88 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March IS, 1911. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agrirultiire, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

 the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Af/ents : Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co.. 37, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page -S of the cover. 



The Agricultural licws: Price Ic^. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Post free, 4.s. id. 



Iigritiiltiinil ftiviuH 



Vol. X. SATURDAY. MARCH IS, 1911. No. 232. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial deals in a general manner with The 

 Value of Humus, and presents some ftxcts and points 

 of view that are of the most recent discovery. 



A short article, on page S3, gives the details of an 

 estimate of the cost of sugar production in Java. 



Some facts about the varieties of kola nuts that 

 are produced in West Africa are given on page 84. 



Page 86 contains details concerning a recent 

 meeting of the Council of the British Cotton Growing 

 Association, as well as other matters of interest. 



The Insect Notes, on page 90, present an account 

 of the Entomological Research Committee, which was 

 appointed by the Colonial ( )fhce in 1 909. Special atten- 

 tion is given to the work that has been described in 

 the Journal of the Committee, which is published under 

 the title of The Bulletin of Entonnological Research. 



An abstract of a recent report on the IVIexican 

 rubber industry, with references to that of P.inama, is 

 given on page 91. 



On page 94, the Fungus Notes deal with recent 

 work with the fungi that are parasitic on scale insects. 

 The article should be of much interest to fruit growers 

 in the West Indies, especially where the trees are 

 attacked to a large extent by black blight. 



Reduction in Number of Agricultural Journals. 



The Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good 

 Hope for December 1910 contains an announcement 

 to the effect that the Government of South Africa has 

 decided to discontinue the publication of this, as well 

 as of the Natal and Transvaal Agricultural Journals, 

 and to issue one Agricultural Journal for the whole 

 Union of South Africa, in which these will be merged. 

 In making this announcement, the opinion is given 

 that gi'eat advantages will accrue to the farming 

 community, 'as such a course opens a wider field and, 

 as a consequence, gives an opportunity for greater 

 efficiency.' 



In view of the tendency toward the multiplica- 

 tion of agricultural journals that is being shown at 

 present, this decision is interesting, especially as it 

 arises from an experience extending over many years. 



Abnormal Rainfall in St. Lucia. 



A note on the heavy rainfall that has been experi- 

 enced recently in St. Lucia appeared in the last number 

 of the Agricidtural Neics; this was based on informa- 

 tion received from Mr. J. C. Moore, Agricultural Super- 

 intendent, St. Lucia. Since this, a letter dated March 2, 

 1911, has been received from Mr. Moore, stating further, 

 that on the 7ch, 8th and 9th of last month, still heavier 

 rains were experienced in the northern half of the 

 island, causing destructive floods in the valleys, and 

 landslips in the hills. Some idea of the excessive rain- 

 fiiU that has been received may be gained from the fact 

 that the average precipitation for the month, at six 

 stations in the affected district, was 2041 inches; 

 nearly the whole of this fell between the 1st and 9th 

 ultimo. The month's records at the Botanic Station 

 and the Experiment Station were 16'64 inches and 

 21'91 inches, respectively. On the 7th of the month, 

 4 04 inches was recorded at the Botanic Station, and 

 8'60 inches at the Experiment Station; most of this 

 rain fell during the night. Records are not available 

 from some of theotlu'r stations, because the rain gauges 

 were too small, and thus ovi-rflowed. 



Details of the damage and loss of life have been 

 given in a special report submitted by the Agricultural 

 Superintendent to the Administrator, who has forwarded 

 a copy to the Imj)erial Commissioner of Agriculture. 

 This shows that there was no loss of life, except at the 

 factory in the Mabouya \alley, where unfortunately, ten 

 out of seventeen persons occupying a barrack building 

 near the factor}- were drowned, as they were unable to 

 escape from the building, which was carried away by 

 the flood. 



In regard to the d.iiu.igo done, the report shows 

 that, while consider.iblc losses have been sustained in 

 some individual cases, this should be of a temporar}' 

 character, and reparable by the energy of those who 

 have suffered it. The satisfactory opinion is given 

 that there is nn evidence of general distress and hard- 

 ship in any of the districts \ i.sited by the Agricultural 

 Superintendent. 



