116 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 21, 1917. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST 



'rRENADA. Reporting for the months of February and 

 March, Mr. J. C. Moore, Superintendent of .Agriculture, 

 mentions the harvesting of plots in the Experiment Stations 

 and transplanting of lime seedlings (24,000) ia the Botanic 

 Station as among the chief operations for the period. Plant 

 distribution included 1,.599 1). of horse beans. Staple crops 

 were making satisfactory pr 'gress, while ground provisions 

 were plentiful. The sugar cane crop is expected to be less than 

 last year. Stored Indian corn is reported to be keeping 

 well. Propo,sals have been submitted to the Government and 

 the Board of Agriculture for a prize competition in Carriacou 

 for improved cotton cultivation. The rainfall in February 

 was rather above the average for that month, while the 

 weather in March is reported as showery. 



ST. LUCIA. Mr. A J Brooks, the Agricultural Super- 

 intendent, in his report for the month of February, states 

 that work in the Experiment Stations included the erection 

 of a ^'alvanised building 30 X 20 X 18 feet and the installa- 

 tion of the necessary machinery for the manufacture of potato 

 meal and farine on a commercial scale. Plant distribution 

 comprised niangoe-^, budded oranges, 105 ornamental, and 

 299 lime plants Work in the Botanic Gardens wa.s of a 

 general routine nature With regard to the .staple crops, 

 reaping operations wert still in progress. 



Public meetings were held by the Inspector of Agricul- 

 tural Credit Societies in Laborie and Vieux Fort for the 

 purpose of forming societies in these districts. Seven Agri- 

 cultural Credit Societies have already been registered and 

 are doing excellent work in the island. 



The Agricultural Superintendent further reports 

 that work in the Experiment Stations in March includ- 

 ed the planting of cassava, sweet potatoes and cane, 

 etc., also the harvesting of various .seeds, spraying and 

 sowing lime seeds and completing the cane crop. 

 Plant distributiim consisted of 6 Julie Mango plants, 20 

 budded orange^ and 1 6 decorative. In the Botanic Gardens 

 the chief work performed during the month was the continued 

 opening up of the drains to the sea, potting, mowing, 

 harvesting cf seeds and the planting and manuring of flower 

 beds. As regards staple crops, the reaping of cacao and cane 

 continues; the lime crop being over and the trees all 

 flowering. 



The Agricultural ' )fficers continued their vi.sits to 

 various estates and small holdings urging the planting of 

 food crops. The .Agricultural A.-sistant spent nine days on 

 a large cacao estate training the overseer and labourers in 

 pruning, draining, and treating ■ertain cacao diseases- The 

 Agricultural Superintendent accompanied His Honour the 

 Administrator to (iros Islet on March 17, where His 

 Honour addressed a public meeting and urged the peasants to 

 plant up their available land Visits were paid to the 

 districts of Castries, Gros Islet, Marquis, Union, Anse-la-Eaye 

 and Soufriere in connexion with agricultural instruction. 

 His Honour, R. Popham Lobb, C.M.G., arrived in the ''olony 

 during the month and assumed the duties of Administrator. 

 The question of enlarging the present Government sugar 

 works at Reunion and installing modern machinery for the 

 manufacture of a superior grade of sugar is one of the many 

 schemes already engaging the serious attention of the 

 Administrator for the general agricultural advancement of 

 the colony. It is prop'jsed that this scheme should be run 

 on a co-operative basis similar to the Goveniment Lime .Juice 



Factory at Castries, and judging from the reports already 

 received from planters and peasants it is likely to prove one 

 of the most popular schemes attempted for the general 

 advancement of the agricultural population in the .southern 

 districts of the island. 



The rainfall was 279 inches at the Botanic Gardens, 

 Castries, and 124 at Choiseul. 



DoMisic.v. Mr. J. Jones, the Curator, reports that four 

 of the citrus plots at the Experiment Stations were drained 

 and bedded off. At the Lime Experiment Station picking 

 and recording crop operations for the year were completed, 

 and cutlassing and weeding carried out. At the Cacao 

 Experiment Station, the Curator wa^ engaged in weeding, 

 picking and recoiding the crop. Fifteen bags of cacao were 

 shipped to London during the month. The following plants 

 were distributed.- limes, 2,175, coffee 500, cacao 50, budded 

 citrus <j, miscellaneous 4, total 2,735. A .second batch of 

 40,000 cane plants was received from Guadeloupe and 

 distributed from the Botanic Gardens. Work in the 

 nurseries comprised repairing and recovering shaded nurseries, 

 lifting plants, weeding and cutlassing, budding limes and 

 other citrus. As regards staple crops, a good careme cacao 

 crop is said to be seen on the trees. Green limes were scarce 

 and the price locally has advanced from 8s. to 23s. per 

 barrel Lack of shipping facilities is said to have caused 

 the price for raw lime juice to drop from 1.5. to ttd. per 

 gallon. The average price paid locally for j'eUow limes 

 during the year 1916-17 was 4s. 6(i. per barrel. 



The Government has made certain suggestions for 

 controlling and improving the standard of the green lime 

 trade, which if generally adopted will etiect great improve- 

 ments. 



A severe outbreak of Diplodia was reported on cacio. 

 The estate affected was visited by the officers of the Deparr 

 aient and .suggestions otfered tu improve the position. Hig:i 

 winds and absence of -helter belts were the primary cause o' 

 the outbreak. Thrips were fairly common in the same 

 locality. 



Exjieriments were conducted in diluting wheat flour 

 with farine meaJ for bread making. Land was cleared for 

 the extension of the coco-nut experiment station. Samples 

 of lime juice were tested and experiments conducted to 

 determine the economic point of washing .sludge in the 

 preparation • >f clean concentrated juice. 



The rainfall for the month was 6 74 inches, of which 

 5-68 inches fell in the first six days of the month. 



MONTSEREAT. Work in the Experiment Station was 

 chiefly of a routine nature owing to dry weather. Plots 

 were prepared tor future crops and seed beds and plants 

 watered. Further spraying was necessary on the lime 

 experiment crop. A few hundred acres of cotton were 

 planted e;irly in the month and a large portion of the crop 

 would have been planted if rain had fallen. The desire to 

 plant >;arly (March and April) was a satisfactory feature in 

 connexion with the cotton crop. Small planters have never 

 before shown s5 much activity in the cultivation of cotton, 

 though it is feared that the growing of food crops is 

 being neglecte^l. Sales of lint have been eflfected at 35rf. 

 and 36c?. The special H. 9 cotton seed to plant the seed 

 fields was distributed: five samples of cotton lint sent tf 

 England for spinning tests were very satisfactorily reportei 

 on, and it would appear that the quality of Montserrat cottoi 

 has steadily improved in recent years. Cotton breedini 

 work in 1917 will consist of the cultivation of fiftee: 

 special plants of the H. 9 strain, seven plants of the Dougla 

 No. 1 strain and two plants of the St. Kitts No. 342 straii 



