2H 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



August 11. 1917. 



AGRICULTURE IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



The Annual Report on the Lands and Mines Depart- 

 ment in British Guiana for 1916, by the Acting Commis- 

 sioner deals, in some part", with the industries of the whole 

 Colony and is of considerable interest. 



In the year under review twenty grants by purchase for 

 an area of 133 acres and one homestead grant for fj acres were 

 issued, while, during the same period. 113 grants with an 

 aggregate area of 1,099 acres were cancelled for noncompli- 

 ance with, the conditions attached to the titles. Owing to 

 the delay in the approval of the form of lease of Crown 

 lands, which held up the issue of title from December 31, 

 1913, to November 191.5, there was a considerable accumu- 

 lation of applications on han<l and the number of leases was 

 phenomenally high, -529 leases for an area of -50,374 leases 

 being issued. So far as can be judged at present, the recent 

 substitution of ninety-rine years' leases for conditional 

 grants leading to freehold title, has had no deterrent 

 eflfect on the number of applications for agricultural 

 areas. In fact, there has been an increase in the aggregate 

 area applied for, notwithstanding the fact that applications 

 are now limited to 5 acres, unless the applicants are able to 

 adduce proof of being financially able or otherwise capable of 

 cultivating a larger area, which prevents people taking up 

 25 acres as forn.erly, and, while allowing the back lands to 

 lie idle, permitted them to utilize merely a small area of 

 the front portion of their holdings. 



Once a genuine agricultural community has become 

 ectablished in a locality, the progress once begun is stead- 

 ily maintained, and few titles have to be cancelled owing to 

 abandonment of the holdings. The East Indians, in par- 

 ticular, seem given to forming these communities, and, 

 wherever they are established, prosperity and independence 

 are the invariable reward of their industry. There is, it is 

 noted, a steadily increasing demand for Crown hinds for the 

 purpose of growing rice, and in every district rice mills are 

 springing up. It is hard to realize how rapidly the rice 

 cultivation in British Guiana has advanced until now it takes 

 second place to sugar-cane cultivation as a staple industry 

 of the Colony. Reliable data as to the area under cultivation 

 and the actual output are not available, but a comparison 

 of the export figures show that 20,289,568 Bf). were exported 

 in 1915 as against 29,139,265 lb in 1916, an increase of no 

 less than 8,849,697 Bb. on exports alone. When it is considered 

 that the importation of rice, which averaged 39,000,000 ib. 

 over a period of twenty-five years prior to its cultivation 

 in the Colony, has entirely ceased, owing to the local 

 product usurping its place, it is obvious that, considering 

 the increase in population, the total production cannot be less 

 than 70,000,000 tt. 



The demand for Crown lands for the purpose of grazing 

 cattle is also steadily increasing. Thanks to the admirable 

 work of the Board of Agriculture and the hearty co operation 

 of the su^ar planters in importing and distributing thorough- 

 bred English and American stock, many fine herds of cattle 

 are to be seen in different parts of the Colony, and prospective 

 ranchers need anticifi.ate no dithculty in procuring excellent 

 cattle, thoroughly seasoned and suited for the preliminary 

 .stocking of ranches While too much stress cannot be laid on 

 the great possibilities of the large savannahs in the hinter- 

 land, when these are connetted with the coast by railway, 

 there are even now cm the lower reaches of the navigable 



rivers of the Colony large areas of excellent savannah land 

 suitable for ranching purposes. 



The output of balata during 1916 was greater than for 

 many year.s past, the quantity on which royalty was piid 

 being 1, 478,6311b. The industry was adversely affected at 

 the commencemeDt of the war, but the enormous demand for 

 balata belting for pciwer transmitting purposes in factories, 

 ar.senals, and munition works forced up the price to record 

 figures, and, during 1916, the market remained steadily 

 at high prices. In the districts where inspection was 

 practicable, the work of bleeding was found to be fairly 

 good, and this no doubt is due to improved super- 

 vision and increased skill among the bleeders. The 

 chief fault, at present, is e.\cessive bleeding at one 

 operation, a practice found to be as unnecessary as it is 

 destructive, the maximum yield being produced by bleeding 

 the tree on one side at a time, as required by the regulations. 

 In consequence of urgent representation of a large section 

 covitrolling the industry, and, on the advice of the scientific 

 staff of the Department of Agriculture, the Government 

 decided in 1916 not to enforce the regulation prohibiting the 

 use of ' spurs', or climbing irons, by bleeders, until further 

 proof that the use of these spurs is as injurious to the trees 

 as has been hitherto thought. The number of labourers 

 licensed during the year to serve in connexion with the 

 balata industry was 4,17'.^. 



The quantity of timber exported in 1916, though greater 

 than in 1915, is still less than half the quantity exported 

 before the war, this being due entirely to the shortage of 

 shipping facilities. Wood operations on the Crown lands 

 continued stea.lily during the year, and 12S licences, 

 covering an area of 545,189 acres were issued, while 

 207 licences, covrring an area ol 247,344 acres were 

 renewed. The increased coat of corrugated iron sheets 

 and the reduction in their importation for lack of 

 shippint; spice led to an increased use of wallaba shingles, 

 2,355,750 shingles being exported, while there was also an 

 increase in the exportation of firewood to the adjoining 

 West Indian islands. 



The report, in dealing with the different industries is 

 useful ill removing the prevalent impression that the 

 resources of British Guiana are almost solely confined to 

 sugar cultivation and to emphasize the enormous possibilities 

 of development, should railway communication with the 

 interior be established and a plentiful supply of labour be 

 available. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



The rainfall lor July has been a record one. In a few 

 districts it will not fall short of 20 inches. In most parishes 

 the total will exceed 12 inches. There has been a daily 

 regularity of showers or rains, and so thorougblv saturated is 

 the earth that a shower of 15 or 20 parts presents the appear- 

 ance of there having been a downpour. With the exception 

 of the very heavy rain in the northern parishes on the 7th 

 instant, the rainfall each day has been most impartial. Each 

 cloud seemed to envelop the island and evenly distribute 

 itself. Planters are earnestly hoping for a spell of fair 

 weather to enable them to get through with matters which 

 are urgent, and which, if delayed, will disorganize their work 

 at a later date. 



The largest rainfall for July during the past sixty-four years 

 was 15.'; inches in the year 1901. At this time last year there 

 was need of rain, particularly in .St. Philip and Christ Church, 

 and the provision crops had begun to suffer. The record for 

 last July was less by .50 per cent, than that for the present 

 nnnth. 



