268 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 25, 1917. 



The report on the Government Industrial School for 

 Roys, Barbados, states that the area in sugar-cane at the 

 (lovernnient Industrial School Plantation for 1917 crop is 

 27 acres. The crop of 1916 yielded 360 S3 lo is of canes 

 from i "2'59 acres, which is equal to ■.'8-66 tons of cane per 

 acre. There were 35305 tons of cane sold t'l Carrington 

 Plantation sug^r factory at the average price of £1 7s. 5d. 

 per ton of cane. 



GLEANINGS. 



The Science Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 6, of the Biooklyn 

 Institute of Art and Sciences is a contribution by Mr. George 

 K Cherr e to the Ornithalogy of the Orinoco region, and is 

 based chiefly on specimens in the collection of the museum in 

 the Institute. 



The Agricultural Superintendent, St. Vincent, reports 



■that for the period from May 8, to July 31, 1917, there 



•\i-ere sold from the Government Ginnery in St. Vincent, 



10,776 R). of selected and disinfected cotton .seed for planting 



'puiposes. 



Under an Ordinance No. 10 of 1917, to amend the 

 Primary Education (Ordinance, provision is made for industrial 

 schools to be establi.-hed in important centres of population 

 in Grenada at which practical instruction in agriculture or 

 industrial occupations will be given in accordance with such 

 .standards as may be prescribed. 



In the St. Vincent Gn.etie of .June IS, 1917, is published 

 •Ordinance No. 10 of 1917, providing a temporary increase in 

 the customs duties on tobaccos, wines and spirits (except 

 .perfumed spirits including bay mm or hay water and methy- 

 lated spirits), of '25 per cent., and, on all other articles included 

 .in the first schedule of the original <_)rdinance. of 10 per cent. 



In the final general Meiuorandum on the 1916-17 



rice crop of Britisli India, the total yield is estimated as 



.34,079,000 tons of cleaned rice compared with 32,824,000 



.tons in 1915-16, or an increase of 4 per cent., whi'e the 



- average yield per acre works out at 958 B). as compared 



wi'.h 941 in 191.j16 aud 7-"iG lb. in 191 Mo. 



Up to .July 31 last, there had been shipped from the 

 colony of Trinidad 450.942 baes sugar and 6.i,ls4 400 &. 

 cacao, compared with 414,432 baps sugar and 46,386,800 lb. 

 cacao, for the same period of the previous year. While 

 coconuts fell from 10,406,655 from the previous year, ta 

 8,640,930; this was made up by shipments in copra of an 

 inci-ease from 14,993 bags the previous year to 23,668 bags 

 this year. (Port-of Spain (?a--f«e, August 4, 1917.) 



The egg production of unselected White Ijeghorns aver- 

 ages about 130 for the first year, 120 for the second, less thaa 

 110 for the third, drops to 85 in the fourth year, and fallsabout 

 10 eggs a year after this up to the eighth year, according to 

 Bulletin l.'fSof the Utah Experiment Station. Selected flocks 

 have averaged 160 in America, and 190 in Australia. The 

 average life of a White Leghorn hen appears to be about six 

 years, and durin^; iier entire life her average production of 

 eggs is above 500. 



To protect fowls from ticks (Ari/as Persicu.<) the adults 

 of which hide during the day and attack the birds at night, 

 it is suirgested that the perches should be scorched at least 

 every three days with a torch of burning straw or wood- 

 shavings. The use of perches, isolated by cups containing 

 kerosene from the walls and floor of the houses, is recom- 

 mended in the Etriew of Apj)lied Entomolor/y for .June 1917, 

 as well as frecpient white- washing of the houses, which should 

 be constructed with a miniiuum of wood; the laying boxes 

 must also be so made as to allow of proper disinfection. 



In Bulletin No 511 of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture which deals with farm practice in the culti- 

 vation of cotton, it is stated that the results of these studies 

 show that yields of cotton are governed largely by climatic 

 conditions, the inherent fertility of the soil, the quantity of 

 commercial fertilizers used, and the character of tillage given. 

 The yields of cotton are direcllj' related to the amount of 

 tillage given after plinting. The amount of tillage given is 

 determined lar ely by the kind and number of weeds, the 

 economic condition, and the prevailing weathtr. 



Two cases of tuberculosis in the horse arc reported in 

 "the Veterinary ^ecort/ of .June 9, 1917. The symptoms in 

 each case were much the s.iiue, losing flesh, poor appetite, and 

 <lulrie-s. with a temperature never below 101 '3. AVhen tested 

 with tuberculin the temperature reactions were: first case, 

 liefiiie injection lOl'l, highest 103'7: second cate, before 

 -injection 102, highest 104-.".'. 



Perhaps the most awe-inspiring of all the Empire's fresh- 

 water fish is, accGtdiiig to the Field oi -July 7, 1917, the 

 monster, which is caught in the inland waters of British 

 Guiana, the giant arapainii. Tiiis is said to he the world's 

 Lca\iest freshwater fish far exceeding in bulk even the 

 .-ilurus of Ccniral Europe. But hitherto, there has been, as 

 far as is ki:owp, no reccfl of one over 200 lb, being catreht 

 (in a rod. 



The Poland China breed of pigs is coarse, hardy, prolific, 

 and muth larger than the other ordinary breeds. Thi'f 

 breed is the typical one in the Western States of America 

 for the production of lard, and obtaining the best prices ia 

 the market. The western farmer is accustomed to graze his 

 pigs in the summer, .and the Poland China is well adapted to 

 this practice. It attains a very high weight, S.^sQ to 1,100 ft. 

 for boars, 550 to S50 tb. for sows, or sometimes even more. 

 Its prolific character is indicated by the evidence of about 

 100 breeders, which shows that each litter contains on an 

 average 9'75 young. Moreover the Poland China is one 

 of the most long-lived breeds; the ease is cited of a sow 

 living for eleven years, during which time she had nineteen 

 litters, and a total of 189 descendants {International 

 Review oj the Science and Practice of Ayricidliue, 

 October 1916.) 



