Vol. X. No. 245. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



297 



St. Kitta and the Canadian National Exhibi- 

 tion. 



Information has been received from the Agricul- 

 tural Superintendent, St. Kitts, that exhibits for the 

 the forthcoming Canadian National Exhibition were 

 forwarded by the S S. 'Rhodesian', of the Pickford and 

 Black line of steamers, on August .5. 



The number of exhibits sent was eighty-two, put 

 up in glass exhibition, jars of suitable sizes. They 

 comprised sugars, molasses, rum, coUon, and its by- 

 products, meals and starches, and preserves. In 

 addition, there were forwarded bunches of cocoa-nuts, 

 and sugar-cane and palm branches, to be employed for 

 the purposes of decoration. 



The Importance of Calcium Cyanamide as 

 a Manure. 



Information that has been issued recently, in con- 

 nexion with calcium cyanamide, or nitrolim, serves to 

 show the growing importance which is possessed by 

 this artificial manure. As is well known, it is quickly 

 becoming more widely used by agricultural companies, 

 planters and farmers. 



The increased degree to which nitrolim is being 

 produced furnishes a guide as to the growth of its uee 

 by agriculturists. In connexion with this, it is of 

 interest that the manufacture of this useful manure 

 is being carried out to the following extent in the 

 countries named : Norway, France, Switzerland, Canada, 

 Japan and Austria, by one company each; Italy and 

 Germany, by three companies each; making a total of 

 twelve companies, which are individually capable of pro- 

 ducing from 3,000 to 12,000 tons per annum. 



Besides these existing works, others are in con- 

 struction for the manufacture of nitrolim in Dalmatia 

 (Austria), and in Bavaria (Germany). The annual 

 output of these will be 4,000 and 12,500 tons, respec- 

 tively. 



Trade and Agriculture of St. Vincent, 1910. 



A report on the trade and agriculture of St. 

 Vincent for the year 1910 is given in the Government 

 Gazette for July 27, 1911. This commences by showing 

 that the total value of the imports and exports during 

 that year were £97,737 and £101,180, so that the total 

 trade of the Colony for the year was £198,917. In 

 regard to the last, this is a total increase of £22,409 on 

 the total trade of 1909, made up as follows: imports 

 £9,927, exports £12,482. 



The exports from St. Vincent in 1910 comprised 

 live animals, food supplies, etc., £.50,0(i3; raw material 

 £43,0(J0: manufactured articles £8.0.57. The similar 

 figures for 1909 were £.52,212, £24,7(iO and £11,72.5. 

 There have thus been slight decreases under the first 

 and last classes, and a large increase in- the value of 

 raw materials exported. 



The values of the principal articles of export in 

 1910 were: Sea Island cotton, £37,2.37; arrowroot. 



£30,089; sugar, syrup and molasses, ,£5,883; live stock, 

 £5,424; cacao, £4,131; cotton seed, £3,684; cotton 

 other than Sea Island, £1,171. 



It is interesting to compare the above cotton 

 industry exports with those of 1909, the values of 

 which were as follows : Sea Island cotton £20,684, 

 cotton seed £1,893, cotton other than Sea Island £642. 



The imports into St. Vincent from the United 

 Kingdom during the year amounted in value to £43,254; 

 this is greater, by £13,021 than that for 1909. The 

 value of the imports from other British Colonies was 

 £31,688; this is a decrease from that of the previous 

 year by £11,338. 



Imports from foreign countries show an increase 

 of £8,243, being actually £22,784 in value; of this 

 increase, £5,165 is accounted for by a larger importa- 

 tion from the United States. 



Agriculture and Hygiene in St. Lucia Ele- 

 mentary Schools. 



The Annual Report of the Inspector of Schools, 

 St. Lucia, for 1910, contains a report b}' the Agricul- 

 tural Superintendent on the teaching of agriculture in 

 the Elementary Schools of that island, during the year.- 

 The examination, which is the third to be held, was 

 carried out, under the dii-ection of that Officer, by the 

 Schoolmaster of the Agricultural School, the number 

 of schools dealt with being eighteen. 



The number of pupils examined was 441, including 

 fifteen girls. In 1909 the total number was 454, but the 

 average per school for 1910 was greater, being 245, as 

 compared with 227 for 1909. 



In comparison with the results of 1909, nine of the 

 schools have shown improvement, six retained their 

 former position, and three have gained lower marks. 

 The detailed account of the condition of the school 

 gardens, furnished by the examiner, shows that this is 

 generally satisfactory, though there is room for improve- 

 ment at some of the schools. At present, it appears 

 that amendment is required in the following directions: 



(1 ) the employment of the gardens throughout the year; 



(2) greater attention to the growing of native plants; 



(3) the giving of larger prominence to the aspect of the 

 work having relation to nature study. Notwithstanding 

 these matters, the efforts of the past three years have 

 given encouraging results, and at the present time each 

 school possesses a useful outfit of garden tools, chosen 

 under the recommendation of the Agricultural Super- 

 intendent. 



The same account contains a .special report by the 

 Inspector of Schools on the teaching of hj'giene in these 

 schools during the year. This shows that the subject 

 has been taught during 1910 in every school, from 

 Standard II upwards, in the Colony. Success is being 

 obtained, and attention is drawn to the fact that for 

 this to continue the subject matter must be confined to 

 the general rules of tropical hygiene, with as much 

 explanation as is required to make the learning of them 

 intelligent, and to create a healthy interest in them. 



