Vol. IV. No. 86. 



THE AGRIOULTUKAL NEWS. 



2.3.3 



Cane Farming at Trinidad. 



Attention has been drawn in the Foii-of-Spala 

 Gazette to a note in the Agricultural A^ctcs of May 28, 

 1903 (p. 172), that 'nearly 2,000 acres of .sugar-cane 

 are now under cultivation by cane farnier.s in Trinidad.' 

 It is impossible, after the lapse of more than two years, 

 to give the authority for this note, but as it appeared 

 under the head of ' Gleanings' it is probable that it was 

 taken over from a Trinidad publication. No misappre- 

 hension could, however, have arisen on the subject as 

 in the Agricultural Neivs of November 21, 1903 

 (p. 370), there were published in full the actual figures 

 given by Professor Carmody in his paper on ' The 

 Industrial Resources of Trinidad' in Iniluntrial 

 Trill iilad (p. 604). Further, the returns of the Trinidad 

 cane farmers' crop for seven years (1898-1904) were 

 published in the Agricultural AVaw of October 8, 1904 

 .(p. 322). The most recent information in regard to 

 this subject, contained in a paper read at the 

 last Agricultural Conference by Professor Carmody, 

 was published in the West ImJian Bulletin (Vol. VI, 

 pp. 3-7). It will therefore be seen that the fullest 

 information has been placed in the hands of the 

 readers of the publications of the Imperial Department 



• of Agriculture, with regard to the position of cane 

 farming at Trinidad. 



Rats and Plague. 



The Government of Jamaica has been notified by 

 the British Consul at Panama of the presence of 

 bubonic plague in that city. The nearness of Jamaica 

 to Colon and the frequency of communication have 

 rendered it desirable that every effort should be made 

 to prevent the conveyance of this dreaded disease into 



.Jamaica. With this object the Health Officer at 

 Kingston urges a crusade against rats and mice. 



It is now well known that bubonic plague is spread 

 by the instrumentality of rats and mice. Dr. Ogilvie 

 therefore urges (1) the wholesale destruction of rats 



.and mice, and (2) their exclusion from dwellings, 

 warehouses, etc. The latter object can be gained by 

 cementing earthen basements which have been 

 burrowed by rats, packing loose-fitting holes through 

 which pipes pass, refitting doorways, and in other ways. 

 With regard to the destruction of rats, trapping 



.and poisoning (with arsenic or phosphorous) are 

 recommended. 



It woidd appear that this would be an excellent 



• opportunity for a trial of rat virus on a large 

 scale. The experiments so far carried out in the W^est 

 Indies would .seem to indicate that houses can be 



• cleared of these vermine to a considerable extent b}' 

 its use. 



Elsewhere in this issue is published a statement 

 of the results of successful trials with rat virus at 

 Antigua. Arrangements are being made by Dr. AVatts 

 for simultaneous attacks in various parts of St. John's. 

 The necessity for such action has been proved by the 

 ■ discovery that, in some cases, the rats migrated to 

 .adjoining buildings where no virus had been used. 

 Reports of the experiments with the virus in other 

 islands will follow. 



The Colonial and Indian Exhibition. 



The prominence which has been given in the 

 Agricultural Neivs to notes in reference to the 

 Colonial and Indian Exhibition has, no doubt, served 

 to indicate the importance which the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture- attaches to the adequate 

 rejjresentation of the West Indies at this im23ortant 

 exhibition. Through the efforts of the West India 

 Committee and the local committees, excellent exhibits 

 have been forwarded from several of these islands and 

 have undoubtedly attracted a great deal of attention. 

 The desirability of making known to the consumers at 

 home the capabilities and resources of the West 

 Indies has frequently been impressed upon the i-eaders 

 of the Agricultural Nev'x. 



The interesting series of descriptive articles on the 

 sevei'al exhibits by llr. W. G. Freeman in the 

 West India Committee Circular are to be followed, 

 afcer the awards of the judges have been announced, 

 by more critical notes on the preparation of the 

 articles in the exhibits. Descriptions of the Barbados 

 and Trinidad exhibits have already been published, 

 while that of Grenada is described in this issue 

 (see p. 227). 



A further note urging the appointment of perma- 

 nent exhibition committees in the West Indies will be 

 found on p. 239, where mention is made of the action 

 that has been taken by the Grenada Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society to give effect to this suggestion. 



Distribution of Economic Plants in St. Vincent. 



A very satisfactory feature of the work carried on 

 at the Botanic Station, St. Vincent, as shown in the 

 report for the year ended March 31 last (issued 

 to-day), is in connexion with the distribution of economic 

 plants. The Agricultural Superintendent reports that 

 the number of economic plants distributed, in addition 

 to cane plants, sisal bulbets, etc., was 20,256, which far 

 exceeds the number distributed in any previous year. 

 Of this total no fewer than 22,204 were cacao plants. 



This increasing demand for econonfiic plants is an 

 encouraging indication that large areas are being 

 planted in cacao and other permanent crops. As was 

 mentioned in the last issue of the Agricultural iVciwx 

 (p. 220) the exports of cured cacao from St. Vincent 

 have steadily increased since 1900. They reached 742 

 bags during last year. It is reasonable to expect that, 

 should no further catastrophe be experienced, the 

 exports will soon exceed the record before the hurricane, 

 when upwards of 1,500 bags were exported. It would 

 therefore appear that strenuous efforts are being made 

 to replace this industry in the satisfactory position 

 which it formerly occupied. 



It may be mentioned that 15,424 economic plants 

 were distributed in connexion with the Land Settle- 

 ment Scheme, of which cacao was responsible for 

 15,060. It is estimated that 32,554 economic plants 

 were growing on allotments at the end of the year 

 1904-5, 30,161 representing cacao; 2,690 are bearing- 

 trees, and over 300 young trees should come into 

 bearing next year. 



