162 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 2, 1906. 



In the paper by Captain Short, referred to above, 

 it is estimated that the return from an acre of cacao 

 and rubber would be £4 to £6 more than that from an 

 acre of cacao shaded by Bois Ininiortol. 



It is not recommended that rubber trees should be 

 planted amongst old and established cacao trees, when 

 the latter cover the ground and do not require over- 

 hanging shade. It is not likely that Castilloa trees 

 planted under such conditions would thrive. On the 

 other hand, for the purpose of giving side shade and 

 shelter, rubber trees might usefully be planted along 

 the sides of the cacao fields. Also, they might be 

 planted with }oung cacao, as is being done in Tobago. 

 By this method the planter would be likely to obtain 

 some return from the cacao in four or five years, whereas 

 rubber trees planted alone could not be expected to 

 yield any return in less than seven to nine or even ten 

 years. 



There is no doubt that Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, 

 Dominica, and Jamaica are well adapted to the cultiva- 

 tion of rubber trees, also large tracts of land in British 

 Guiana. In Tobago, this new industry is full of promise. 

 Some 100,000 Castilloa trees of all ages are established, 

 and good prices have been obtained for rubber exported 

 from the island. Efforts are also being made to 

 encourage the planting of Castilloa trees in suitable 

 spots in St. Kitt's, Xevis, and Montserrat. As has 

 already been stated in the Agricultural Neivs, it may 

 be taken as a general guide that the Castilloa will do 

 well whcre\er cacao grows. 



At the present juncture, when rubber planting is 

 attracting so much attention all over the world, special 

 interest attaches to the papers on experiments with 

 I'ubber-yielding plants in Dominica and St. Lucia, 

 published inthe last issue of the West liulian Bulli'fiv. 

 Mr. Joseph Jones,Curator of the Botanic Station at Dom- 

 inica, states that the Castilloa thrives excellently in that 

 island and is likely to give satisfactory yields. Further: 

 ' Cacao trees growing near to Castilloa at the Botanic 

 Station for the last twelve years have borne as well, 

 and look as healthy, as cacao growing outside the area 

 occupied by the Castilloa roots.' 



As regards St. Lucia, Mr. J. C. Moore, the 

 Agricultural Superintendent, points out that all the 

 conditions of climate and soil required by the Castilloa 

 are to be found there, and 'the result ot local experi- 

 ments in the cultivation and tapping of these trees 

 appears to afford ample evidence of the success that is 

 likely to attend their extended cultivation in this 

 island.' Mr. Moore suggests that the best time to 



plant rubber trees in St. Lucia would be between June 

 and November. 



These papers contain detailed information with 

 regard to the operations connected with the tapping 

 of the trees and the preparation of the rubber for 

 market and, read in conjunction with a previous 

 article in the West Indian Bulletin (Vol. V, pp. 210-23) 

 on the same subject, should be of considerable service 

 to planters in the conduct of similar experiments. 



Judging by the returns showing the number of 

 rubber plants distributed from the various Botanic 

 Stations in the West Indies during the past few years, 

 it would appear that considerable attention is being 

 paid to this subject, and as these trees arrive at the 

 projjer age for tapping it should be possible to obtain 

 still more authentic information as regards the possi- 

 bility of carrying on the industry on an extensive and 

 profitable scale. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Raising Seedling Sugar-canes in Cuba. 



Increased attention is now being paid throughout 

 cane-growing countries towards the possibility of 

 raising improved varieties of sugar-cane by hybridiza- 

 tion. The area under seedling canes is gradually 

 extending, and it is hoped that breeding continually 

 for a cane of greater vigour and hardiness, giving 

 a larger yield of sugar pei- acre, will be the means of 

 improving the prospects of the cane sugar industry. 

 The following extract is taken from a report from 

 Mr. E. F. Atkins, Harvard Exjioriment Station, 

 Cienfuegos, Cuba, and shows that, owing to a fa\'our- 

 able season, excellent results have been obtained from 

 the hybridization experiments carried on during the 

 last season : — 



Four years of careful bybridizatiou resulted in but two 

 seedling.s, and it is gratifying to note that, owing to 

 a favourable sea.son, with intervals of warm weather of 

 sufficient duration to permit fertilization of the flowers and 

 rii)ening of the seeds, our efforts Lave proved successful. 

 \Vith the aid of the greenhou.se to ward off severe cold spells 

 during germination, we have this year raised over 600 

 seedling.s, nearly all the result of hand fertilization. 



Hand fertilizing was carried on daily fi-oui the earliest 

 Hower opening in November until the nuddle of April, the 

 close of the floweiing period, often without success, as 

 several sudden cold waves destroyed quantities of the seeds 

 before the ripening period. 



Those which succeeded in escaping severe cold weather 

 for thirty or thirty-five days were them collected and sown ia 

 the greenhouse, where they could be protected from the cold. 



