Vol. V. No. 10.3. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



107 



AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES AT 

 ST. KITT'S. 



The Imperial Coinmissioiier of Agriculture for the West 

 Indies addressed the members of the St. Kitt's Agricultural 

 Society at Basseterre on February 26 last. His Excellency 

 the Acting-Governor (Sir Robert Bromley, Bart.) occupied the 

 chair. 



The Imperial Commissioner congratulated Sir Robert 

 Bromley and the members of the planting community at 

 St. Kitt's, on the formation of a representative Agricultural 

 Society, and e.xpressed the hope that it would exercise 

 a beneficial influence on the agricultural industries of the 

 island. 



SUGAR. 



The welfare of St. Kitt's, as that of Barbados, he stated, 

 depended on the muscovado sugar industry. The class of 

 sugar produced was getting into less and less demand, 

 especially in the markets of the United States and Canada. 

 The future, therefore, of communities entirely dependent on 

 muscovado sugai- was becoming a precarious one, and the 

 more so at the low prices now ruling. As recently pointed 

 out by Dr. Watts (West Inrlian Bulletin, Vol. VI, 

 pp. 373-86),the average production of sugar in St. Kitt's 

 from 1881 to 1894 was 16,078 tons, of the gross 

 annual value of £19-1,442, or at the rate of £12 6j.-. 2d. 

 per ton. On the other hand, during the period 189-5 to 

 1904, the annual production was 12,884 tons, having an 

 annual value of £104,297, or at the rate of £8 Is. lOrf. per 

 ton. While the average amount of sugar produced during 

 the latter period was fully 80 per cent, of that of the earlier 

 period, the actual value was only bio per cent.: hence the 

 planters in St. Kitt's-Nevis had been compelled, during the 

 last ten years, to carry on their sugar industry on about one- 

 half the monetary income to which they had been accustomed 

 during the previous ten years. 



The Imperial Commissioner pointed out that the 

 only sound remedies available were : The improved, and, at 

 at the same time, economical cultivation of the best canes 

 suited to the several districts of the island, and the establish- 

 ment of central factories. 



The sugar industry at St. Kitt's-Xevis passed through 

 a very critical stage in its history a few years ago when the 

 old canes, hitherto under cultivation, were severely attacked 

 by disease. Fortunately, owing to the advice and assist- 

 ance offered by the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 new seedling canes, to replace the old varieties, were 

 largely introduced and established, with the result that, in 

 some instances, individual estates that had previously been 

 threatened with ruin, have since completely recovered. The 

 principal seedlings that have assisted in this direction were 

 B. 147 and B. 208. 



In recommending the erection of central factorie.s, the 

 Imperial Commissioner quoted figures showing the successful 

 working of the central factory at Antigua during the year 

 190-5, and olYered suggestions, in detail, as to the best means 

 of securing co-operative action in starting a pioneer factory 

 at St. Kitt's. Taking into account the favourable conditions 

 obtaining at St. Kitt's, as regards its fertile and easilj'-worked 

 soil, and the fairly uniform rainfall, a scheme of central 

 factories would be likely to place the sugar industry at 

 St. Kitt's on as sound a basis as any in the West Indies. 



COTTON. 



The Imperial Commissioner then briefly reviewed the 

 progress made in growing cotton as a catch crop with sugar- 

 canes. This island was one of the earliest to take up the 

 cotton industry. The area planted at St. Kitt's in 1904-5 was 



987 acres. The amount of lint exported was 87,080 tt\, 

 of the estimated value of £1,354. The total value of the 

 lint and seed produced in the Presidenc}' (i.e., in the islands 

 of St. Kitt's, Nevis and Anguilla) in 1904-5 was about 

 £14,000. If it were possible to continue the system of 

 growing cotton as a catch crop with canes, the prospects at 

 St. Kitt's would be distinctly promising. According to a state- 

 ment furnished by Mr. Arthur M. Lee {Agricultural New?, 

 Vol. IV, p. 102), the estimated clearance, under favourable 

 conditions, on cotton grown as a catch crop, would probably 

 be about £5 per acre. The essential points reiiuiriii>^ 

 attention were: (1) Careful selection of seed; (2) good 

 cultivation ; (3) con.stant attention, in order to keep in 

 check attacks of the cotton worm : and (4) the careful 

 picking of the cotton, and carefullj' grading the lint into two 

 or more c|ualities. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Amongst other subjects discussed, were the awards of 

 the Gold and Silver Medals offered for competition by 

 Sir Alfred Jones ; the necessity for fumigating all seeds and 

 plants imported into the Presidency : and the appointment of 

 Permanent Exhibition Committees. 



In the discussion, in which Sir Robert Bromley, 

 Mr. Arthur M. Lee, the Hon. Dr. Watts, the Hon. J. T. 

 ilanchester, the Hon. S. L. Horsford and others took part, 

 interesting information was communicated with regard to the 

 successful cultivation of seedling canes, the desirability 

 of establishing central factorie.s, and the favourable prospects 

 existing in the island for extending the cotton industry. 



COCO DE MER. 



In the Indian Planting and Gardening for January 

 last, there is an interesting account of the double or 

 sea cocoa-nut (Lodoicea sechellarum). This palm is of more 

 than ordinary interest, and never fails to attract attention. 



From the descriptions given by travellers, the sea cocoa- 

 nut is said to be gigantic in its growth, rising from 50 to 60 

 feet, and .sometimes even to SO feet, with a straight stem 

 1 foot in diameter. Like the cocoa-nut, the stem is crowned 

 with a tuft of from twenty to thirty leaves, which are very 

 large, some measuring 20 feet in length and 12 feet in 

 breadth. In form, they somewhat resemble the leaf of 

 Pritdcardia padjica, but are much larger. The male and 

 female flowers are borne on separate trees. 



Previous to the discovery of the Seychelles Islands in 

 1743, which are the only known islands where this palm is 

 indigenous, all .sorts of wild and romantic stories were told 

 of it, and the nuts, which were often picked up on the West 

 Coast of India, on the ilaldives, and Sumatra, were highly 

 prized, and commanded fabulous prices. 



Since the discovery of the country of their origin, 

 they have been, naturally, less valued as curiosities. At the 

 present day, however, they are still prized by the natives 

 of India, who use them for a number of purposes. 



In the Cannanore jail, these nuts are beautifully 

 carved by the prisoners, and are converted into cigar boxes, 

 toilet cases, and all sorts of useful and ornamental articles. 



This interesting plant has been mentioned in previous 

 issues of the Agricultural News (Vol. II, p. 108, Vol. Ill, 

 pp. 156 and 429, and Vol. IV, p. 380), from which it ^\•ill be 

 seen that specimens are growing at the Botanic Station, 

 Dominica, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad. 



The article on p. 429 of Vol. Ill, contains information 

 as to the export of the nuts from the Seychelles, and the 

 use, in Mauritius, of bowls made from the shells of these 

 nuts for removing sugar from the centrifugals. The use 

 of the kernel for vegetable ivory is also referred to. 



