Vol. XVI. No. 398. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS 



231 



LAND SETTLEMENT IN ANTIGUA. 



Rules under section 3 of the Crown Lands (Rules) 

 Ordinance dated .June 11, 1917, have been made by the 

 Governorin-Council in respect of the Crown Lands known as 

 Sawcots estate in the parish of St Mary's and of such other 

 Crown Lands in Antigua as the Governor may declare them 

 be applicable. 



The Crown Lands, after being surveyed, will, subject 

 to the direction of the Governor, be entrusted to the Curator 

 of the Botanic .Station. In making the survey, reserves will be 

 made of: (1 ) all ponds and wells, and banks of any important 

 streams with a space of half a chain around the source or 

 bank; (2) swamps, exposed ridges and forest as may be 

 deemed necessary for forest conservation; (3) lands for sites 

 for churches, schools or other public purposes; (4) lands for 

 roads or paths; and (.5) lands requisite for villages or common 

 land. The remainder of the land is to be divided into allot- 

 ments of not less than one and not more than 3 acres 

 each. Tn making an allotment, the cultivation of any e.xisting 

 tenant will, if possible, be included, and no allotment of land 

 will be made,to any person who is already owner of land, with- 

 out the sanction of the Governor. The allottee \vill have to pay 

 one-tenth part of the purchase money at the time when the 

 Conditional Permit is issued, and, at theexpiraiion of one year 

 from the date of such a permit and at the same time in each 

 succeeding year, a further one-tenth part of the purchase 

 money will be paid, so long as any instalment money remains 

 due, the purchase money of an allotment varying from 8.5. to 

 15s. an acre per annum, according to the quality of the land. 



A certain proportion will be reserved as common land, 

 on which each allottee nwy graze not more than two animals 

 of the following class: cattle, horses, or domkeys, in addition 

 to two shepp or goats. 



The land reserved for village lots will be laid out in 

 house plots not exceeding HO feet square each, with suitable 

 space for streets, and every allottee will be entitled to 

 purchase a house spot, the value of which is fixed at the rate 

 of l^s. per annum, on the adjacent village lot, on 

 the same conditions as an allotment may be purchased and 

 held, while house spots may be sold or leased to persons who 

 are not allottees. 



As a condition of tenure of allotment, a purchaser must 

 for a period of two years prior to the date of allotment be 

 resident ordinarily in Antigua. No allotment can with- 

 out the consent of the Governor, be alienated. Alien- 

 ation does not include involuntary alienation, as in the case of 

 descent or bankruptcy, nor alienation partly involu' tary, as in 

 the ca.se of a devise by will. Among other conditions in the 

 tenure are that each allottee shall beneficially occupy the land 

 to the satisfaction of the Governor ; that the Government may 

 resume possession of a tenth of the allotment for roads up 'U 

 paying conifensation ; that all instalments are punctually 

 paid ; and that each holder of a house spot shall provide and 

 maintain in goo<l order a latrine or other sanitary convenience 

 for the use of himself and his family. On the failure by an 

 allottee to comply with these conditions the Governor raay, 

 without appeal to ai.y Court, order the right lo an allotment, 

 or a house spot, crop?, instalments, ind other rights, to be 

 forfeited. 



At the expiration of ten years fronl the date of allot- 

 ment, and, on payment in full, the allottee is entitled to 

 a grant. Should payment in full bb made before ten 

 years, no grant or title will bo issued, nor may any land be 

 alienated, let or encumbered until ten years have expired. 

 Grants will be recorded in the Land Kegistry Office free of 

 cast to the allottee, except stamp duty. 



MADAGASCAR 



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in 

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FURTHER NOTE ON THE 

 BEAN. 



In the Agricultural Neics for Jline 30, 1917, reference 

 was made to the .successful production, on a small scale, of 

 the Madagascar bean (a variety of Phiseolus hinatua) ia 

 St. Lucia. Information has .since been received concerning 

 trials with this bean in other islands. In no case has the 

 bean proved a success. From Grenada Mr. J. C. .Moore 

 states: 'Madagascar and French White Haricot (both climbers) 

 were received and tried at the Botanic Gardens and at 

 Westerhall Station. At the Botanic Gardens the plants 

 grew weakly, and we got a few seeds from the Madagascar, 

 but none from the French Haricot. At Westerhall the 

 results were also poor, and a few seeds of the Haricot only 

 were saved. The Madagascar failed to seed. Neither 

 kind made robust growth. The seeds of both kinds have 

 again been sown for further trial.' Mr. .Moore adds 

 that the Barbuda bean, another form of P/iaseolus luimlus, 

 and also a local variety much like it, known as Pois 

 chouche (both climbers) hive done well on fences at the 

 Botanic Gardens. Six plants of the Barbuda bean, covering 

 42 feet of fence o feet high, wete sown on June 20, 1916 

 and yielded in January-May 1917 dry seed amounting to 

 3 B). 1 1 oz. Pois chouche, four plants ot which covered 

 feet of fence, were sown at the same time and yielded 

 March-May 1917, dry seed weighing 4 B). 8 oz. 



These yields are very satisfactory in themselves, but 

 must be remembered that the trials like the St. Lucia ones 

 with the .Madagascar, were on a very small scale and the 

 results are hardly applicable to field conditions. Mr. Moore 

 has come across a large white-seeded climbing Lima bean 

 which appears to be growing well; he is giving this local 

 variety (also belonging to the Fhas;olu$ lunatvs group) 

 further trial. 



Concerning the results obtained with the Madagascar 

 bean in Antigua, the Superintendent of Agriculture for the 

 Leeward Islands forwards a report of the Curator of the 

 Experiment Station to the effect that 'these beans did not 

 do particularly well at the Experiment Station. Qnly 

 sufficient seed was obtained from tlie trial to plant ,'|j-acre 

 plot.' It is suggested that the yield may be improved by 

 acclimatization. 



From St. Kitis, Mr. F. R. Shepherd, the Agricultural 

 Superintendent, writes with reference to the Madagascar and 

 Haricot varieties as follows: 'They both grew well but 

 I failed to obtain any gojd beans from the Madagascar variety, 

 though I managed to get sufficient from the Haricot to 

 plant a small plot which is now coming on well. 



While in Montserrat, Mr. Shepherd saw a plot of Mada- 

 i/asear beans which appeared to be coming on well, but be 

 does not state what the final result in yield has been. 



Summing up, it would apjear that at present the Mada- 

 gascar bean cannot be depended on to furnish a satisfactory 

 yield, though it may improve as the result of acclimatization 

 or if grown in special localities. It is difficult to explain its 

 satisfactory growth in St. Lucia. Generally speaking, the 

 Hiricot variety appears to have given better all-round results, 

 but must still be regarded as a poor yielder. 



The local and American strains of Lima bean still remain 

 the best; but growers might give more attention to the Cana- 

 valias (Horse bean, etc.), which in spite of local prejudice may 

 be consumed with perfect safety. 



