Vol. X. No. 227. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



11 



RECENT AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



The following is an account of three agricultural shows 

 that have been held recently — the first two in Barbados, at 

 the Pool plantation and at Queen's Park, respectively, and 

 the third in the Virgin Islands. For the two first, the informa- 

 tion required has been abstracted from the Barbados Advocate 

 for December 9 and December 16, 1910. The account of 

 the one in the Virgin Islands is made from a report supplied 

 by Mr. W. C. Fishlock, Agricultural Instructor. 



BARBADOS. SHOW AT POOL PLANTATION. 



This was held on December 7, at the place mentioned, 

 by permission of the Hon. F. J. Clarke, CM G., M.A.,M.C.P. 

 Fine weather was experienced, and the show proved itself to 

 be one of the l)est that has been held. 



The exhibit of stock included many excellent examples, 

 more especially of young oxen. The goats, on the other 

 hand, were disappointing for the greater part. 



The first two classes included food plants, comprising 

 roots and tubers, and those of the general kinds. Among 

 these, the collection of yams was not as large as usual, 

 although some of those shown were of excellent equality. The 

 exhibits of sweet potatoes, tanias and eddoes were satisfactory. 

 Among the garden vegetables, the samples of legumes were 

 among the liest that have been shown. The standard of the 

 tomatoes, artichokes, vegetable marrows, onions and christo- 

 phines, however, left something to be desired. 



Class III included fruit, and the best of these 

 comprised bananas, shaddocks, grape-fruit and oranges; in 

 regard to the bananas, one exceptionally large bunch was 

 shown. There were few exhibits of Sea Island cotton or 

 honey, and what there were of the latter did not reach the 

 usual standard. 



The Howers and starches were of good quality. Much 

 interest is taken in Class V, in which jarizes are offered for 

 inarched or budded mango plants, and for citrus budded on 

 stocks of different varieties. Excellent samples of baskets, 

 for use in agricultural work, were shown. 



The part devoted to school exhibits included prizes for 

 box and pot culture, and for plants grown in school gardens. 

 The total number of exhibits in these two sections was about 

 160, and 48 of these were successful in gaining prizes. It is 

 of interest that prizes were awarded, and won by one public 

 elementary school, for inarched or budded mango plants. 



After the prizes had been distributed, His Excellency 

 the Acting Governor, Major J. A. Burdon, C.M.G., congratu- 

 lated the prize winners, and expressed satisfaction with the 

 work that is being done in connexion with the holding of 

 such shows. 



BARBADOS ANNUAL EXHIBITION, 1910. 



This is commonly known as the Agricultural and Indus- 

 trial Exhibition, and on this occasion it was held, on December 

 14, at Queen's Park. Its scope is larger than that of the 

 ordinary agricultural show, in that the exhibits for which 

 prizes are given are not confined to those which are of 

 a directly agricultural nature. 



!Most noticeable among the live stock were the horses and 

 the milch cattle. The best exhibits among the poultry were 

 shown among fowls, ducks and pigeons; although there were 

 some individual cases of excellence among the other classes. 



Good exhibits of canes were sent; the display of veget- 

 ables, although above the average quality, did not attain as 

 high a standard as was the case last year. Among the latter, 

 the greatest excellence was shown liy yams and pumpkins. 



The standard of the horticultural produce brought to the 



exhibition was superior to that of the last few years. In the 

 section including preserves, the different kinds of products 

 were well represented; though there should lie a much 

 greater effort on the part of makers of such articles to supply 

 such information as would make it easy to give and obtain 

 orders. 



The other parts of this exhibition included fancy work, 

 an artisan section and an art section. Altogether, it was 

 very successful, and satisfaction with what was shown was 

 expressed by His Excellency the Acting Governor. 



VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



This show was held at the Experiment Station, Tortola, 

 on December 1 4, under the auspices of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the West Indies. It was the seventh 

 of its kind, and received the direct encouragement of His 

 Excellency Sir Bickham Sweet- E.scott, K.C.M.G., who offered 

 a first prize of £2 in the class for lots of cotton amounting 

 to not less than 500 lb. Much interest was also evinced in 

 the show on the part of His Honour the Commissioner, who 

 gave a short address; and of Mrs. .Jarvis, who kindly dis- 

 tributed the prizes. Useful assistance was also afforded by 

 visitors from Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Jan, who gave 

 help in the work of judging. 



Although a larger number of exhibits has been received 

 on some former occasions, the character of those shown was 

 superior to any that have been seen before in Tortola. The 

 number of articles entered was over 3-50, and competition 

 was particularly keen in the cotton and live stock classes. In 

 regard to the former, where jjrizes were offered for lots of 

 cotton weighing not less than -500 ft., there were five entries, 

 which included some excellent exhibits. As is stated above, a 

 prize was offered in this class by His Excellency the Governor: 

 this was awarded to John Chinnery of JostVan-Dycks, 

 The competition was also keen for the prizes awarded for 

 cotton in 10-lb. lots. The exhibits of starches, preserves and 

 fancy work were also satisfactory. 



Owing, probably, to the long drought experienced in the 

 middle of the year, there was a poor representation of limes, 

 sugar, sugar-cane and cacao. 



It is a iratter for encouragement that, although the 

 weather was very unfavourable, there was a good attendance, 

 and much interest was shown in the exhibits. 



The number of prizes awarded was 1 70, having a total 

 value of £24 12.s. M. 



Implemental Tillage in China. In view of the 

 almost limitless possibilities which seem to exist in China, 

 especially in the great plains of the north, for the use of agri- 

 cultural machinery, it is with reluctance that one has to record 

 the opinion that, under present conditions, there is really no 

 opening for its successful introduction. The financial risk 

 attending the purchase of .such machinery for the Chinese 

 has been proved in -several instances, and British firms in 

 China have to be careful how they repeat similar experiments. 

 Certainly, British manufacturers desirous of introducing acri- 

 cultural machinery into China would have to be prepared to 

 share the risk with their agents to a much greater extent 

 than they show any signs of doing at present. But the subdi- 

 vision of farms amongst small peasant proprietors, who are 

 extremely conservative in their methods, the cheapness of 

 human labour, and the absence of effective organization of 

 agriculture on the part of the Chinese Government, are 

 among the conditions that discourage manufacturers from 

 taking risks that experience has not justified. {Diplomatic 

 and Consular Reports, No. 4.556, Annual Series.) 



