216 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July lb, 1905. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well 

 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Local Agi'ittf. Jlessr.s. Bowi^ii & Son.s, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 15, Seething Lane, E.G. A complete list of 

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



The Agricidttiral JVevs : Price U. per number, 

 post free l.U/. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Po'st free, 3s. 3d. 



Agricultural ^leiiii 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, JULY lo, 190.5. No. 8-5. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in the present i.ssue deals with 

 a meeting of cotton growers hold in Barbados to 

 consider the advisability of forming a limited liability 

 company for the purpose of assuming the control of the 

 Central Cotton Factory. 



A summary of a descriptive article by Mr. W. G. 

 Freeman on the Trinidad exhibit at the Colonial and 

 Indian Exhibition will be found on p. 211. 



Extracts from an interesting account of the habits 

 of the tarpon are published on p. 213. 



The ' Cotton Notes' in this issue contain a review 

 of the position of the industry in St. Vincent. The 

 outlook for cotton in that island would appear to be 

 particularly bright (see pp. 214—5). On the latter page 

 will also be found suggestions by Dr. Watts with regard 

 to the planting of lime trees. 



Brief entomological notes of interest will be found 

 <jn p. 218. These deal with the ' red maggot' of cotton, 

 which is a somewhat conmion pest in Barbados, and 

 with the identification of some West Indian OiilLoptcra. 



The account on j). 219 of successful experiments 

 in the use of Gastilloa as a shade tree in cacao planta- 

 tions is likely to prove of interest to cacao planters in 

 the West Indies, where it has been suggested that this 

 practice might be adopted. 



Brief reviews of recently issued departmental 

 reports will be found on p. 221. On p. 222 arc reports 

 on the recent half-yearly examinations at the West 

 Indian Agricultural Schools. 



Tarpon in the West Indies. 



Elsewhere in this issue an interesting account of 

 the tarpon is reproduced. Readers of the A(j ricidtural 

 Neics will be well aware that this fish occurs through- 

 out the West Indies, and notes on its occurrence in 

 Jamaica, British Guiana, Trinidad, and other islands, 

 were published in the first volume of this journal, 

 where catches of some very large fish are recorded. 



This is one of the best of game fishes in the tropics, 

 and affords excellent sport which should prove attrac- 

 tive to winter visitors in these islands. It is also 

 known as 'kuffum ' or 'cufifum' in some of the islands. 

 The tarpon is found in the sea, in creeks, in rivers, 

 and in salt lagoons. 



ToflFenberg Goats at Barbados. 



The Toffenberg goat ' Pauline,' the fine milking 

 goat introduced by the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture in January 1903, has suddenly died at 

 Halton estate, Barbados, from acute cholic. As 

 noted in the Agricidtitral Xeivs (p. 172), ' Pauline' 

 in March last gave birth to three male kids, and for 

 some time after they were weaned, she gave on 

 an average 7 pints of milk dail^-. Including the two 

 kids that arrived with her in 1903, she had given birth 

 to .seven kids — six males and one female. 



'Bruce' the handsome Toffenberg 'billy' that 

 came out with ' Pauline,' is in splendid condition ; as 

 also a son of his ' Wallace ' at Halton estate. Another 

 son ' Paul ' is at St. Vincent. 



West Indian Botanic Stations. 



The Annual Repoi'ts of the several Botanic 

 Stations in the West Indies, for the year ended 

 March 31 last, have been prepared and will be published 

 with as little delay as possible. The report on the 

 Experiment Station at Tortola, Virgin Islands, has 

 already been issued and is briefly reviewed elsewhere 

 in this number of the Agrieidfaral News. It is 

 exjiected that the report on the Botanic Station, 

 Agricultural School, etc., at St. Vincent will bo ready 

 for distribution by next mail. 



These reports record a large amount of valuable 

 work in connexion, not only with the routine work of 

 the gardens, but more especially with the growth and 

 distribution of economic plants and the establishment 

 of new industries. Thus, in several of the reports 

 useful and practical information will be found in 

 reference to the cultivation of cotton in the West 

 Indies, in connexion with which the local officers of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture have rendered 

 signal service. 



A feature to which greater prominence is being 

 given in these reports is a record of the efforts to 

 introduce the teaching of the principles of agriculture 

 in the primary and secondary schools. 



Tlicse reports, as soon as published, will be 

 obtainable from all agents for the sale the Depart- 

 ment's publications at the small cost of a few pence. 



