Vol. X. No. 248. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



347 



JAMAICA: ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 

 DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND ISLAND 

 CHEMIST, lUlOll. 



This commences by pointing out that, while there has l>een 

 progress during the year In the work of making the efforts of 

 the Department conform to the requirements of the Colony, 

 the matter of importance has been the completion of the Farm 

 School and Stock Farm at Hope. The former lias maintained 

 a full complement of students, and the many demands for 

 admission have caused representations to be made to the 

 Government for an extension of the accommodation. The 

 necessary provision for the extension has been authorized, 

 and on .January 1, I9r2, there will be room at the school for 

 thirty-seven resident students. In regard to other matters, 

 a recent development has been the appointment of a Veterin- 

 ary Surgeon on the Staff of the Department. 



The information given concerning the Hope Gardens and 

 Experiment Station shows that the total distribution of plants 

 from this centre was 144,220, of >'hich 75,0-52 were free 

 grants; the total number of economic and ornamental plants 

 in this distribution was 136,2-54 and 19,966, respectively- 

 The work of the Experiment Station was chiefly of a routine 

 nature with sugar-cane, citru.s and other fruits, provision 

 crops, cacao, maize, rubber and vanilla. From Castleton 

 Gardens the total number of plants distributed (not including 

 bananas, cocoa-nuts, breadfruit and cacao sold) was 17,940. 

 An account is given of the work at the Parade Gardens, 

 Kingston; this is chiefly in connexion with the cultivation of 

 ornamental plants. The .same is true of the Kingston Street 

 Gardens, which have been taken over recently by the Depart- 

 ment. At the Hill Gardens, Cinchona, the routine attention 

 to the ornamental plants, lawns, walks, roads and buildings 

 has been maintained. Mention is made of virgen rubber 

 (Sapium sp.) and camphor, which are being cultivated here, 

 as well as of the fact that the residence was occupied during 

 part of the year by a Professor and a party of biological 

 students from .Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. 



Finally in regard to these matters, information is given 

 concerning the P.ath Garden and Nursery, the Herbarium of 

 the Public Gardens and the King's House Gardens and 

 Grounds; at the first of these the Assistant Instructor raised 

 and distributed 17,911 cacao plants. 



In regard to agricultural experiments, it is of interest 

 that, with reference to sugar-cane, the most striking matter 

 has been the demonstration that more reliance will have to 

 be placed on the improved manufacture of sugar than on the 

 proceeds from rum. The decline in the rum industry has been 

 partly due to increases in the duty in the United Kingdom 

 and Germany and the predicted failure of an attempt artifi- 

 cially to force up the price of the product. A rapid extension 

 of the employment of seedling canes on estates is taking place, 

 and generally speaking, the greatest reliance is placed on 

 B.208, which is stated to have given 4 tons of .sugar per acre 

 during the year, as compared with a yield of .3 tons from 



White Transparent. The general adoption of thi.s cane for 

 planting in Jamaica is not however advocated, on account of 

 its failure in certain cases; further experiments are required 

 to demonstrate its entire suitability. Jamaica seedling canes 

 are now receiving their first trials, and Xos. 70, 71 and 72 

 are apparently fulfilling the promise originally given by them. 



An extension in the area of coffee growing by peasants 

 is taking place, particularly in ilanchester and St. Anns, 

 this is chiefly because of the rise in price of the ordinary 

 -Jamaica grades and the steadiness of the market on account 

 of the Brazil valorization scheme. This crop is being increa.s- 

 ingly taken up l)y the small producer. 



The work with bananas is chiefly concerned with the 

 extension of the cultivation under conditions of soil and cli- 

 mate that have been considered hitherto as adverse, and with 

 an investigation of the possiljility of raising the fruit for the 

 spring crop, in places where there is a small rainfall from 

 December to April. Stringent measures are now lieing 

 enforced by the Government for the prevention of the intro- 

 duction of the Panama disease; these take the shape of the 

 prevention of the importation of banana suckers or infected 

 material from places where the disease is known to be present. 



The citrus industry continues to be depressed, and in 

 regard to cacao the extension of the crop has been interfered 

 with by drought. There is a large demand for grafted plants 

 of Bombay mangoes, and the growing of this tree in suitable 

 positions is recommended by the Director. The attempts for 

 the establishment of a cassava industry, under American 

 direction, have failed. It is pointed out that there is apparr 

 ently an unlimited market for dried cassava in the United 

 States at £5 per ton —a price which, it is stated, would give 

 a satisfactory working profit to the grower in Jamaica. 



The interest in rubber in -Jainaica is increasing. With 

 respect to Para rubber, planters are advised to await the 

 results of the plantings made in 1905 and 190G before 

 putting in this species to any large extent. Encouraging 

 results have been obtained in the tapping of Castilloa in 

 different parts of the island, and some of the yields have been 

 remarkably good. The question of the adoption of this 

 cultivation in Jamaica is considered at some length, and the 

 conclusion is reached that Castilloa can be grown with profit 

 in the island, under suitable conditions. With the assistance 

 of Professor Pittier, of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, it has been ascertained that the original tree intro- 

 duced into Jamaica from Kew, and subsequent introductions 

 from British Honduras, are C. 'jnateinalensis. It is reported 

 that trees of C. elaslica and of G. costaricana have been 

 discovered in the parish of St. Thomas. 



An important position in the agricultural concerns of 

 the island is being rapidly attained by the cocoa-nut industry, 

 and for its protection the bud rot of cocoa-nuts has been 

 schedule 1 under the new Plant Diseases Law. 



The succeeding part of the report presents many facts 

 of interest concerning agricultural education and the work of 

 the Veterinarian; space does not permit of detailed treatment 

 of these. The report of the Deputy Lsland Chemist shows 

 that 737 samples were examined at the Government Labor- 

 atory, as follows: oflicial 263, agricultural 59, general 201, 

 Sugar Experiment Station 214. That of the Government 

 Bacteriologist and Fermentation Chemist contains, among 

 other matters, an account of trials of rat virus and of the 

 veterinary pathological work done during the year. The 

 general report concludes with information as to the staff, 

 publications, and financial matters relating to the Department. 



