104 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



April 1, 1911. 



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Vol. X. SATURDAY. APRIL 1, 1911. No. 233. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



As an editorial article in the present issue, the 

 subject of the Stimulation of Agricultural Effort is 

 given consideration. The chief purposes of the article 

 are to point out how such effort generally arises, and 

 the way in which it is sustained. 



Page 100 contains an account of cocoa-nut cultiva- 

 tion in Antigua. 



The Centralization of Agricultural Research. 



An editorial article on this subject appeared in the 

 Agncalturul Xeios during last November (Vol. IX^ 

 p. 3o3). It is intei'esting to note, in connexion with 

 Bhis, that Circular No. 43 of the Scientific Department 

 of the Indian Tea Association, Calcutta, refers to this 

 matter, and suggests that the work which is being 

 carried out under that Association shoidd be supple- 

 mented by a series of experiments on a large scale, 

 under the control of garden managers, with the advice 

 and co-operation of the Officers of the Department. 

 Atteniion is drawn to the advantages which are given 

 by suL-h a .-cheme, among these being the provision of 

 more time for laboratory work than has been available 

 up to the present. 



The Circular, which is reproduced in the Planters' 

 Cliranicle for December 10, 1910, goes on to point out 

 that it would be also desirable, at the present time, to 

 consider whether the Officers of the Department should 

 be located at one central station, stating that the 

 advantages of such a plan are obvious. The opinion 

 of other departments engageil in agricultural work, 

 with regard to the matter, is supported by the following 

 statement in the circular, which is given as the oat- 

 come of experience under the conditions with which it 

 deals: ' The existing arrangement, whereby the officers 

 are situated in widely separated districts, was admirably 

 adapted to the conditions of the pioneer work which 

 was necessary when the Department was first founded, 

 but at the present time it has several drawbacks. 

 Mutual help and exchange of opinion between the 

 Officers of the Department is reduced to a minimum, 

 and the time occupied in traxelling to the various 

 centres of work is considerable. At a central station 

 each officer would be in touch with the work of the 

 others, and the absenci' of one nt them would not 

 ucci ssitale the leuipoiary cessation of liis work, or its 

 relegation to his subordinate staff.' 



On pages 102 and 103, an abstract is given of an 

 interesting article that has appeared recently, which 

 deals with work undertaken for the purpose of obtain- 

 ing information in connexion with the crossing of cotton 

 under natural conditions. 



The Insect Notes, on page 10(i, have reference tij 

 the mole cricket in Trinidad, and the increased occur- 

 rence oi' the green scale on tea in India. 



Oh page 107, there will be found general accounts 

 of agri.uiltural shows that have been held lately in 

 Antigua and St. Kitts. 



Under the heading of Fungus Notes, on page 110, 

 there is giveri some of the latest information concerning 

 banana di.seases, particularly in connexion with legisla- 

 tion against their introduction. 



Interesting work that has been undertaken in 

 Grenada, in connexion with the germination of Hevea 

 seeds, is described in an abstract of a report on the 

 investigations, on page 111. 



Aa^riculture and Trade of Martinique, 1909. 



No. 4(il2 Annual Serie-', of the Diploiiiaiic and 

 Consular Reports, dealing with the trade of Martinique 

 in 1909, has just been received. It siiiows ihat the 

 ex]i"rt of fugar during the year was 33,904 tons, as 

 eonqiared with 32,081 tons in 1908. The outj'Ut would 

 have been larger, except for the irregular rainfall that 

 was received; the area under cultivation is being in- 

 creased in some parts of the island. As reguds the 

 ex])orts of the other important >ugar-cane piodnct of 

 the island, namelv rum, these increased Irom 2,742,632 

 gallons in 1908, to 3 329,813 gallons in 190:». It is 

 e.stimated by the Maitini(|ue Chamber of C'liimerce 

 that the quantity of rum distilled during 1909 was 

 4,130,720 gallons; of this, 34(),I39 gallons, reckoned as 

 ]iure alcohol, was consumed locally. 



The exports of cacao incri-ased from 1 . 1 152,779 lb. 

 in 1908, to 1,304/1 .")3 11) in 1909. The amount of coffee 

 produced is quite insufficient for the local demand, and 

 there was an importation of 297,107 lb., the local pro- 

 ducti')!! being at the same time 15,330 Hx, against 

 14.32il lb. m the previous year. The cultivation of 



