Vol. XVI. No. 396. 



THE, AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



107 



ment Stations. Plant distribution comprised 1,200 sweet 

 potato cutiings, 170 ft), cottonseed, 55 ornamental and 300 

 cuttings. During the early part of the month much water- 

 ing wa.s needed owing to drought. Showers during the 

 latter part of the month had much improved the condition 

 of the plants. 



The reaping of the old cane crop was rapidly progress- 

 ing, the quality of the juice still iiiaintuning a high standard. 

 The young cane crop had felt the want of rain, and the 

 later planted canes were very backward The showers 

 during the latter part of the month, it was hoped, would 

 improve the condition of offairs. Ten thousands plants of 

 the ca^e B.147, purchased from an estate by the Agricultural 

 Department, were sent to a planter in Dominica for planting. 

 Cotton had been largely planted during the month and 

 the young plants presented a very healthy appearance. The 

 greater part has been seed from the Experiment station; 

 the remainder, the best loral feed. 



The Agricultural .Superintendent was on leave during 

 the month, his duties being performed by the Chemical 

 Assistant. The rainfall for the month was 2-1 1 inches: for 

 the year, 10'3l inches. 



Attached to this report is a summary of work per- 

 formed at the liaboratory during the month; this included the 

 completion of the sugar-cane experiments and calculation of 

 results; analj-sis of fifteen samples of milk from the Inspector 

 of Police; analysis of one sample of muscovado sugar: analy- 

 sis of four samples of 'fancy molasses': and analysis of soils. 



NEVIS. Mr. W. I. Howell, reporting,' on work in the 

 E.Kperiment Stations during the month of May, states that 

 the plots had been kept weeded and were in good order, and 

 mentions the crops that have been planted out in the several 

 plot?, including the following food crops: Indian corn, Para 

 peas, black-eye jieas, and sweet potatoes. Plant distribution 

 comprised 142 bags sweet potato cuttings, 5,0.')0 cassava 

 cuttings, 15 tti. black-eye peas, 2 lb. Indian corn, 10 shade 

 trees, and 129 ft), cotton seed. 



Concerning staple crops, the Agricultural Instructor says 

 that the weather during the latter half of the month being 

 very favourable, a large acreage of cotton was planted 

 and some of the fields had made a very good stand. Prepara- 

 tion was being hurried on veiih a view to taking advantage 

 of the weather. The showers were very welcome to the 

 young canes which were very much in need of rain, lieaping 

 of the old cane crop was still in progress; in some places 

 operations were hindered by shortage of labour. A large 

 acreage had been planted in sweet potatoes and peas: prepara- 

 tion and planting were still in pri:)gress. Onion growers had 

 been paid at the rate of 2'78c. per lb. for all onions delivered 

 at the curing house. A meeting of planters was held on 

 May 17, under the presidency ot His Honour the Adminis- 

 trator, with the object of inducing planters to grow provision 

 crops so as to be able to supply home-grown provisions 

 for local consumption, in case the supply of imported 

 foodstuffs be further reduced, or altogether cut off. Rainfall 

 for the month was 4'27 inches: for the year to date, 

 12 58 inches. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. W. Nowell, D.I.C., Mycologist on the staff of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, has left Barbados 

 for Dominica vvith the object of continuing investiga- 

 tions in that island in regard to plant diseases. 

 Mr. Nowell is e.xpected to return to Barbados about 

 July 11. 



ANTIGUA AND ST. KITTS CENTRAL 

 SUGAR FACTORIES. 



The notes on the Antigua and St. Kitts Central Suaar 

 Factories, which appeired in the Agricultural News for 

 March 24, 1917 (Vol. .\VI, No. 389, p. 83) did not present 

 a clear and adequate account of the work and results in those 

 establishments. For a detailed and critical review of the work 

 of these factories for 1916, the reader is referred to the 

 Agricultural News for November 4, 1916 (Vol. XV, No 379, 

 pp. 356 and 357). From the figures given in that article, it 

 will be seen that the work of the two factories is remarkably 

 similar in character and is of a very high order, closely 

 approaching what is economically possible. 



In regard to the Antigua factory, a few observation* 

 concerning administration and financial results may here be 

 added as a useful and interesting supplement to the purely 

 technical figures of manufacture contained in the review- 

 referred to above. 



In the first place the supply of canes to the factory was 

 derived from the following sources: the Original Contractors 

 supplied 33,968 tons for which 30s UA per ton was paid; 

 this price included the bonus From" the New Contractors 

 72,567 tons were bought at the rate of 24?. \\\d. per ton. 

 Peasant cultivations supplied 5,929 tons and were pud 

 19s. l\d. per ton. This gives a total of 112,464 tons, which 

 is 108 tons above the total registered in the Chemist's report: 

 this diaference arises from an allowance made for Uba canes.. 



The report of the Directors, from which these figures 

 have been obtained, shows that the factory charges, which 

 include such items as salaries and wages, repairs and taxes, 

 were £,1 lis. Urf. per ton of sugar made: railway transport 

 charges were 10s. 3|rf. p=r ton of sugar; while administration 

 charges were Is. lOW. per ton of sugar. The number of 

 tons of sugar made in 1916 was 12,371, and the total 

 proceeds from this sugar and the molasses produced was 

 £228,063 9s. 3rf. 



In the case of the St. Kitts factory, 9 1,1 32 tons of canes 

 were purchased from the Original Contractors and 10,116 

 from Outside Suppliers— making a total of 101,248 tons of 

 canes bought. The net proceeds of sugar, etc., were £215,668 

 In the case of both factories, the season's results financially 

 and technically, were highly successful. 



Transportation of Bay Seed to Egypt. --Last 



August a quantity of Bay seed was sent from the Botanic 

 Station, Montserrat, to Egypt and East Africa, and in connex- 

 ion with the seed sent to Egypt interesting results have now 

 to be recorded. The seed was sent picked in two diff'erent 

 ways. First of all, 5i oz. of seed were despatched in damp 

 charcoal, 4 oz. of water being added to 1 ft), of charcoal; 

 shortly after, two more tins were sent, one with water at 3 oz. 

 to 1 lb. of charcoal, and the other at 2 oz. to 1 lb. of charcoal. 

 The seed was received in Egypt towards the end of September. 

 Those packed in damp charcoal containing the larger propor- 

 tion of water germinated en route, but seedlings were saved 

 and have been established. The seed in the other packages 

 containing lesser amounts of water arrived without having 

 germinated, but on being .sown no plants developed. No 

 particulars concerning the supply of seed sent to East Africa 

 have yet been received It will be remembered that Bay seed 

 in the ordinary way very quickly loses its vitality. The method 

 of sending germinating seed is of interest, for it is that 

 which is made use of in sending Hevea seed by post over 

 long distances, and similarly in transporting living sugar- 

 cane. 



