132 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



May 5. 1917. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



ST. KiTTS. In his report for the month of March, the 

 Agricultural Superintendent mentions the reaping of a plot 

 of Indian corn in the Experiment Station which gave 

 a yield at the rate of 4,000 tt). per acre. Plaat 

 distribution included 3,oOO cane cuttings, 1,400 sweet 

 potato and 4,600 cassava cuttings, 15 D). Mazzagua Guinea 

 corn, 1,405 ft. selected cotton seed, 354 ft. yams, and 20 ft. 

 white velvet bean. In the Botanic Garden general routine 

 work was carried on, and constant watering was necessary 

 to keep the plants alive owing to the dry weather. Plants of 

 Casuarina equiseiifolia were set out along the eastern side 

 of the station to form a wind-break. Eegarding staple crops. 

 Mr. .Shepherd states that the dry weather had ripened up 

 the cane crop and the Factory and Muscovatlo estates were 

 making every effort to get the crop taken off as soon as 

 possible. The yield continued .satisfactory, and it seems that 

 the total crop will be as large as that of last year. The 

 young cane crop, especially the later planted was feeling 

 the effects of the dry weather, and rain was much needed. The 

 earlier planted canes were, however, looking well and healthy. 

 Preparations forplanting cotton were being rapidly pushed on, 

 and there was every prospect of a larger acreage in cotton than 

 in any previous year. Every inducement was offered to plant 

 ground provisions and corn, but the hij-h price of sugar and 

 cotton seemed to make the planter lose sight of the necessity 

 for growing such crops. Owing to the dry weather acd early 

 ripening of canes the sugar-cane e.xperinients had to be taken 

 off earlier this season than in past years, and during the 

 month the plots at Molineux, IJrighton.Caines, and West Farm 

 were reaped This entailed considerable work on the staff', and 

 much travelling. The results have been very s.itisfactory. 

 The seedling canes planted at Briahton were also cut and 

 tested. Those canes with best field characteristics were 

 chosen, each hole weighed, the plants saved, and the juice 

 tested at the Laboratory. It is very interesting that many 

 of the heaviest yielding canes had a high sucrose content. 

 Rainfall for the month was 1 -61 inches, for the year 6-16 

 inches. 



The summary of work conducted at the Government 

 Laboratory included analysis of fourteen samples of milk 

 from the Inspector of Police, and examination of three 

 samples of bay oil from Montserrat. 



XEVis. Mr. W. I. Howell, Agricultural Instructor, writing 

 in reference to operations in the ExperimentStation states that 

 dnring the month of March the work continued satisfactory. 

 Cotton in the demonstration plot was reaped and a return 

 of 134 ft. "f lint to the acre was obtained. The crop was 

 all sold to a local purchasijr. The old cotton trees were 

 being pulled off' and preparation for the next crop made. The 

 onion crop was reaped during the latter pan of the quarter 

 and a return of above 6,000 ft. was obtained from the plot 

 of |-acre. The crop was handled by the Onion Growers' 

 Association. A plot 1 acre in size was planted in sweet 

 potatoes, one-half on 4-feet banks, 1 foot apart on the 

 banks; the other half planted 1 foot apart on 4-feet bank.s 

 and cross holes dug 4 feet apart between the banks, 

 and 2 holes planted on each cross hole. The object of 

 this experiment is to see whether larger yields cannot 

 be obtained from closer planting. The plot, on the whole, 

 W£is doing well, but had been damaged .several times 

 by stock pastured on the adjoining field. A plot of castor 

 seed was doing fairly well; reaping had begun but the returns 



from this picking would not be very good as the plants were 

 not very large, ha\-ing been planted only on December 28, 

 1916. Plant distribution to the end of the quarter was as 

 follows: 9,850 sweet potato cuttings, 213 ft. Guinea corn, 

 30 ft. Indian corn, 8 ft. black-eye peas, 4 ft. Lima beans, 

 354 ft. yams, 34 ft. Para peas; and 56 ft. cotton seed. Con- 

 cerning staple crops, it is stated that the cane crop, though 

 not up to that of last year was still fairly good and 

 good yields wers obtained in some places. A much greater 

 proportion of the crop this year was being sold to the 

 St. Kitts factory. The question of better transit of canes 

 across to St. Kitts was being discussed, and it is hoped 

 that something will be done in this direction. The cotton 

 crop throughout the island has been reaped, and a re- 

 turn of about 100 ft. of lint to the acre was obtained. 

 Practically the whole crop was sold in the local market. The 

 old cotton was being pulled off and preparation for next crop 

 was in progress. It is estimated that not less than 3,000 acres 

 will be put under cotton cultivation this season, but there 

 may be some difficulty in handling the crop on account of 

 shortage of labour. The supply of Paris green and lime stocked 

 by the local Government was exhausted, and it is impor- 

 tant that some arrangement be made to secure a supply of the 

 poison, as the merchants' stock is small and being sold at 

 2s. 6rf. per ft. The onion crop throughout the island was a 

 success. Oyer 36,000 ft of onions were handled bj' the Onion 

 Growers' Association, and the price in the local market con- 

 tinued good throughout the se-ison. Shipments were made to 

 New York, Barbados, and Trinidad, where fairly good prices 

 were obtained, ^'ery little planting of provisions was done 

 during the month on account of the dry weather. The crops, 

 on the whole, con'inue satisfactory, but on account of the 

 high price of cotton there is a tendency to neglect this crop 

 and therefore .special efforts are being made to induce the 

 sm.all jjrowers to continue planting provisions as in the past. 

 The vanilla at Maddens estate continues to do well: the crop this 

 year is estimated at A-ton of cured beans. The curing under 

 glass proved quite a success, and better results were ooiaiued 

 from it than curing directly in the sun. Rainfall for the 

 month 2'o7 inches, for the year to date, 7-24 inches. 



viKiiix ISLAND.S. In his report for the month of March 

 Mr. \V. C Fishlock states that weather and other conditions 

 were adverse to work in the Experiment .Stations. There was 

 no plant distribution. For similar reasons there was little to 

 report in connexion -with staple crops. Following the i;ale of 

 October 9 last yearcame heavy rains —and since then, drought. 

 A visit in connexion with the Profit-Sharing Scheme (Cotton 

 Industry) was paid to -lost van Dykes and a meeting of the 

 people addressed. Rainfall for the month r52 inches, as 

 compared with 2 41 inches, the average for the month for the 

 previous sixteen years. 



In his quarterly report for the period ended March 31, 

 Mr. Fishlock gives some details regarding the condition and 

 progress of the plots at the Experimental Stations. As 

 showing how complete was the destruction of the cotton 

 plants by the hurricane, only 70 ft. of seed-cotton were 

 picked from an area of close upon 5 acres. In regard to 

 the coco-nut demonstration plot, detailed observations have 

 been made as to the number of palms damaged and destroyed. 

 A summary "i the condition of the four plots is as follows: the 

 number of palms originally planted was 489; at the present 

 time out of these 489 trees there are only 61 or 12 per cent. 

 in good condition In moderate condition there are 123 or 

 25 per cent.; in poor condition 121 or 25 per cent.; dead 184 

 or 38 per cent. It is stated that already 1 28 holes have been 

 dug for replanting as .soon aa favourable weather occurs. 

 In regard to the onion industry, in spite of the set-back due 



