Vol. X. No. 251. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



389 



BARBADOS: REPOUT OX THE LOCAL 

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, l'.Jli)-ll. 



After giving details concerning the staff, establishment, 

 financial matters and rei)airs to buildings, this report presents 

 information concerning the distribution of plants during the 

 period under review; it is shown that this has been concerned 

 mainly with sugar-cane cuttings, seeds of leguminous plants, 

 cotton-seed, sweet potato cuttings and plants for Arbor Day. 



A review of the experiments with sugar cane is present- 

 ed, which shows that the lines of investigation have com- 

 prised the following : (1) variety experiments on estates, with 

 White Transparent as a standard; (2) similar co-operative 

 erperiments on estates; (3) manurial experiments with sugar- 

 cane; (4) trials in regard to the effect of cutting out "dead 

 hearts ' on the yield of sugar-canes; (.5) an experiment on the 

 action of superphosphate as a manure for sugar-cane in red 

 soils; and (6) determination of the yield of canes grown from 

 cuttings made from plant canes, cuttings made from first 

 ratoons, cuttings made from sevenili ratoons, and from small 

 cuttings. The variety and manurial experiments have receiv- 

 ed the usual attention in the special report. The trial with 

 superphosphate seems to indicate that this increases the yields 

 of cane on red soils. In regard to the other matters, the con- 

 tinuation of the experiments is required, in order that definite 

 results may be obtained. 



A large portion of the report is taken up with informa- 

 tion concerning the cotton industry, cotton selection, the pro- 

 duction of cotton hybrids, and reports and valuations of the 

 cottons produced, furnished by Mr. C. JI. AVolstenholme, of 

 Manchester. The work is too detailed in nature to be made 

 the subject of general statements. This part is followed by 

 an account of experiments with sweet potatoes, sweet and 

 bitter cassava, economic colocasias, and varioua leguminous 

 plants. In regard to the first, descriptions of the characters 

 and yields are presented in some detail, and a short account of 

 an experiment with Apterite for the control of scarabee of the 

 sweet potato (Cryjitorhi/nc/ius hatatae) shows that this pest was 

 not affected by applications of the insecticide. Details of the 

 yields of the colocasias are given, and it has been indicated in 

 one experiment that the best returns are obtained by using the 

 heads of these plants as planting material. Among the legu- 

 minous plants giving the best results are the Lyon bean 

 (Sli:olo/jiuni niveum, not S. deeriiiiiiaiiuiii, as is stated in the 

 report), an unnamed pea from Porto ilico, and the horse bean 

 (Canavalia ensi/ormis). As it had been found that no nodules 

 were produced on the roots of alfalfa and the soy bean, soil in 

 which these had been grown was imported from the United 

 States, and mixed with Barbados soil, in which the seeds were 

 subsequently planted, when seedlings were obtained with roots 

 bearing an abundance of nodules. 



In connexion with fruits, improved mangoes have been 

 imported, and grafted mangoes have been sold. The fact that 

 there is a small banana industry in Barbados is shown by the 

 circumstance that 1-2,941 bunches of tlie fruit were shipped 

 during the year by Messrs. H. E. Thome & 8ons, Ltd.; it 

 may be mentioned that the local Department of Agriculture 



also shipped 196 bunches. Shipments of mangoes were con- 

 tinued, and trial shipments of grape fruit and shaddocks were 

 made. Further particulars indicate that little attention is 

 given to onion growing in the island. Succeeding matter 

 deals with the Local Agricultural rfhow of 1910 (see Afjriml- 

 tural A'e;ra, Vol. X, p. 11), Canadian E.xhibition, the' fumi- 

 gation of plants. Arbor Day, the Reading Courses of the 

 Imi)erial Department of Agriculture, live stock and the 

 herbarium In regard to live stock, two well-bred rams, 

 descended from stock imported \<y the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture, have been placed for service in different dis- 

 tricts of the island. 



An account is presented of the insect pests and fungus 

 diseases on the principal crops and some others during the 

 year, particularly with reference to those on the sugar-cane; 

 the question of insect pests on sugar-car.e in Barbados has 

 received attention recently in the A^/rindtural Neioi. A large, 

 detailed section on the meteorology of the island succeeds, 

 and it is pointed out in this that the sugar crop reaped in 

 1910 comprised 34,871 tons of sugar and 77,720 puncheons 

 of molasses, of which 49,817 puncheons are estimated to have 

 been fancy molasses; while the cotton crop from October 1, 

 1909, to September 30, 1910, amounted to 1,288 bales, 

 containing 044,279 lb. of lint, having an estimated value of 

 £38,-548. 



NYASALAAD PROTECTORATE: ANNUAL RE- 

 PORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



191()-11. 



This shows that the amount of the most important crop 

 — cotton — exported during the year was 4,342 bales of 400tt)., 

 as compared with 2,147 bales for 1909-10; this is an increase 

 of more than 100 per cent, in a single season. The values 

 of the cotton exports tor the seasons mentioned were 

 £.58,687 5s. 10c?. and £26,208 16s., in order. The 

 quality of the crop, apart from strength, is stated to be 

 all that can be desired; the best price during the season was 

 l.«. Q\d. per lb. and a considerable part was told at 11(7. to 

 \s. per B). The Nyasaland product is on the dividing line 

 between the Egyptian and the long staple Upland crops, 

 and its improvement enables it to enter the higher priced 

 market, namely the former. Further details concerning 

 cotton relate to experiments with the crop. 



Successful experiments have been made with soy beans 

 and the velvet bean {Sti-.nhibiutn deeringiaiuim); the former 

 promises to be of value as a native food crop, while the 

 latter will prove to be a most useful green dressing. The 

 area under tobacco increased from 2,368 acres in 1909-10 

 to 3,274; the exports of the cured product amounted to 

 1,704,637 lb., valued locally at £42,626. The tobacco 

 industry is assisted by the Imperial Tobacco Company, Ltd. 



The exports of rubber during the year under review 

 amounted to .59,4714 lb., of a local value of £10,659; the 

 quantity has more than doubled since the previous year, 

 owing to the improvement in prices. A most important 

 development has lieen the exploitation by machinery of 

 Laiido/phia parvlfulia, by the African Lakes Cor[mr;).. 

 tion, Ltd. Particulars are given in the report concern- 

 ing Para and Ceara rubber. As regards maize, the export 

 was 39,804 cwt., valued at £6,002. 



After giving information concerning certain other crops, 

 such as coffee, tea and hemp, as well as in regard to live stock 

 and other imiiortant matters, the general report concludes 

 with the Iteport of the Agriculturist, the Report of the Chief 

 Forest Officer, the Report of the Veterinary Bacteriologist, 

 and details concerning the meteorology of the Protectorate. ' 



