Vol. XVI. Xo. 386. 



THE AGKICULTURAL STEWS. 



47 



THE MANURE QUESTION IN DOMINICA. 



In connexion with the editorial in this issue, the 

 following remarks made by Mr. Joseph Jones in his 

 Annual Report on the Agricultnral Department, 

 Dominica, for 1915-10, will be read with interest: — 



The value of fertilizers imported during 1915 was £3,337, 

 an increase of £1,275 over the figures of' the previous year- 

 The amount of manure imported is still far from meeting the 

 requirements of lime cultivation, especially when it is clear 

 that very little expenditure is incurred on the majority of 

 estates in the production of pen manures and mulches. It 

 is estimated that after allowing for the production of consider- 

 ~able quantities of pen manure, an annual importation of 

 fertilizers, of a value of £15 000, is necessary for lime culti- 

 vation alone. 



It may be argued that in a country like Dominica, it is 

 economically unsound to import fertilizers, and that it would 

 be a better policy to spend the mDuey locally on the produc- 

 tion of pen manures and mulches, and for the utilization of 

 lime skins and seeds for manurial purposes. That argument 

 cannot be refuted. The spending of so considerable a sum 

 on labour and feeding stuffs in the local production of organic 

 manures and their application to lime fields, would result in 

 greater and more lasting benefits to planters than those 

 •obtainable by the use of imported concentrated manures. 

 Unfortunately there is little probability of the adop- 

 tion of so sound a policy. The tendency at present is 

 for estates to keep as few animals as possible. Pens do not 

 exist on many estates. Where they do exist, they are, in the 

 majority of instances, not utilized. On a number of estates 

 ■neither pen or special manure is applied; oh others, manures 

 are only applied when the foliage of the trees is yellowish in 

 colour and fruiting has practically ceased. Only on a few 

 estates is a sound manurial system in existence. 



How long these methods, which are so lacking in sound 

 agricultural practice, will enable the planters concerned to 

 continue, is a matter for serious reflection. It is feared that 

 the low rate of production per acre, the heavy loss owing to 

 general inefficiency of lime mills, the wisteful system of man- 

 ufacture, coupled with over concentration of the juice, and 

 the consequent heavy loss of acid, will not allow planters to 

 meet the competition of other countries which already looms 

 in the distance, unless there is a general improvement in the 

 methods of producing concentrated lime juice, which forms 

 39 per cent, of the industry, and an uphfting of the present 

 low standard of agricultural practice in lime fields. 



It is understood that a large number of cane plants are 

 available for distribution during the present month of Feb- 

 ruary in Dominica. 



These plants are being provided, according to a notice 

 in the Official Gazette, principally to afford the peasant 

 proprietors who have suffered in the recent storm an opport- 

 unity of planting and thus relieving their necessities. 



It is hoped that it may be possible to supply them 

 gratis. All persons who were anxious' to secure these plants 

 had to apply to the Administrator before January 20 giving 

 the number of plants they required and the acreage of land 

 they propo.sed to plant in canes. 



No plants were to be issued unless the land for planting 

 .had been prepared. 



STATE OF AGRICULTURE IN TORTOLA.' 



A report on the Experiment Station, Tortola, Virgia 

 Islands, together with notes on the state of Agriculture ia 

 the island for the quarter ended December 31, 1916, has 

 been received from Mr. W. C. Fishlock, the Curator of thfr 

 Station. Under the heading of weather, special reference i»- 

 made to the memorable storm -of October 9. During the 

 season no fewer than eight cyclonic disturbances passed 

 Tortola. 



The cotton industry received a temporary check by tha 

 hurricane of October. The people however are reported noti 

 to be unduly pessimistic. There is likely to be a late second, 

 crop in certain districts. The Curator states that during- 

 the quarter several visits were paid to the outlying parts of 

 Tortola and to Jost van Dykes. These visits were paid 

 partly in connexion with hurricane relief and partly in thfe 

 interests of agriculture generally. The planting of food 

 crops his been kept well to the fore. The following was: 

 the distribution of planting material for the quarter: onions: 

 15,400; corn cobs 778; peas 113i Bb.; Irish potatoes 14 ft. 



In regard to operations at the Station, work has- 

 principally concerned restoration after the damage caused by 

 the storm. The lime plots suffered severely while the cottoft 

 plots were all completely ruined by the gale. Cassava, sugar- 

 cane, and other crops on the plot also suffered. Some o£ 

 the more forward plants in the coco-nut demonstration ploti 

 were damaged severely and it is stated that it will be necess- 

 ary to replant a considerable number. 



GROUND-NUT OIL AS A LUBRICANT. 



The Agricultural Department of Khodesia has recently- 

 been corresponding with the Imperial Institute on the ques- 

 tion of the suitability of ground-nut oil for lubricating pur- 

 poses. The following report on the matter issued by the 

 Imperial Institute will be read with interest in the West; 

 Indies: — 



'Ground-nut oil is a non-drying oil, and therefore 

 belongs to the class of vegetable oils which can be 

 used as lubricants At the present time, however, it is 

 not usual to employ vegetable oils alone as lubricants except) 

 for special purposes, such as the lubrication of clocks, watches 

 and other delicate mechanisms, or for certain parts of textile 

 machinery. For ordinary machinery, mineral oils, either 

 alone or mixed with a non-drying vegetable oil, are now 

 almost universally employed. Iq general, pure mineral oils 

 of relatively low viscosity are used for high speeds and low 

 pressures, and mixed mineral and vegetable oils of higher 

 viscosity for low speeds and high pressures. Mixed oils 

 containing from 20 to 30 per cent, of vegetable oil are stated 

 to be the best lubricants for ordinary loads and speeds. 



'Vegetable non- drying oils are also used in, the manu- 

 facture of certain types of lubricating "greases", which 

 consist of a mineral oil mixed with the soda or lime soap 

 (generally the latter) or the fatty oil. Soaps made from 

 ground-nut oil are stated to be quite suitable for this purpose. 



'Ground-nut oil alone could not be reconnnended as 

 a general lubricant for railway, mining and agricultural 

 machinery, and it would probably not be feasible at pre.sent 

 to start the prepar-ation of mixed lubricating oils and greases 

 in llhodesia. If, however, these products are being manu- 

 factured in South Africa, it might be possible to dispose of 

 the giound-nut oil to the makers. For use as a lubricant, 

 ground-nut oil would recjuire to be treated or refined in order 

 to remove any free fatty acid'. {Rhodesia Agricultarat 

 Journal, for October 1916.) 



