Vol XVI. No. 388 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



77 



WORK OF THE AGRICULTURAL 

 DEPARTMENT IN GRENADA. 



The periodical progress report on the work of the 

 Agricultural Department, Gienada, for the quarter ended 

 December 31, 1916, has been received, and the chief points 

 of interest are summarized in the following notes 



Agricultural inspection and instruction in the country 

 districts included visits to estates in St . John's and St. Mark's 

 in connexion with cacao tlirips investigation; and in 

 St. George's, St. David's and St. Andrew's on froghopper 

 investigation and control work. A demonstration in concen- 

 trating lime juice was also given in St. Andrew's. 



The Agricultural Instructors brought the work in 

 connexion with the Prize Holdings Competition to a close, 

 with the judging of the holdings, and taking part in the 

 meetings held for the distribution of the prizes. Besides their 

 general instruction work, they were engaged, amongst other 

 matters, on corn selection for seed storage purposes and 

 investigation in connexion with the shortage of cattle for 

 food. 



Work in the Botanic Gardens has included, in addition 

 to the routine matters, operations of economic value such as 

 the sowing and resowing of lime seeds to provide 30,000 

 plants potting and grafting mango plants, budding orange 

 plants, and transplanting orange stocks, constructing temprn 

 rary corn-drying racks, and fumigating corn on the cob. 



In regard to the experiment stations, it is stated that 

 at the lime station.s in the various parishes, the progress of 

 the lime trees is on the whole, satisfactory Routine work 

 has been maintained, and crops of yams, horse beans, tannias, 

 Lima beans, cowpeas, etc., are being harvested. 



Concerning industrial progress, it is mentioned that the 

 total picking of cacao to the end of December, though not up 

 to the level of last year, which was unusually high, is equal 

 to a good average crop. The nutmeg crop is reported to be 

 showing very satisfactory progress. Good progress has been 

 made in lime planting during the quarter; this work has 

 now closed down, awaiting the next planting season. 



During 191.5 and 19115 the number of lime plants dis- 

 tributed by the .-\gricultural Department totalled ■54.4-'il, 

 which, allowing for losses and variation in planting dis- 

 tances, are sufficient to establish about 36-5 acres. The 

 acreage under limes at the end of 1916, is estimated as 

 follows: Grenada, 533 acres; Carriacou, .591; or a total of 

 1,124 acres. In view of the increasing extension in lime 

 cultivation, it is suggested that the time is approaching when 

 the question of establishing a Government lime juice factory 

 on the lines of that in St. Lucia, luay usefully be considered. 



The pests observed during the quarter were the sugar- 

 cane froghopper, said to be closely allied to or identical with 

 Tomaspis mria — the species which for some years has been 

 a destructive pest on canes in Trinidad; — and cacao thrips. 

 Remedies for combating these were advised and applied. 



In regard to Land Settlements normal progress appears 

 to have been maintained in this section of the Department's 

 work. As a measure of precaution against possible 

 shortage of seed corn among peasants for spring sowing, 

 60 barrels of corn on the cob selected from peasants' crops 

 in November were purchased, and stored at the Botanic 

 Gardens. The corn was hung on specially constructed drying 

 racks, to be subsequently shelled and stored in a bin. 



Details are given in the report under review in regard 

 to plant distribution, which show a total of 8,528 for the 

 quarter, and 30,332 for the period April-December; exclusive 

 of a large number of seeds and cuttings. This reflects the 

 importance of the nursery work at the Botanic Gardens 

 in developing the local agricultural industries. 



Agricultural Instruction Work in Grenada. 



— His Excellency the Governor of the Windward Islands 

 has furnished this Office witli copies of the monthly reports 

 of the Agricultural Instructors of the Department of 

 Agriculture. Grenada, for .January 1917. Both reports show 

 evidence of very considerable activity. It is stated in the 

 first that the peasant proprietors' holdinas were visited in the 

 Parishes of St. David and St. Andrew. The land settlement 

 and experiment plots at Morne Rouge, Westerhall, and St. Cyr 

 Mountain were also visited. Attention was given to the 

 problem of thrips control, and estates were visited in 

 connexion with this and other pests. Progress of work on 

 the experiment plots appears to have been satisfactory. 

 Good crops of beans and peas were obtained and cotton was 

 found to be satisfactory in Carriacou. As regards the condi- 

 tion of crops on the estates, cacao was coming in satisfactorily, 

 and although it is unlikely that this crop will reach as high 

 a figure as the last, yet the prospects are good for an average 

 crop. The prospects of the nutmeg crop are recorded as being 

 satisfactory. Oranges have yielded an abundant crop and 

 are still plentiful. There has been a considerable waste in 

 this crop during the season. The suggestion might be made in 

 connexion with this that it might prove practicable to manu- 

 facture orange oil from the surplus fruit. 



The report of the second Agricultural Instructor 

 refers to visits paid to St. John's Parish, St. Mark's 

 and St. George's. Instruction work was of the same 

 character as formerly, stress being laid upon the need 

 for deeper and more properly placed drains. Good methods 

 of culture were recommended. Many peasants were encour- 

 aged, and many have promised to enter and compete 

 under the next prize-holdings scheme to be held this year. 

 It is satisfactory to learn that the mountain lands are being 

 cleared by the peasantry for the purpose of cultivating ground 

 provisions. Despite the severity of thrips attacks, the cacao 

 crop was considered likely to be a normal one. The report 

 concludes with a few remarks on live stock. The number 

 of animals in the island appears to be below the require- 

 ments. It is suggested that efforts to encourage the 

 rearing of more animals might be stimulated by the 

 formation of a breeders' association, either under the auspices 

 of or through the Agricultural Society. 



Board of Agriculture, British Guiana.— The 



Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, British Guiana, has 

 furnished this Office with a copy of the agenda of a meeting 

 of the Board held on February 1, together with an extract 

 giving an account of the meeting. Amongst the various 

 matters referred to by Professor J. B. Harrison, C.M.G., was 

 the action taken by the Board to issue special posters 

 giving directions for rice planting. A scheme adopted by 

 the Combined Court, for the training of student assistants 

 at the Department of Science and Agriculture, was then 

 laid on the table. After referring to the desirability of 

 adopting in British Guiana, the Jamaica scheme of subsidized 

 men as Agricultural Instructors, the Director proceeded to 

 refer to the demonstration plots in Berbice and the Victoria 

 Belfield Agricultural .Show, which does not appear to have 

 been as successful as might be desired. Professor Harrison 

 then said that at the last meeting it was decided to place 

 at the disposal of the Agricultural Association a few b'lars 

 of good breed for the rearing of pigs in important centres. 

 Two boars had been purchased for the purpose, but the 

 difficulty arose as to ihe cost of housing the animals. 

 Amongst the final matters referred to was the satisfactory 

 sale of the rubber grown by the Department in 1916. <Jne 

 quantity of this rubber, about 1,000 lb., fetched 3s. 4W, 

 per B)., and another lot, a little over -500 lb., realized 2s. 6|rf. 

 per R.. while a third lot, 1,000 lb , was now awaiting sale. 



