68 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



March 10, 1917. 



ments in the Windward and Leeward Islands. In 

 forming an appreciation of the standard and variety of 

 the work, the fact should be taken into account that 

 in most of the islands the staff of each Department 

 consists of only one, two, or at most, three responsible 

 officers whose multitudinous duties allow of but little 

 specialization on any particular subject. 



In spite of this, a very satisfactory all-round 

 development has taken place. This appears to 

 be e.xceptionally creditable when one considers that 

 the expenditure of money on each 1 )epartment to-day 

 is. with one or two exceptions, no greater than it ever 

 was. The amount expended on each establishment 

 varies from about £1,000 to £1,500 annually. This is 

 certainly not extravagant when one compares the 

 amount and value of the present work done with that 

 performed on the same expenditure some ton or fifteen 

 years ago; or with the work performed by Departments 

 in larger colonies where the expenditure is many times 

 greater. 



advanced generation.s were inferior to earlier ones were 

 observed. 



Eecord.s of the five years' work with okra, during which 

 time thirty-two planting,s were made, reaching finally the 

 eighth generation, show that the growth and production 

 of the advanced generations are not inferior to those of 

 the earlier ones. 



The development of plants of the different generations 

 of tomatoes grown in Porto Rico was very uniform and 

 proves that, except for occasional importations, the seed of 

 this vegetable needed in Porto Rico can well be grown in 

 the home gardens. 



In the woik with lettuce no degeneration was noted as 

 a result of growing an imported variety for successive gener- 

 ations in Porto Kico. Owing to the difBculty of producing 

 .seed during seasons of heavy rain, the experiments with this 

 crop were hindered considerably. As seed production is 

 dirticult and loss of viability rapid, it will probably be 

 necessary to import the seed of this crop. 



In all vegetable plantings, the season at which the 

 planting was madf had a very pronounced effect on the yield, 

 being the predominant factor influencing production. 



SUPPOSED DETERIORATION OF VEGE- 

 TABLE SEED IN THE TROPICS, 

 AND SUGGESTIONS FOR SEED 

 PRESERVATION. 



Bulletin No. 20 recently issued by the Porto Rico 

 Experiment Station on the above subject is of immediate 

 interest to the British West Indies. It is the common 

 belief in the islands that vegetable seed when grown 

 through several generations in the tropics tends to 

 deteriorate. Difficulty is also experienced in storing 

 vegetable seed without loss of germination power. This 

 is particularly so in the case of oninn .seed. The ftulle- 

 tin states: — 



That northern vegetables degenerate «juickly when taken 

 to the tropics is a common belief in Porto Rico, resulting 

 from the fact that seed loses its viability <]uickly when ex- 

 posed to moist air, and from a lack of knowledge regarding 

 .seasonal effect on vegetable production. 



To retain the viability of seed of the crops used in the 

 experiments here reported, the seed was stored in air-tight jars 

 in the bottom of which was placed a small quantity of calcium 

 chlorid. This method was so satisfactory that it is recommended 

 for general use. 



Planting a few types of peppers, such as are commonly 

 growii in Porto Rico, side by side with varieties imported 

 from the North, showed that the Porto Rican types are much 

 more productive and therefore more desirable than imported 

 varieties. 



Forty plantings of beans were made, including nine 

 generations. Of the Porto Rico plantings those made in 

 March gave large crops, except one in l91i, which was 

 hindered by an exceptional drought; while those made in other 

 months, including .June, September, November, December, 

 and .January, gave small harve.sts. No indications that 



East Indian Immigration —Six hundred and 

 thirty-eight Indians were despatched to Trinidad in October. 

 There were among them 181 women. At present, contrary 

 to former experien<e, women are more easily obtainable than 

 men, and there will be great difficulty in obtaining full com- 

 plements of coolies. This is largely owing to the govern 

 ment recruiting of coolies for war work in Mesopotamia. 

 Jamaica proposes to import about 900 Indians next season. 

 But while Jamaica is importing East Indians, there is a rush 

 of her own men to Cuba. It is calculated that there are 

 some 40,000 Jamaicans at work in the neighbouring foreign 

 countries. In (.luba they get 4s. a day on the sugar estates, 

 while the m^st favourable wage proposed for East Indians 

 is Is. No doubt, in such places as Cuba, the money 

 does not go as far as in Jamaica, but the high figure 

 is an irresistible attraction. If Jamaica could organize 

 a sugar industry on Cuban lines, the labour might be kept 

 at home. A Committee in the island is discussing the 

 question. (Colonial Journal, Vol. X, No. 3, January 1917.) 



Prosperity of the Falkland Islands— The 



Falkland Lslands, besides figuring as the scene of our greatest 

 naval engagement in this war. have some remarkable com- 

 mercial features. The excess of exports over imports — in 

 191-5 the respective values were £1, -576,120 and £368,272 — 

 is phenomenal. Wool and whale oil in these times are very 

 valuable commodities. Other colonies have had to put 

 up with the scarcity of shipping, but in the Falkland Islands 

 there has been an increase. The exports, for a population 

 of 3,451, also show a phenomenal production per head. 

 .\nother noteworthy point is that a proclamation was issued, 

 on account of the war, to the eftect that all goods exported 

 should go to the I nited Kingdom. ( )ne result of the 

 position is that the islands may fairly be called the paradise 

 of manual labour. Skilled labourers get Is. Ihd. an hour, 

 with Is. f<d. overtime, and in many cises free housing. 

 There is no good of any workhouse, and though a gaol is 

 provided, it is generally empty except for the accommodation 

 of an occasional erring .sailor from a ship in the harbour. 

 There is a gre .t lack of ordinary comforts and conveniences in 

 the houses, but as there is plenty of money, these deficiencies 

 will no doubt be lessened in time. (Colonial Jomnal, 

 Vol. X, No. 3, Janu.iry 1917.) 



