Vol. XVI. No. 407. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



375 



cane varieties in the past season were submitted by the 

 Agricultural Superintendent. The rainfall for the month 

 was 291 inches; for the year, 33-31 inches. 



Appended to this report is a summary of work conducted 

 at the Government Laboratory, St. Kitts, during the month 

 of October. This includes analyses of thirteen samples of 

 milk from the Inspector of Police, work in connexion with 

 cotton experiments, examination of lint, etc. 



NEVIS. In his report for the month of October, Mr. W. I. 

 Howell, Agricultural Instructor, states that 90 Bb. of black- 

 eye peas were distributed amongst pea.sant cultivators, 

 together with 11 ft), of Paris green. 



The cane crop is looking a little better, and preparation 

 for the next crop is in progress. The cotton crop throughout 

 the island continues to do well, and good yields are being 

 obtained. The provison crops continue to do well; reaping the 

 potato crop is in progress. Special efforts are being made to 

 induce the growers to put in a fair acreage at this time so as 

 to have a supply for March and April next. Spraying experi- 

 ments are being carried out with coconuts at Pinneys estate. 

 The rainfall for the month was 5 inches ; for the year to 

 date, 39-90 inches. 



TOETOLA. The work id the Experiment Station during 

 the month of October, writes Mr. W. C. Fishlock, Curator, 

 was mainly of a routine character. The replanting of young 

 coco-nut trees destroyed in the gale was completed. The 

 following plants and seeds were distributed; cotton, SOlifti.; 

 potato cuttings, 72-5; lime plant.s, 3; coco-nut plant, 1; palms, 

 18; vegetable seeds, 2 packets. 



The cotton crop, owing to unfavourable weather, will be 

 late but as more interest has been displayed since the rise in 

 price, a fairly good crop is anticipated Food crops, that is, 

 ground provisions generally, are not yet in full bearing. 

 Regarding pest.', cotton worms have been reported in one or 

 two cases, but none have been seen in the E.^cperiment 

 Station. The weather during the month continued unfavour- 

 able. Rain fell on eighteen days, the total fall recorded at 

 the Experiment Station being 3-52 inches, as compared with 

 7-39 inches, the average for the month for the previous 

 sixteen years. 



The accounts having been closed and sent to Antigua 

 for audit, it is hoped to pay out the bonus for the coUon 

 crop for 1916-17 at an early date. 



ST. VINCENT. The Agricultural Superintendent, Mr. W. N. 

 Sands, reports work of a routine nature in the Experiment 

 Station in connexion with records of cotton and peas experi- 

 ments during the month of October. Work in the Botanic 

 Gardens and nursery was also of a routine nature Gen- 

 erally it may be said that the condition of staple crops was 

 satisfactory. On some estates bush-bugs had damaged 

 severely cotton and black eye peas cultivations. This matter 

 was being investigated by the officers of the Imperial Depart 

 ment of Agriculture and the local Department. Cotton 

 Btainers were few in number. The corn crop has been reaped: 

 the surplus was either sold to the granary or to a local 

 buyer for shipment to the United Kingdom: 1.5 tons were 

 shipped during the month to the United Kingdom. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture arrived 

 in the colony on October 4. With the Agricultural 

 Superintendent he visited the Government Ginnery and 

 Granary, and Experiment Station on several occasions. 

 Sugar and syrup propositions were discussed with 

 owners of estates at Cane Grove. On the 10th instant 

 Orange Hill estate was visited, sugar and coconut 

 cultivations and sugar works were inspected, and matters 

 connected with crops discussed. A naeeting of the Agricul- 

 tural and Commercial Society was held at the Court House 



on the 12th instant under the Presidency of His Honour 

 the Administrator. Sir Francis addressed the meeting on 

 cotton and sugarcane questions. Sir Francis left for 

 Barbados on the 16th. Mr. W. Nowell, Mycologist of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, arrived on the 18th to 

 study boll diseases of cotton The Agricultural Superinten- 

 dent has arranged for the purcha.se and shipment of 162 

 bales of Sea Island cotton to the Admiralty. 



The weather during the month was seasonable. The 

 rainfall recorded at the Botanic Station was 11 '15 inches, 

 and at the Experiment Station, 10-33 inches. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS. 



The total rainfall for November would have been 

 sufficient to keep vegetation in a fairly vigorous condition if 

 it had been well distributed, but the effect of a downpour is 

 detrimental, if it is not followed by showers of at least 

 a moderate character. In addition to the absence of rain 

 during the past fortnight, the days have been perhaps the 

 warmest we have had for the year. 



A start has been made with the planting of the cane 

 crop for 1918. During the past fortnight many acres have 

 been planted both in the red soil and the black. 



Some estates are cutting their own plants, while others 

 are purchasing to a greater or less degree from their tenan- 

 tries, and planters have tald us that they are getting very 

 healthy plants from their tenants. 



The .starting of the planting season does not mean that 

 tillage has been completed in all fields. Ploughing, forking, 

 manuring, and even the digging of cane holes are still in 

 progress. There is also the forcing of manure in some 

 fields, and some of these pens will, in all probability, not be 

 ready for distribution before .January next year. Some 

 fields too, which are to be put under canes at this season, are 

 at present under potatoes which cannot be removed until 

 the beginning of December. This is inconvenient, but it is 

 unavoidable owing to the crisis through which we are passing. 



During the last fortnight our attention has been drawn 

 to the brown hard back beetle known as Phytalus Smithi, 

 which appears at this season in large numbers in some dis- 

 tricts. This insect is a destructive sugar-cane pest, and 

 should be systematically collected, in order to keep it under 

 control. On one or two estates in St. Philip this is being 

 done, and several hundred thousand beetles have been caught 

 already this season. We suggest that on every estate where 

 this pest appears a campaign should be started against it. 



Ground provisions are at practically the same prices as at 

 the date of our last report. The breadfruit crop has been a 

 fairly plentiful one, but it is nearly over. The Indian corn 

 crop has not been as abundant as last year, and the price has 

 been maintained at 8s. per bushel. 



The cotton crop is almost a negligible one, but the trees 

 are healthy and are blooming well. Weather conditions 

 have suited this plant. In spite of the high price of sugar, 

 we would suggest to peasant proprietors in the sea-board dis- 

 tricts that they should plant their holdings in cotton in 

 preference to cane. We often see plots of canes in these 

 districts which, when the season has been unfavourable, are 

 scarcely worth the reaping; whereas a cotton crop is not 

 thus affected by a dry season. There is also the fact that 

 the land is sooner available for a crop of ground provisions 

 than when it is put under canes. {Agricultural Repjrter, 

 November 17, 1917.) 



