s-,* 



THE AGEICULTUKAL NEWS. 



MAr.cn 24, 1917. 



,,<s&J. 



EDITORIAL 





^EAD OfFIC 





NOTICES. 



— Barbados, 



lietters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 epecimens for naming, .should be addressed to the 

 Oommissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All .-ippUcations for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' and other Departme't l publications, should be 

 addressed to the Agents, and not to the Department. 



The complete list of A^- iits, and the subscription 

 and advertisement rates, ' H be found on page '■' of 

 the cover. 



Imperial CuinmUsionei of 

 Agriculture for the West Indies 



':iv Francis Watts, K.C.M.G., 

 n.Sc.F.I.C, F.C.S. 



Scieiiti/lc Assistant ai'd 

 AssistaiU Editor 



Entomologists 

 Mycologist 



Chief Cleric 

 Clerical Asastaitts 



"V. R. Dunlop. 

 f H. A. Ballon, M.Sc. 

 I.T. C. Hutson. B.A.. 

 \V. Nowell, D.I.C. 



CLERICAL STAFF. 



A. G. Howell. 



Ph.D. 



Typist 



Assistant Tiipist 



Assistant for Publications 



rL. A. Corbir.. 

 } P. Taylor. 



[K. R. C. Fo.-ter. 

 Miss B. Robinson. 

 Miss W. Elli.>. 



A. B. Price. Fell. Joum. In.^t. 



^gricuHural ffciuH 



Vol. XVI. SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1917. No. 3S<\ 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this number deals with the food 

 value of the ( 'anavalias. and of an interesting cerea! 

 known as the cultivated form of Job's Tear.?. 



Important results regarding themaiuiring of coco- 

 nuts are given on page 83. 



Items of Local Interest in this i.ssu. will be tnuiid 

 on pages >^4 and N'). 



Insect Notes, on page !>(», deal wirj. the sugar- 

 cane froghopper in Grenada. 



Fungus Notes, on page !t4. concern the cacao 

 thrips fungus and ncu records of entoniugeiiOus fungi 

 in Barbados. 



Index to the 'Agricultural News'. 



With this number of the Ayricidtwral Neivs is- 

 published, as a sttpplement, the title page and inde.x; 

 to \'olume XV. 



The inde.x should prove useful for purposes of 

 reference on all matters relating to tropical agriculture, 

 and will be a guide to concise but valuable information 

 in regard to insect pests and fungus diseases of culti- 

 vated tropical plants, and their control. 

 — ^^^fc-*-^ 



The Growing of Asparagus in Dominica. 



In the last issue but one of the Agricultund News 

 (Vol. XVI, No. 387) was quoted a reference in an 

 interesting old work entitled, 'Natural Historj' of 

 Nevis,' by the Revd. John Smith, to the growing of 

 asparagus in that island. 



An interesting letter h.as since been received at 

 this Office from Mr. W. H. Porter of Dominica, in 

 reference to the above, in which that gentleman states: 

 'It may interest you to learn that the plant [Asparagus} 

 IS being successfully grown at least in two places in 

 this island at the present time without any special 

 precautions. One of these places is situated at an. 

 altitude of 1,.500 feet, the other is in Roseau; and, 

 curiously, the shoots obtained in the town are as a rule 

 better than those grown at the higher elevation. 

 AVithin the last few days I have eaten asparagus gather- 

 ed in Roseau that might have compared favourably 

 with any to be obtained in temperate lands.' 

 ^ I ^ 



Encouragement of Rice Cultivation in Trinidad. 



Sir Norman Lamont, in presenting the report of 

 the Committee on the encouragement of rice cultivation 

 in Trinidad at a recent meeting of the Board of 

 Agriculture, referred to the valuable help which its 

 adoption would give in the difficult situation arising 

 otit of the matter of foodstuffs. Tne recommendations 

 of the report include prize competitions, the introduc- 

 tion and distril)ution of seed, co-operative mills, 

 irrigation, and utilization of Crown lands. As regards 

 seed, it is recommended that 2 tons of a standard 

 British Guiana rice be imported by the Board at an 

 estimated cost of about !i>80. It was also recommended 

 that details as to best methods of cultivation be 

 obtained and made known to cultivators. Concerning 

 mills, as there are enough rice mills at present to deal 

 •with more than double the present crop, there appears 

 to be no immediate necessity to recommend the 

 establishment of a co-operative mill with a direct 

 Government subsidy. Steps should however be taken- 

 to acquaint rice growers with the mode of working 

 such enterprises which the future development of the 

 industry may render desirable. 



.V full report of the matters referred to above will 

 be found in the Port-of-Sjmin Gaccitr for Thursday,. 

 February 22. 1(117. 



Glasgow School of Sugar Manufacture. 



From the Wed Ivdla Committee Circular for 

 February S. we learn that at a recent meeting of the 

 ( Jommittee's F.Mreutive. it was decided to .support the 

 School of Sug.ir Manufacture of the Royal Technical 



