Island cotton has been widely exteuded, a considerable 

 acreage being placed under this crop in each island, except 

 Dominica, which is not thought so suitable for the industry. 

 The cultivation promises to be successful, though obviously 

 those embarking in it will have to acquire skill by experience, 

 and some years must elapse before the best results are 

 realized. The industry is likely to be of great importance 

 to Montserrat, Nevis, and Anguilla, where the sugar 

 industry is carried on under difficulties. 



The lime industry of Montserrat appears to be fairly 

 and substantially re-established. In Dominica this industry 

 has been making steady progress, though adverse circumstan- 

 ces seriously reduced the output in 1903. 



The cultivation of cacao has been steadily extended in 

 Dominica, and is of growing importance to that presidency. 



Onions continue to be successfully shipped, chiefly from 

 Antigua, though the cultivation of this crop is now being 

 taken up in Montserrat, St. Kitt's-Nevis, and the Virgin 

 Islands. 



The pine-apple industry of Antigua continues to be 

 energetically carried on, considerable .shipments being made. 



Botanic Stations or their equivalents, are established in 

 every presidency, and herein are conducted experiments 

 with, and experimental cultivations of, various plants adapted 

 to local conditions, either with the object of improving the 

 cultivation of established kinds, or of introducing improved 

 varietie.s, or of introducing entirely new plants with the hope 

 of establishing new industries. These stations serve as 

 centres from which economic [dants are distributed to local 

 cultivators, who readily avail themselves of the facilities 

 thus offered. 



The cultivation of tobacco on an experimental scale has 

 been continued in Antigua and St. Kitt's. From results 

 obtained at the latter island, there appears to be reasonable 

 ground to hope for the establishment of a cigar-tobacco 

 industry there in the course of time, as the soil appears very 

 suitable for the cultivation of tobacco of that grade. 



Agricultural Shows have been held each year in Antigua 

 and Dominica at the instance, and under the direction, of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture. At these shows 

 prizes are awarded by the Department and the local Govern- 

 ments for the best exhibits in each class of a widely 

 comprehensive list, and thus much is done to further the 

 economic industries of the islands. 



The West Indian Bulletin, or journal of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture (quarterly), affords much informa- 

 tion concerning the work of the Department in the Leeward 

 Islands and elsewhere. A fortnightly publication of the 

 Department, the Agricultural News, affords information 

 on current events of agricultural interest. 



