THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Jaxuary 6, 1906. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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Agricultural |linu!j 



Vol. V. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1906. No. 97. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



West Indian Fruit Trade. 



In a recent letter from the Sales Department of 

 the British West Indian Fruit Co., Ltd., the Manager 

 writes: — 'Wherever an attempt is made to start 

 a banana industry the chief point to be insisted on is 

 "quality." The markets here are Hooded with inferior 

 fruit which sells at low prices: hut for the very finest 

 fra'it godil prices are ohtamahle. The same remarks 

 apply to the orange trade.' 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue of the Agricultural 

 Ne^cs deals with the establishment of permanent 

 exhibition committees in the West Indies, with the 

 view of securing the adequate representation of these 

 colonies at the principal exhibitions in the United 

 Kingdom and Canada. 



An effort is being made in Canaila to secure 

 concessions in the sugar tariff" that would benefit the 

 West Indies. This is dealt with in a note on p. 2. 

 Following this is a note of some practical, as well as 

 scientific, interest on the influence of soda .salts in the 

 soil on the composition of the sugar-cane. 



A further note appears on p. 4 in reference to the 

 efforts that are being made to jwpularize West Indian 

 limes in England. (3n the same page is a brief 

 description of the West Indian section at the show of 

 colonial fruit recently held by the Horticultural Society. 



Under the head of ' Cotton Notes' "ivill be found 

 references to crop prospects in St. Vincent and 

 St. Kitt's, and information as to the working of the 

 Antigua cotton ginnery. 



An interesting review of the agricultural indus- 

 tries of St. Vincent is reproduced on p. 7 from the 

 Annual Report on the colony. A similar review for 

 the island of Carriacou ^Yill be found on p. 1.5. 



Arbor day was celebrated on a fairly large scale 

 at Antigua on November 9. A summarized report of 

 the jiroceedings appears on p. 13. 



Agriculture in St. Vincent. 



Elsewhere in this issue is published an extract 

 from the Annual Report on St. Vincent for 1904-5 

 dealing with the agricultui-e of the island. The 

 following notes on the exports of St. Vincent are taken 

 from the same source. 



Increases are noticeable in the value of the exports 

 of sugar, molasses, and S3"rup, the total value being 

 £11,177 against £3,399 in the previous year. There 

 ai'e also increases in vegetables and other ground 

 produce and live stock, which tend to show a better 

 condition of things among the peasantr}-. 



The value of the exports of cotton and cotton seed, 

 during the second 3'ear of the revival of the industry 

 in St. Vincent, was £4,857, as compared with £900 in 

 the previous year. 



The prospects of the cotton industr}- are thus very 

 encouraging, and it is also gratifying to observe that an 

 appreciable area is being planted in cacao and other 

 permanent crops. The output of cacao appears to be 

 steadily increasing. 



Cotton Prospects at St. Vincent. 



A brief note on the prospects of the St. Vincent 

 cotton industry appears elsewhere in these columns. 

 Further evidence of the satisflictory nature of these 

 prospects is to be found in an editorial in a recent issue 

 of the St. Vincent Times. 'On all sides,' it is stated, 

 ' we hear of improved yields.' After giving several 

 instances, the article continues: 'It is exceedingly 

 gratifying to be able to record the above facts, for they 

 will have an important effect on the circulation of 

 money in the colony, and have already created, among 

 many small proprietors, an incentive and a determina- 

 tion to devote as much land to cotton next season as 

 their means will allow.' 



Cotton growing is being taken up by the small 

 proprietors as well as the large landowners, and it is 

 anticipated that the exports from St. Vincent next 

 season should more than double the present record. 



In this connexion interest attaches to the reference 

 made in the Annual Report on the colon}" for 1904 

 to the encouraging prospects of the cotton industry. 

 This is reproduced on p. 7. Although, in that year, the 

 total yield was somewhat disappointing on account 

 of the prevalence of di.sease, ' in quality the cotton 

 left little to be desired, and an all-round price of 

 l.s. bd. w'as realized.' 



