264 



THE AGRICrLTUKAL NEWS. 



A-Jcr>T -26, 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 Agents : Jlessrs. Boweii & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulan & 

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

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

 Agents will be found at foot of page 3 of the covei\ 



The Agricidtm'al Xews : Price Irf. per number, 

 post free lid. Annual subscription paj-able to Agents, 

 2.<!. 2d. Po'st free, 3-?. od. 



glgriciiltiiral |]inu!j 



Vol. IV. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 190-5. Xo. S8. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The position of the cocoa-nut industry in the West 

 Indies is briefly reviewed in the editorial in this issue. 



Information in regard to the establishment of 

 central sugar factories at Jamaica is published on 

 pp. 258-9. This is followed by a short article 

 describing Avhat has already been accomplished by the 

 Naudet diffusion process in the West Indies. 



Interest attaches to a brief note by Dr. Watts on 

 p. 2G2 on the satisfactory position of the cotton 

 industry at Xevis. This is followed by a further 

 article on ratooning cotton. There is also published 

 a statement of the results obtained in connexion 

 with the extensive series of manurial experiments with 

 cotton in the Leeward Islands. 



An illu^^trated note on the cotton aphis and some 

 of its natural enemies appears on p. 2(J0. This is 

 ibllowed by a short note on a beetle which has 

 appeared in some of the cotton fields. It is not 

 anticipated that this will prove a serious pest. 



Information will be found on ]). 2(i7 relative to 

 the composition and application of sheep manure. 

 (_)n the same page is a note on tarpon fishing in the 

 island of Barbuda. 



On p. 209 will be found a short descriptive article 

 by Mr. W. G. Freen)an on the Dominica exhibit at 

 the Colonial Exhibition. Though unrepresented by 

 a comprehensive official exhibit, Dominica products are 

 exhibited by tv,-o enterprising firms. 



Price of Pa.ris Green. 



In reference to the supply and price of Paris green 

 in Barbados it should be mentioned for the information 

 of cotton growers and other.s using this article that 

 during the present season the retail price of this 

 insecticide has been raised from dd. to Is. per lb., 

 although the piincipal suppliers had agreed to sell at 

 the lower price. 



The price of Paris green has similarly been raised 

 at Antigua. 



It is right to state that this rise in price is due 

 entirely to an advance in the wholesale trade in the 

 United States, and not to mere caprice on the part of 

 local mei chants. 



Agriculture in British Guiana. 



In his Annual Report as Commissioner of the 

 Essequebo and Pomeroon districts of Britisli Guiana, 

 Mr. M. McTurk refers to the agricultural possibilities 

 of the district. 



In the Essequebo territory there are quantities of 

 balata and rubber trees: upon the latter Dr. Bovalius, 

 who has obtained a concession, reports favourably. 

 There is very little permanent cultivation in the 

 district. Provisions are grown, and the Indians grow 

 enough tobacco, of which a fine quality thrives \vell, 

 tor their own needs. Green-heart is the onlv timber 

 exported, and it is getting more and more difficult to 

 find mature trees with the limits which the lack of 

 ti'ansportation facilities defines. 



On the Pomeroon the drawbacks to cultivation 

 are the want of steady labour and good drainage. 

 Coffee and cacao are now both being cultivated; 

 machinery has been introduced for puljiing the former, 

 ^\hich is gi'own in considerable (juantity. Many 

 thousands of cocoa-nuts are shipped to Georgetown, 

 and their cultivation is extending. 



Trinidad Fruit Trade. 



At a meeting of the Trinidad Agricultural Society 

 held on August S, it was announced by his Excellency 

 the Governor that a company had been forme<l in 

 England by the Royal ]\[ail Steam Packet Company 

 with a capital of £50,000, for the purpose of shipping 

 fruit from Ti'inidad for European ports. The company 

 would be represented in Trinidad by Mr. E. C. Skinner, 

 the representative of the Royal Mail Company, as local 

 director, and Mr. Frank Pink (of the firm of Messrs. 

 William Pink &; Sons) had joined the company in 

 England. 



He said that as the Royal Mail Company- would 

 have the largest share in the comjjany, they might be 

 relied upon to do their best for the carriage of the fruit. 



The Legislative Council on August 7 passed 

 a resolution authorizing the granting of a subsidy to 

 this company in the form of an annual grant for 

 a period of five years equal to 5 per cent, on the actual 

 paid-up capital of the company up to £15,000. 



It is reported that a number of banana plantations 

 have been laid out, while, in addition, a large quantity 

 of bananas are grown as shade for cacao. 



