40 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Febkuaey 3, 1906. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, \V., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 1.5, Seething Lane, E.C. A complete list of 

 Agents will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural Neivs: Price Ir?. per number, 

 post free lid. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. -Id. Post free, Ss. 3d. 



glgrirutturat |Teiuj) 



Vol. V. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1906. Xo. 99. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue contains interesting 

 statements as to the amount and value of Sea Island 

 cotton exported from Barbados. During the year 

 1905, Barbados produced lint and seed of the estimated 

 value of £22,.530. 



Other notes of interest to the cotton grower will 

 be found on pp. 38 and 39. A scheme to be adopted 

 in the selection of cotton seed is there outlined. 



On pp. 34—5 will be found notes of interest on the 

 sugar industry, among which are given brief reviews of 

 the industry in Trinidad, Queensland, and British 

 Guiana. 



The report of the examiner on the recent half- 

 yearly examination of the Agricultural School in 

 St. Vincent will be found on p. 37. 



The insect notes in this number deal with the 

 occurrence of scale insects on old cotton, and the 

 infestation of young cotton from this source. A useful 

 fungus which attacks scale insects is also noted. 



An interesting article on the rubber industry is to 

 be found on p. 46. This deals with the growth of the 

 rubber industry, pi'esent prices, and the possibility of 

 the use of the seeds for the production of oil and seed- 

 cake. 



A note on the Canadian exhibitions, to be held 

 during 1900, will be found on p. 46. 



A furthernote on shade-grown tobacco in St. Kitt's 

 appears on p. 43. 



Mocha Coffee. 



An article on Mocha cotfee, elsewhere in these 

 columns, gives information regarding the way in which 

 this coftee is produced, and the reasons why the output 

 has not increased like that of other varieties in recent 

 years. It is interesting to note that there are no 

 extensive cultivations of Mocha coffee, but that each of 

 the Arabs, who are the growers of this \'ariety, has 

 a few coffee plants growing about his house and 

 produces enough for his own use, r.nd a little for trading 

 for other commodities. 



West Indian Fruit. 



The articles in this number on West Indian fruits 

 (see p. 36), deal with the necessity for great care in 

 handling oranges for export. 



These articles should be read carefully by every 

 one interested in building up a successful fruit industry 

 in the West Indies. Excellent oranges are being 

 grown in the West Indies, but until these are graded 

 and packed according to the best standards, and reach 

 the market in as attractive a condition as oranges from 

 other localities, they will not be well received, and will 

 be unable to establish a desirable reputation. 



Remarkable Plant Productions. 



The Agrhaltural (jn:ctte of New South Wales, 

 for November 2, 1905, contains an interesting account 

 of an interview with ilr. Luther Burbank, at Santa 

 Rosa, California, from which the following is extracted. 



Mr. Burbank is famous for his remarkable produc- 

 tions in the plant world. One of the most wonderful of 

 these is the spineless cactus, which he states 'was 

 produced by crossing a small spineless cactus from 

 Central America with the Arizona cactus and other 

 hard^' northern varieties of opuntiae. It is not only 

 valuable as a pasture plant, but the fruit will be 

 valuable as a fruit, and will have a delicious flavour. 

 Even the leaves can be fried and eaten — not boiled, but 

 fried in butter.' I\Ir. Burbank considers that it will 

 pay to cultivate his new cactus as other crops are 

 cultivated. The food value is e(iual to alfalfa (lucerne). 



It will grow in moist soil, or in situations where 

 there is very little rainfall, and produces heavy crops. 



Mr. Burbank has accomplished many other 

 remarkable results in addition to the spineless 

 cactus. Among these may be mentioned the Plumcot, 

 a cross between the plum and the apricot; the Pomato, 

 a cross between the potato and the tomato ; the 

 Primus berry, a cross between the raspberry and the 

 blackberry. In addition to the work already accom- 

 plished, Mr. Burbank has now over 2,000 different 

 exjieriments going. 



The Carnegie Institute of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 

 has granted Mr. Burbank an endowment of £20,000, to 

 be paid at the rate of £2,000 a year, for ten years, to 

 enable him to conduct his costl}' experiments free from 

 any financial worry. 



