Vol. XVI. No, 403. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



307 



sections of the subject is determined by such a general 

 concept nobody, probably, would attempt to maintain. 

 The reply would be that no such combination is 

 yet possible, and that it is more fruitful to pursue 

 single lines of research, unrelated as they may at present 

 appear. 



But a working synthesis of botanical knowledge, 

 persistently defective as it must be, is no less persistently 

 necf ssary. The ability to make it and to apply it to 

 the crops with which he is concerned is the most valuable 

 equipment with which the agricultural botanist, in 

 whatever direction he is to develop, can be supplied. 



Given the ecologist, as thus conceived, at work, it 

 would still be as necessaiy as ever that individual 

 tliseases should be submitted to detailed study. 

 Released from the present necessity of facing the 

 formidable list of somewhai extraneous knowledge 

 which we have quoted from Mr. Ramsbottom, the 

 pathologist could become in fact a specialist, and 

 would need, after completing the botany course, 

 a specialist's education. This would include a working 

 knowledge of the groups of fungi and bacteria, of the 

 technique of cultures and infection experiments, of 

 special anatomy and physiology, and, what is perhaps 

 most difScult to obtain from current provisions, 

 a knowledge of the history and present position of 

 his subject. 



It is, one hopes, inevitable that sooner or later 

 there will be research stations in the British tropics 

 maintaining soiiie kind of connexion with the home 

 universities. Meanwhile, their defect could be fairly 

 adequately supplied by arrangements which might 

 easily be made for attaching students for a year's 

 expeiience to one or another of the existing Agricul- 

 tural Departments. 



THE GOVERNMENT GRANARY IN 

 ST. VINCENT. 



A short report on the firs' year's working of the 

 St. Vincent Government Granary has lately been forwarded 

 to the Commissioner of Agriculture by the Agricultural 

 Superintendent of St. Vincent. ■ • 



The accounts for the co-operative ptfrchase of Indian 

 corn at the granary have been closed for the crop, and the 

 resulting bonus declared and paid. 



It appears ihat 1.50 persons supplied corn on the profit- 

 sharing basis, receiving on account 3s. 4c?. per 100 ft), fur 

 .corn on the cob, or hd. per ff). for shelled grain; the first 

 payments amounted to £170 9s. lid. To this must be added 

 £89 3s. 9d. necessary working expenses, making a total outlay 

 of £269 13s. 8c?. The amount realized by the sale of meal 

 and corn was £.523 17s. '2d. showing a profit of £264 3s. 6d 

 A bonus f'f 120 per cent., calculated on the price paid on 

 account, was paid to the growers, leaving some £60 appir- 

 ently as the granary's share of the profits. The meal 



was sold from the granary at 15s. 7^/. j cr 100 Dj. and 

 in small lots at 24. per ft. The total estimated quantity 

 of com dealt with for the crop was 126,58'J lb. of 

 undried grain, which equals 2,296 bushels or 1,148 bags. Of 

 thfs amount 78,988 lb. were dealt with on the profit-sharing 

 basis, the remainder having been treated for outside growers, 

 who were charged !</. per cwt. for sheLing. id. per cwt. for 

 kiln drying, and Id per 7 lb for grinding. The Superintend- 

 ent however writes that he considers the charges for shelling- 

 and dryin!^ too low, and that these will probably have to 

 be raised in future. 



This first year's working of the granary thus .shows 

 excellent results. Practically all the corn was converted into 

 meal, which was sold at a profit at a low price for local 

 consumption. Considering the much higher price of imported 

 corn meal, this must have been a great boon to the colony at 

 this time 



The following estimates obtained from results in working 

 will be of value to other such granaries: the average ratio of 

 corn to cob by weight was from 75 to 77 per cent., the loss 

 of weight of corn in kiln-drying was from 6 5 to 7 per cent 



CULTIVATION OF POTATOES IN THE 

 WEST INDIES. 



Potatoes, not sweet potatoes, but the tubers that are 

 generally known in the West Indies as English or Irish 

 potatoes, are principally a crop of temperate latitudes. They 

 can be grown profitably, however, in most of these islands. 



The Journal of the Jamaica A;jricultural Society, July 

 1917, says that the time for beginning the planting of pota- 

 toes is late in October, but preferably early in November, 

 as soon as risk of heavy rains is over. This applies to ihe 

 lowlands of Jamaica, and presumably is sound advice for 

 the lowlands of the smaller islands. Plantings may con- 

 tinue to be made until March, though the last month is rather 

 late, the potatoes being apt to run to bush, and the tubers 

 to sprout in the soil before being fit to be raised. 



The time to prepai-e the land for November plantint; is in 

 July and Angusr. The soil should be prepared with plough or 

 hoe or fork, a"d trenched deeply. Then later, when the 

 rough clods have been weathered, it is easier to refine it. 

 If manure is available it should be spread before this 

 refining, but if manure is not plentiful, it is better to add 

 . it to the furrows or drills at planting time. When the 

 land is thoroughly prepared it should be furrowed or drilled 

 not less than 6 inches deep, and 2i feet apart. Manure 

 should be added at the bottom of the furrows or drills. 



Potatoes should be cut into sets, which should each be 

 not le-ss than li oz. in weight. Small potatoes may 

 be planted whole. In cold climates it is the practice to 

 ridge up high to get all the heat into the soil that can be 

 got. In this climate, where the soil is hot enough, and 

 sometimes very dry, the roots want to be kept cool and 

 moist. Therefoie cultivation, as nearly level as possible is 

 best. When the plants are 3 to 4 inches high, fork lightly 

 between the rows so as not to injure the rootlets, drawing 

 a little earth up to the potatoes. Later on, when the plants 

 are 7 or 8 inches high, the soil between the rows should be 

 forked 2 or 3 inches deep, and again slightly drawn up to 

 the plants. The plants will then appear to be growing on 

 a slight but not high bank. The tubers under favourable 

 weather conditions ought to be fit to lift in ten or twelve 

 weeks after planting, but wet weather miy probably deliy 

 •reaping some little time longer. When potatoes arc fit to be: 

 reaped the stalks of the plants should have dried up. 



