196 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



June 30, 1917. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



BARBADOS. From the fortnightly report of the Ai/ricidtural 

 Eeportur of .June 16, it appears that the showery weather 

 ■with which May clcsed did not contiuue during the early 

 days of June, and vegetation again began to feel the lack of 

 moisture. Between the 7th and the 10th, however, a total 

 of nearly an inch was registered ia Bridgetown. In the 

 extrenae south of the islacd rain was still needed, for the 

 surface soil was still dry, and planting of every kind was at 

 a standstill throughout the island; there could be no rigorous 

 start until heavy and general rains had fallen. CJood rains, 

 howtver, fell towards the end of this month. 



Some progress has been made with the uprooting of 

 cane stumps, forking and the opening of cane holes prepar- 

 atory to planting, so that, with the first heavy rain, there 

 might be no delay iii putting in provisions. Where the 

 crops had been completed, ploughing was becoming fairly 

 general and attention was being paid to the application of 

 farmyard manure to low plant canes or to fields in which 

 yams had been planted. The potatoes planted with the 

 showers during the latter half of May were making satis- 

 factory progress, and the Indian cdrn and imphee sown at 

 that time wete also growing apace with the assistance of the 

 Jure showers. > Around the sea-board where the weather 

 had not been so favourable, rain was urgently needed to 

 prevent a stunt. Indian corn, in particular, could not long 

 resist a drought, and a .short period of adverse weather would 

 have prevented it making a good return. The yield cf corn 

 will this year be poor, and buyers have been content to pay 

 $4'00 a bushel for planting purposes. During the next 

 fortnight, with but few exceptions, reaping was expected to 

 cease in every paiish. Some of the estates si ill grinding 

 had prolonged their ripening season so as to keep a supply 

 of fodder for the animals. The pastures were not yet ready 

 and cane shoots would not be abundant. Cane fodder had 

 in Bridgetown been retailed as high as 42c. per 100 B). 

 Owing to depreciation in the juice, some estates, which were 

 making centifugal muscovado, have during the past fortnight, 

 turned' their attention to syrup. The increase in the number 

 of rotten canes had to some extent been responsible for this 

 This year may be termed a syrup and muscovado year. For 

 these there has been a steady demand, while for crystals the 

 market has often been dull. The shortage of the crops in 

 some districts together with the good price of .syrup reduced 

 the output of the factories this year. The greatest ditliculty 

 has been experienced by factories in either renewing or 

 repairing any part of their machinery. 



5IONT.SEERAT. Bains at the end of the month allowed a 

 start to be made witli the planting of plots in the Experiment 

 Stations, writes Mr. W. llobson the Curator, in his report for 

 May, including sweet potatoes, ground nuts, papaws and 

 beans. The best yield obtained from the three plots planted 

 in Ajowan was at the rate of 1,128 ft), of clean seeds 

 per acre, on a piece of particularly good soil. The plot of 

 Anguilla pigeon pea ( ^^j -acre) yielded at the rate of 1,430 R). 

 of dry shelled peas per acre. Seeds of selected plants will be 



grown in future. A fair supply of seeds of the Madagascar 

 bean was obtained, as well as of Hyoscyavius inuticus. Three 

 distillations of bay leaves were made, in one of which sea- 

 water was used in the still without any apparent increase in 

 yield. 



Begarding staple crops it is stated that the earliest 

 planted cotton (early March.) suffered from want of rain, and 

 until late in the month there was no opportunity of complet- 

 ing the plantinii of the area prepared for cotton, or of 

 supplying the earlier planted fields. The northern district, 

 as usual, seemed to have suffered the most from shortage of 

 rain. The approximate area grown in cotton in 1916 was now 

 found to have been 1,997 acres, with an average yield of lint 

 at the rate of 156 lb. per acre. The percentage of stained 

 cotton was 7 '7, with considerable variation in different dis- 

 tricts. The bay oil distilled from the experiment plot and 

 shipped to London in October fetched 13s per ft), and was 

 reported to be of excellent quality, Supplies of seed of the 

 Ajowan plant were sent both to the Imperial Institute, 

 London, and to the Qovernment Laboratory Antigua, for 

 analysis. Seeds of Galba were sown across one of the 

 Dagenham cotton fields to form a demonstration wind-break. 

 The accounts of the Montserrat Onion Growers' Association 

 having been clo.sed, it was possible to make a total payment of 

 339c. per ft), of onions delivered by growers, compared with 

 2'4.5c. in the previous year. The emigration of labourers 

 frriui the island, says Mr. Eobson, is at present a source- of 

 considerable concern. The destination of the emigrants 

 appears to be chiefly the United States of America and 

 San Domingo. A special meeting of the Agricultural Society 

 was about to be called to consider the local food supply 

 problem. The lainfall for the month recorded at Grove 

 Station was 3 12 inches, most of which fell during the last 

 week of the month. The total rainfall for the year is 

 16-70 inches. 



ANTinuA. During the month of May the crops on the 

 various plots in the Experim- nt Station were reaped, and the 

 cultivation of the cane plots at Skerrelts was commenced. 

 Plant distribution included — sisal 500, henequen 600, 

 miscellaneous 11. In addition, 1,40.5 lb. of cotton seed were 

 sent out. In the Botanic Gardens all new sugarcane seed- 

 lings were planted out during the month and in addition to 

 ordinary routine operations, a considerable amount of work 

 was done in the nursery in connexion wiihthe raising of 

 bay and eucalyptus plants. 



In his ob.servations relating to staple crops, the Curator 

 (Mr. T. Jackson) states that the cane crop throughout 

 the island was ripening very rapidly, and the young cane 

 crops required rain. Approximately 200 acres of cotton had 

 been planted in the island to date; this also needed rain. 

 The cidtivation of land on estates was being rapidly pressed 

 forward. A new spraying tank hid been erected at Gambles, 

 and was being regularly used for the spraying of cattle with 

 cattle dip, for the control of ticks. The planting of sisal 

 was continued in the windward district of the island. 



Experiments in making sweet potato flour for mixing 

 with wheaten flour for making bread were being conducted. 

 The selecting of cotton seed of pediaree strains was con- 

 tinued. Work connected with the school garden attached 

 to the Antigua (Jrammar School was now in charge of an 

 officer attached to the Department. Bainfall for the month 

 was 2'1^ inches; for the year 10'13 inches. At the time of 

 writing, adds !Mr. Jackson, rain was recpiircd in most parts of 

 the island. 



.ST. KiTTs. In his report for the month of May, the 

 Agricultural Superintendent (Mr. F. B. Shepherd) records the 

 pl.anting of various crops in the several plots in the Kxperi. 



