200 



THE AGUICULTURAL KEVff^. 



July 1, 1905. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department ot 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All apphcations for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

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Liral AijenU: :Messr.-;. Boweii & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Ciirbaflo.s. London Agrnt^: Mossrs. Dukiu & 

 Co., 37, Soho Sauare, W., ami The West India Com- 

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



The Agricultural News: Price 1-/. per number, 

 post free lid. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2.*. 2'/. Post free. Sx. :i,l. 



Jigriniltni-al ^Icii'ii 



Cotton Lands at Montserrat. 



In view of the e.xtension uf cotton growing in the 

 Leeward Islands it may be mentioned that there are 

 areas of land near the town of Plymouth in the island 

 of Montserrat offered ibr sale, or, if preferred, on lea.se 

 on advantageous terms to any one underfc.Mking the 

 cultivation of cotton. 



The Imperial Commissiduer of Agriculture (Head 

 OtHce, Barbados) will be hap])y to afford information 

 on the subject. 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, JULY 1, 190o. No. S4. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in the present issue reviews brieHy 

 the progress that has been made in connexion with the 

 fumigation of imported plants. 



Particulars will be found on pp. 194-5 of a sliding 

 scale of payment which it is proposed^ to adopt for 

 buying farmers' canes in Trinidad. Notes are also 

 pulilished in connexion with th(> sugai- industry in 

 Porto Kico and Cuba,. 



A 



on gro 



n interesting and practical article by Mr. Belling 

 wing roses in St. Kitt's appears on ]). 1!)7. 



Notes of particular interest to cotton growers will 

 be found on pp. 198-9. A useful conference of cotton 

 growers was held at Barbados on June 24. 



The injurious insects discussed in this issue (see 

 J). 2U2) are the Egyjjtian cotton worm (a ditterent 

 insect from that known to West Indian cotton growers) 

 and the fruit fly. In regard to the latter, efforts arc 

 being made in various parts of the world to make u.se 

 of its natural enemies as a means of control. 



Cacao planters in the West Indies are likely to be 

 interested in the account on p. 208 of the cultivation 

 of cacao in Samoa; also in the discussion on the 

 disposal of diseased cacao husks. 



An interesting account of the Bath Sj)rings at 

 Nevis is reproduced on p. 201). The extracts on p. 207 

 from the animal report of the Inspector of Schools in 

 Jamaica would appear to indicate that progress is 

 being made in connexion with intro(bu;ing the teacliing 

 of agriculture into the elementary schools in Jamaica. 



Anguilla Agricultural Society. 



An Agricultural Society has been formed at 

 Anguilla with Mr. C. Rey as Honorary Secretary. At 

 the first meeting, held on June 9, it was proposed by 

 ]\[r. C. Rey, seconded by the Rev. W. 1). Edwards, and 

 carried unanimously : ' that the Honorary Secretary be 

 instructed to communicate with the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for information with reference to 

 the preparation of farine from bitter cassava.' During 

 the discussion on this subject it was pointed out that, 

 while the bitter cassava yielded most abundantly in 

 Anguilla and was highly valued as a food, nothing was 

 known in the island of the pi-eparation of fiirine. 



The island of Anguilla is to be congratulated on 

 the formation (jf an Agricultural Society which is to be 

 wished every success in its endea\ours to improve the 

 agricultural interests of the dependency. The society 

 will receive the hearty co-ojjeration of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture. 



Bermuda Onion Industry. 



According to the Ainitml licpurt recently issued, 

 the onion crop of 1904. was an exceptionally large one, 

 the exports amounting to o87,S39 crates and 18G 

 barrels of the value of £74,102. The value of the 1903 

 crop was .£.55,020. The average price per crate in 1904 

 was 3.--'. 10(/., as compared with 4.s'. 4'?. in 1903. 



The colony has realized the desirability of securing 

 other markets than those of the United States for its 

 onions, and a Committee of the Board of Agriculture 

 was appointed to superintend the shipment of onions 

 to the principal cities of Canada, the Legislature having 

 voted £1,000 for this purpose. 'The shipments — 

 2,500 crates of onions — were so made at a cost of £520. 

 The sales and all expenses connected therewith showed 

 an actual loss of £230 on the venture. . . The 

 Committee in their report state that, in their opinion, 

 the loss was again dwv to circumstances of a very 

 unusual character, and the\- suggest that another 

 effort should be made during the crop season of 1905. 



Reference was made in the last issue of the 

 Agrlcidtiiral News (p. 17!)) to an attempt to introduce 

 the Bermuda onion into the London market. 



The Superintendent of the Public Garden is 

 carrying out experiments that would appear to be of 

 considerable importance to the colony in the production 

 of onion seed. Mr. Harris' object is to ob\'iate. if 

 possible, the dependence of Bermuda on the Tenerife 

 crop. During 1904, 5 tons 8 cwt. of seed were 

 imported from Tenerife, at a declared value of £2,007. 



