Vol. XVI. No. 387. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



5^ 



and planted with twelve varieties of sugar-caue. Plant dis- 

 tribution consisted of 15,400 onion seedlings, 228 corn 

 •cobs, 4,', R>. of peas, 14 B). of Irish potatoes. The cotton 

 crop was expected to be small and there was no indication of 

 there being anj* lime crop for some time The susar-crop 

 •was also considered likely to be poor. Food crops have 

 been receiving attention and potatoes at the beginning of 

 January were plentiful. The weather was exceptionally 

 dry for December. IJain fell in measurable quantity on 

 ■only twelve days of the month. 



AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS IN 

 BARBADOS. 



The following con.sists of e.xtracts from a report in 

 the Barbados Agricultural Reporter for February 10, 

 1917:— 



The closing days of January were fairly showery in the 

 ^eater part of the island, but there has been no heavy rain 

 to entirely relieve the tension which is being felt in respect 

 to the regular and general establishment of the young crop. 

 •On the 28th of the month very refreshing showers fell in one 

 of the driest parts of the island: viz., the north-western 

 portion of St. L'lcy's pari.sh. It was quite a plea.-iure to 

 find two days later how wet the fields in this neighbourhood 

 ■were. 



In the hilly districts the rainfall for January was gener- 

 ally over 4 inches, while on a few estates nearly (j inches 

 were registered. In the greater part of the low-lying parishes 

 the rainfall for the same period has been slightly over 2 

 inches: the result in each case of about seventeen showery 

 days. The eastern side of St. Philip and the southern part of 

 Christ Church have not participated in the favours that have 

 been received elsewhere, and these districts are passing 

 through a period of real drought. . . . 



The past fortnight has not proved long enough to com- 

 plete the field work in connexion with the planting of the 

 young crop. In most districts snme forking, moulding, 

 draining, manuring and head-row weeding have been done, 

 and some still remains to be done. In some instances, we 

 have observed that the earth had grown too hard to entirely 

 put out of hand fields in which such work was in progress. 

 At this time of the year there are always a few fields in 

 which some tillafje remains to be done, but few planters can 

 remember a year in which preparation was so backward. It 

 remains to be seen to what extent this will affect the crop to 

 be reaped in 1918 With all their difficulties, however, there 

 is one satisfaction which the planters have experienced. They 

 have been enabled, even in the grassiest districts, to rid their 

 open fields of the perplexing pond grass and other weeds. 



Every planter has been busy with the supplying, which 

 has meant, iu some instances, the re-planiing of the young 

 crop. Wherever there have been showers, the supplies have 

 grown healthily and, we may add, with regularity. A planter 

 on a black soil estate tells us that he is quite satisfied that 

 his crop is fairly well established This favourable verdict 

 cannot, however be given of every district. We have noticed 

 fields in which the shoots which are as yet visible are very 

 few. But at the same time alongside of a field in this con- 

 dition lliere is another which presents a most pleasant sight — 

 sreen blades waving above almost every bank. The difference 

 2S principally to be accounted for by the time of planting. 



but it may also be the result of the difference in the condi- 

 tion of the soil. 



The early tillage of fields is a considerable factor in the 

 production of good crops, and money spent in exposing the 

 subsoil by deep forking, moulding and draining is a good in- 

 vestment. The soil is thereby improved, and plants are strength- 

 ened to resist droughts and to fight against their enemies. 

 Our attention has recently been drawn to a piece of land in 

 which some moulding was done. To a hole it could be seerk 

 where the new earth had been scattered. The dry weather- 

 had not retarded the growth of the plants in that part of the 

 field in which new soil had been placed, while the plants iu 

 the remainder of the same field gave ample proof of the hard 

 weather they were encountering. Thorough and liberal tillage- 

 is almost as beneficial as manure. 



Reaping operations have been generally started. In soiae 

 parishes every estate is either grinding or sending canes to thet 

 factory. In the red soils there are a few estates which will 

 not begin before the middle of this month or perhaps a littla 

 later. 



The quality of the juice, as far as we can learn, is not 

 disappointing, but the return is irregular. From St. James*" 

 parish the following figures have been reported: 18, 20 and 

 26 tons cane per acre. In St. Philip's parish a yield of 3"3 

 tons have been reached. The B.376 is mentioned as having 

 dried very much and as being likely to mark a tonnag» 

 much lower than other varieties. We have heard it estimated 

 that this year's crop will be about 12 per cent, or one-eighth 

 less than the crop reaped last year. At a visit to one of the 

 factories, we are pleased to learn that canes were being 

 purchased from the peasant proprietors on the same basis aa 

 from the estates; viz., 7 fti. crystals per 100 B). cane. 



Of the twenty-one factories and estates at which dark 

 crystals are made, fourteen are at work. We regret to havft. 

 to state that one of the mills at Three Houses has beea 

 seriously broken: this will no doubt cause considerable 

 inconvenience, as several estates are concerned. 



The factory at Andrews has been improved and a vacuum 

 pan has been imported, but there was not suflScient time to- 

 have it ready for this reaping season. Centrifugal muscovado 

 will therefore be made, and canes are being purchased on the 

 usual dark crystal basis. 



Yesterday there was no quotation for centrifugal mus- 

 covado. The marki't for dark crystals opened at .IpS^.a. 

 Molasses is apparently firm at 15c. per gallon and .$500 

 for Fancy, and 20c. for Choice. 



The yam crop is being rapidly disposed of generally at 

 .•5100 or Sl-20 per loO ft>., but in St Lucy's parish -SI -SO 

 per 100 h. is being asked. White eddoes are selling at 

 SI -00 per 100 11). and nut eddoes at 90c. Potatoes are- 

 being sold at §1'0S per 100 fc. and retailed at 7 lb. for 

 10c. , and we are informed that in some districts they are 

 growing very scarce. The Guinea corn crop has not been a 

 plentiful one, as it was not planted in safficient quantity. 

 In spite of a dry December it eared satisfactorily. This corn 

 is being sold at 7s. per bushel. 



There have been twenty-one carie fires since the date of 

 our last report, making a total of seventy-eight, causing the 

 destruction of .!J7l acres of canes. During the forinii^ht 

 106A acres were burnt ard more than half this total wa^ 

 destroyed at two estates — Foursquare, in St. Philip's 

 parish, and the River, in St. .\ndrew. These facts call 

 for the devising of a remedy whl>;h will effectively proteot 

 property against wanton interference. 



