Vol. V. No. 103. 



THE AGKICULTUEAL NEWS. 



Ill 



AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS AT 

 ST. VINCENT. 



The Imperial Comiiiissioner of Agriculture 

 •addressed a special meeting of the members of the 

 Agricultural and Commercial Society and others at the 

 ■Court House, Kingstown, on Tuesday, March (i. The 

 Administrator (his Honour E. J. Cameron, C.M.G.,) 

 presided. 



After a few iutroductory remarks, in which be expressed 

 hi.s general appreciation of the i)rogress of agricultural efforts 

 at St. Vincent during the last few years, Sir Daniel ilorris 

 reviewed in detail the present positiiju of the colon}-, and urged 

 the necessity of steadilj' increasing its export trade. He 

 pointed out that twenty years ago, the total value of the 

 exports was £152, -530, whereas in 1903, it was only £38,174. 

 The total revenue in 1SS3 was £32,000 ; in 1903 it was 

 £21,000. The population in the meantime, in spite of many 

 adverse circumstances, had slightly increased, namely, from 

 41,000 to 4-5,000. The value of the exports per head of 

 population in 18S3 w-as 7.5s.; in 1903 it had fallen to 17s. 

 These figures indicated the need for extending organized 

 industries such as sugar, arrowroot, cotton, cacao, fruit, 

 stock-raising, etc., in order to give steady employment to the 

 people, and to place the resources of the colony on a sound 

 4iud solid foundation. Such industries were regarded as 

 the mainstay of the agricultural situation, and if they were 

 not established, there would always be danger of the 

 "■eneral welfare being suddenly and seriously affected by 

 unfavourable circumstances incidental to all agricultural 

 cft'orts at St. Vincent and elsewhere. 



The Imperial Commissioner made an earnest appeal to 

 .all classes to co-operate iu the direction indicated. Further, 

 he suggested that action might be taken by the arrowroot 

 •Towors to control their exports and raise the status of the 

 industry so as to obtain better prices. The sugar industry 

 had almost disappeared, but the land f)r the most part was 

 still there, and with energy and enterprise much might yet be 

 (lone. Cacao growing was being extended, and the prospects 

 were favourable. The cotton industry had rapidly developed, 

 and if a good supply of labour w^ere available there were 

 possibilities of still greater success during the next and 

 succeeding j-ears. In 1903-4, the value of the exports of 

 cotton seed and lint was £900 ; in 190-5, it had increased to 

 about £6,000. In the present year (1906), it would probably 

 advance to about £8,000 or £10,000. As regards quality, 

 St. Vincent cotton, last year, reached the highest price 

 ■of any cotton grown in the British Empire. This year, the best 

 St. Vincent cotton had obtained 20'7. per lb. It was antici- 

 pated that a trade in exporting bananas would be po.ssible, and 

 St. Vincent possessed favourable facilities for raising horses, 

 mules, cattle and all kinds of small stock, jn'ovided the occasional 

 appearance of anthrax could be successfully dealt with. The 

 Imperial Commissioner expressed his readiness to co-operate 

 with the Agricultural Society iu efforts to get rid of anthrax, 

 and for the improvement of stock, and referred to the proposal 

 approved by the Secretary of State to start a small Stud 

 Farm in connexion with the Agricultural School. The 

 selection of the animals for this farm would be arranged 

 in accordance with the wishes of those concerned. 



Other matters discussed were the provision for fumi- 

 gating all imported seeds and plants, in order to prevent 

 the introduction of diseases likely to injure crops, and the 

 appointment of a Permanent Exhibition Committee so that 

 commercial samples of the products of St. Vincent might, 



from time to time, Ije contributed, witli full information in 

 connexion with them, to the Exhibitions pnjposed to be hekl 

 in the United Kingdom, and in the Dominion of Canada. 



After distributing the Diplomas of Merit, and dis- 

 cussing the character of the exhibits at the Agricultural 

 Show held at St. Vincent on llarch 7, the Imperial Com- 

 missioner congratulated the island on the formation of its 

 Agricultural Society, thus placing it on an equality with other 

 colonies, where such societies exercised a beneficial inttuenco 

 in developing local industries, as well as in enlisting the cordial 

 co-operation of large and small jjroprietors alike. He recurred 

 to the subject of the falling off of the exports during the last; 

 twenty years, and, whilst expressing his deep interest in the 

 success of the peasant holdings which were in course of being 

 established on a considerable .scale at St. Vincent, he spoko 

 strongly as to the necessity, also, of re-establishing permanent 

 industries, following the examples of such thriving communi- 

 ties as those at (Jrenada and elsewhere, in which peasant 

 holdings prospered side by side with large estates, the value 

 of the total exports in some instances reaching over 80-?. 

 per head of the population. He added that it would be 

 most unfortunate if St. Vincent lost the present favourable 

 openings for improving its general condition and prospects. 



In conclusion, Sir Daniel Jlorris dwelt on the admiraljle 

 concourse of circumstances existing at St. Vincent for the 

 development of local industries. The island possessed 

 a magnificent soil, an abundant rainfall, as well as other 

 advantages which were not enjoj'ed by plnces that, at present, 

 were producing much better agricultural results. 



THE ASYLUM FARM, BARBADOS. 



The following is a brief summary of the report 

 for 190.5 by the Officer in charge of the Lunatic Asylum, 

 Barbados, on the farm attached to that institution. The 

 report is addressed to the Colonial Secretary, and is 

 published in the Official Gazette of March 1.5, I90G : — 



Owing to the excessive drought during 1905, the fodder 

 for the animals was not sufficient, and some £10 worth had 

 to be purchased. The potato crop also suffered. This 

 meant a curtailment in the number of pigs kept, and a con- 

 sequent shortage in the farm clearance. Dr. Manning writes 

 in the following terms on the inferiority of the island stock : — 



'It is indeed a lamentable fact that the farm stock on 

 the island has so deteriorated by in-breeding that it is no 

 longer possible to produce a pig of any quality whatever. 

 A Barbados pig is a miserable animal, with its long bony 

 head, contracted shoulders, and narrow hips. Every year, too, 

 it is more and more difficult to purchase a really first-class 

 milch cow. Our breed of lop-eared goats has dwindled down 

 to half its size. The poultry are under-sized, and scarcely 

 worth their keep. It is a surprising fact, that in a colony 

 like this, which is distinctly dependent on agriculture for its 

 prosperity, neither the Government, nor any enterprising 

 private individual has ever seriously undertaken any scheme 

 having for its object the improvement of our farm stock.' 



Dr. ilanning has tried to remedy this state of affairs by 

 the importation of good stock. The Berkshire pigs imported 

 in 1903 are thriving, and the Ayrshire cows are a hardy 

 breed, admirably suited to stand the effects of a tropical 

 climate. A pedigree .lersey heifer, from the celebrated breed 

 of the Bishop of Ipswich, was also imported. By means of 

 these additions, it is expected to improve not only the 

 (piantity, but also the quality of the milk. 



For the year, the amount of farm produce sold wa.s 

 £547 19s. M., whilst the expenditure amounted to 

 £394 7s. 4c?., leaving a net clearance of £153 12s. od. 



