Vol. X. No. 240. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



217 



St. Lucia and the Coronation Exhibition. 



A note with this title was given recently in the 

 Agricultral News, on page 18-5. In relation to this, it 

 should be stated that in addition to the work, which is 

 there described in connexion with the representation 

 of the island at the Exhibition, the etibro has included 

 the prepaiation of a small pamphlet by Mr. J. C. 

 Moore, Agricultural Superintendent, having the title 

 Notes on iSt. Lucia, West Indies, and Hints to Settlers. 



This pamphlet, which has been issued by the 

 Permanent Exhibition Committee of St. Lucia, and has 

 been placed in the care of the West India Committee 

 for distribution in England, presents first of all 

 a general description of St. Lucia, followed by informa- 

 tion regarding means of communication, climate, clubs 

 and amusements, and religion. Succeeding sections 

 deal shortly with agricultural instruction, labour and 

 industries, the last mentioned being particularly help- 

 ful: while there is a final section entitled ' Hints to 

 Settlers'. 



This little p.amphlet should be effective in draw- 

 ing interested attention to St. Lucia, and in showing 

 the kind of information to be ac<juired by those who 

 intend to take up planting in the island, while direct- 

 ing such persons to the sources from which the infor- 

 mation may be gained. 



The Recent Rainfall in St. Kitts. 



In regard to the rainfall of St. Kitts for the cur- 

 rent year, Mr. A. D. C Adamson.ofBrothersons estate in 

 that island, has kindly sent, for the use of this Depart- 

 ment, a table giving comparative rainfall records through 

 the years 1891 to 1910, taken by means of a rain gauge 

 near sea-level. In forwarding the material, Mr. Adam- 

 son points out that it shows that there has been more 

 precipitation during this year than in any similar 

 period since 1S91, in the districts to which the records 

 refer: not onh' is the total precipitation greater, but 

 this has been more equally distributed over a larger 

 number of days of rainfall, causing particular difficulties 

 in reaping the canes, especially on the windward side of 

 the island. 



Analysis of the figures shows that during the year, 

 in every case, the monthly rainfall has been greater 

 than the average of that month for the last twenty 

 years; in addition to this, the total fall until the end of 

 May has been 27 24 inches, whereas the total of the 

 average falls for the same period, for twenty years, 

 is only 1.587 inches. There is the further interesting 

 fact that the highest record from 1891 until this year, 

 for the period up to the end of May, was made in 189(i, 

 when the rainfall amounted to 2.5:W inches. This 

 figure is to be compared with the total of 27'24 inches, 

 mentioned already. 



As has been stated, these figures are for a gauge 

 at a low altitude. It is of interest that Mr. Adamson re- 

 marks further that,at a gauge situated at 1,000 feet above 

 sea-level, he has recorded more than 70 inches of rain- 

 fall, to the end of May, for the present year — a total 

 amount that it has heretofore taken until the middle of 

 August to complete. 



The Land Settlement Scheme in Grenada. 



A cf)py of a report of the newly appointed Land 

 Officer for the Land Settlement Scheme of Grenada, 

 relating to May 1911, has been received from the 

 Colonial Secretary. This shows • that, during the 

 month, this officer has paid frequent visits to the areas 

 under the scheme, and proceeds to give an account 

 of the applications for land received, and sales of land 

 effected, during the period under review. After a short 

 account is presented of the improvements that are to 

 be carried out by the Government in those areas, refer- 

 ence is made to the progress of the work on the hold- 

 ings. In connexion with this, clearing has not yet beea 

 completed, though there are places where crops such as 

 sugar-cane, corn and peas are being grown. Seed is 

 being obtained for cotton-growing, and cultivation has 

 commenced for this crop on some of the plots. As 

 regards individual owners, one peasant has formed 

 a small tobacco nursery, and another intends to take up 

 bee-keeping. 



The scheme includes the conduct of trials on an 

 economic experimental plot, for which the work of gene- 

 ral preparation and making drains has been completed. 

 As Soon as the land has been cleared of tree stumps, 

 the plot will be divided into four parts, each having an 

 area of 1 acre; these portions will be plainly divided 

 from one another, for the proper regulation of the areas 

 for experimentation. 



Changes in Nitrogen Compounds in the Soil. 



An abstract of an experimental study of this 

 subject is given in the Eiiperiment Station llecord 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 A'^ol. XXIV, p. 222. The main object of the investigations 

 was to ascertain definitely the influence of quicklime, 

 chaikand air on nitrification, denitrification, the fixation 

 of nitrogen, and the decomposition of organic matter 

 containing nitrogen, in difierent kinds of soil. The 

 work was done with soil suspended in culture media. 



The results showed that quicklime and chalk 

 possess a favourable influence in regard to all the bacteria 

 that take part in the changes in nitrogen compounds, 

 in the soil. It was shown, as well, that the kind of soil 

 exerts an influence independently of the treatment 

 which it has received. 



The power to fix nitrogen, and for nitrification, 

 appears to be greater in chalky soils, and in those con- 

 taining humus, than in sandy soils: while the ability for 

 denitrification seems to be about the same with all the 

 different kinds of soil. The effect of lime in soil in 

 increasing the power to decompose organic matter con- 

 taining nitrogen was greatest in soils containing a high 

 percentage of humus, while sandy soils came next in 

 order. 



The author of the work does not claim any practical 

 value for the emjjloyinent of the methods described by 

 him, in order to determine the condition of soils in 

 regard to nitrification, etc., as this can only be ascer- 

 tained by means of actual direct tests. 



