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THE AGRICULTURAL NEW?. 



December 1, 1917. 



ST. KITTS-NEVIS: REPORT ON THE AGRI- 

 CULTURAL DEPARTMENT, 1916-17. 



This report, which has just been issued, shows a continu- 

 ation of useful work on several lines, together with some 

 new experiments which are of interest and value. 



In the first place, we notice that the wind-break at the 

 Botanic Station of white cedar trees {Tecoma lewoxylon) is 

 being replaced by one of Casuarinn e</uisetifolia. This will be 

 a great improvement, as the white cedar, although a native 

 tree, does not present a hand.sime appearance when grown 

 in a very wind-swept situation, while the Australian Casuarina 

 only seems to bend more gracefully the more it is blown an; 

 besides, it stands cutting well, which serves to keep it 

 dense at the base. 



The small plot experiments with a variety of locally 

 grown food crops, which have been in progress for a series 

 of years, are being continued. The results obtained and 

 recorded over a considerable period are valuable as furnishing 

 reliable data as to the relative value of different varieties. 

 From the produce of these experimental plots also it is pos- 

 sible to distribute seeds or cuttings of such varieties as have 

 proved best adapted to local conditions. An addition has 

 been made in the year under review to these plots, by an 

 experiment with ajowan (Carw/i mpticum) from which 

 thymol is extracted. 



Turning to the principal agricultural industries of 

 St. Kitts-Nevis, we note that the luanurial experiments with 

 cotton are being continued. These experiments have been 

 in progress since 1 904. The carefully recorded results for 

 such a number of years are very instructive. For the first 

 eleven years the results seemed to show that there was little 

 if any increase of lint produced on manured plots over that 

 produced on the no manure control plot. For the last 

 two years, however, the results show that the manures regu- 

 larly applied year after year are producing a markedly 

 beneficial result. On the crop of the year reported on, 

 1916-17, the plot treated for thirteen years with a complete 

 artificial manure showed a gain of about 26 per cent, over 

 the iinmanured control, while the plot to which pen manure 

 had been applied for a similar period showed a gain of 

 nearly -50 per cent, over the control. Although these results 

 show that the application of proper fertilizers to cotton must 

 be beneficial in the long run, yet they seem to prove that under 

 certain conditions of soil and climate, such as are found in St. 

 Kitts, it is possible to grow cotton on the same land for some 

 years without deterioration or diminution in the crop. It 

 must be borne in mii d, however, that under the conditions 

 of other islands this may not hold good, as Harland has 

 shown in St. Vincent the necessity of employing potash. 

 (See Weit Indian Bulletin, Vol. XVL p. 159.) 



The careful selection of cotton seed for planting purposes 

 has been productive of excellent results. A pure strain 

 po."isessing desirable characteristics has thus been obtained, 

 and is being generally planted from selected seed throughout 

 the Presidency as giving reliable returns. On this result tte 

 Department is to be warmly congratulated. 



Owing to the unfavourable outlook with regard to 

 the cotton market at the beginning of 1916, and to the rise 

 in the price of sugar, there was a great reduction in the acre- 

 age devoted to cotton. The year under review was al.so one 

 of abnormal rainfall. Owing to both these causes the exports 

 of cotton from the three islands of the Presidency, St Kitts, 

 Nevis, and Anguilla, only amounted to 280,652 B). as against 

 736,471 for the previous year Better market conditions 

 and more seasonable weather will doubtless exercise a stimu- 

 lating influence on the industry. 



With regard to the sugar industry it is to be noted that 

 the exports of sugar from the Presidency for the year 1916 

 were 16,106 tons, the largest amount recorded since 1902. 

 As the prices were also high the crop was a very paying one. 

 The increase in output was due to favourable weather 

 conditions, and to the larger recovery of sugar from the cane 

 owing to the first-rate work of the Basseterre sugar factory. 

 Experiments with sugarcane varieties, and manurial 

 experiments continue to be conducted as in former years, the 

 results of which are detailed in a report issited for the 

 Leewards Islands as a whole. 



It is very interesting to note that a number of cane seed- 

 lings have been grown by Mr. G. Yearwood, of Brighton 

 estate. Sixty of these have proved worth further experi- 

 ment as to their value under field conditions. The progress 

 of this experiment will be watched with interest. It would 

 be well if more planters would interest themselves in what is 

 after all an ea-sy matter, the raising of sugar-cane seedlings, 

 and obtain the readily accessible assistance of the Agri- 

 cultural Departments in ascertaining their value. 



The rainfall in St. Kitts at the Botanic Station for the 

 year 1916 was 6594 inches, being 1834 inches above the 

 average of the previous fifteen years. 



The work of the Department in Nevis on experimental 

 plots of ground provisions and other food crops continues, 

 with the same praiseworthy objects as in St. Kitts. One 

 new experiment appears to be in process, namely with the 

 castor oil plant. This is being carried out at the request and 

 at the expense of a local planter. Such attempts to test 

 new crops with the co-operation of the Department are 

 bound to be helpful. 



A very instructive series of experiments has been 

 conducted for the past iwo years, also vfith the cooperation 

 of the Department's officers, on Pinneys estate in manuring 

 coco-nuts. The.se experiments witli different manures have 

 not been continued long enough to enable a positive state- 

 ment to be made as to what manure is best suited for 

 the purpo.se. The results, however, up to the present, all 

 show a large increase in the average number of coco-nuts 

 borne by the trees which have been manured over the number 

 borne by trees which have received no manure. These 

 experiments have been referred to in detail in the A'/riciU- 

 tural News, Vol. .\IV, No. 335, p. 398, and Vol.' XVI, 

 No. 389, p. 83. 



It is pleasant to note that the Nevis onion growers have 

 united in a co-operative association on the lines of that so 

 successfully working in Antigua, and in connexion with it. 

 This is excellent: for co-operation is the secret of success in 

 any industry, and the wider the cooperation, the broader 

 and surer will be the basis on which an industry is placed. 

 The rainfall in Nevis as in St. Kitts for 1916 was 

 considerably above the average for the past eleven years, 

 being 6404 inches as compared with the average of 4949 

 inches. 



Attached to the St. Kitts report is a report of the 

 work done in tlie Government Laboratory. A specially 

 useful piece of work is likely to be that on the lime require- 

 ments of the soils of the island. 



