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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 11, 1906 



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^gi'irtiltui'al ^xm 



Vol. V. SATURDAY. AUGUST 11, 1906. No. IVl. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue deals with the subject 

 of the ' Improvement of Cotton by Seed Selection.' 

 The work done in this, connexion in the West Indies 

 during the past season is briefly reviewed. 



A memoi-andum by Dr. Watts on sugar-cane 

 diseases in Antigua is published on pp. 242-3. 



Mr. A. J. Brooks, ha.s forwarded an interesting 

 account of incubator trials at the Dominica Agri- 

 cultural School. (See p. 24.5.) 



Agriculture 



The Imperial Commissioner of 

 delivered a lecture, under the auspices of the West 

 India Committee, in London, on July 19, on the Sea 

 Island Cotton Industry in the West Indies. A summary 

 of Sir Daniel Morris' lecture appears on p. 247. 



Mention is made op[ p. 250 of young cotton plants 

 being attacked by the root borer of the sugar-cane. 



The general reports of the examiner on the recent 

 examinations of the pupils of the St. Vincent and 

 St. Lucia Agricultural Schools are published on p. 253. 



On p. 254 will be found an interesting account of 

 experiments conducted in India in connexion with the 

 preservation of bamboos for industrial purposes. It is 

 shown that, when bamboos are submitted to a series of 

 soakings in copper sulphate and crude petroleum, their 

 durability is much increased, and when used as 

 telegraph posts they are capable of withstanding the 

 attacks of borers. 



Donliey Stallion for St. Vincent. 



A donkey stallion, ' Bill Rice,' has been obtained 

 by the Imperial Department of Agriculture from the 

 United States for the stock farm at St. Vincent. 



' Bill Rice' is a fine five-year-old donkey, measur- 

 ing (jl inches from the centre of shoulder to the ground. 

 He was safely landed e.r S.S. ' Korona ' on /Vugust 4 in 

 Barbados, where he will be kept for some little time 

 before being sent on to St. Vincent. 



Seedling Sugar-canes in St. Lucia. 



The annual report of the Agricultural Instructor 

 in St. Lucia contains interesting information on the 

 cultivation of seedling canes in that island. Plots of 

 B. 20.S and D. 95 were established at the five principal 

 sugar estates for the purpose of testing these seedlings 

 in comparison with the Bourbon. The experience 

 gained is ' entirely in fevour of B. 208, while D. 95 

 does not seem to be appreciated.' 



The results show that B. 208 has given good 

 yields of cane, its juice being rich in sucrose; it has 

 also proved resistant to disease. Mr. Hudson lays 

 stress on another point in favour of this seedling, viz 

 that, by reason of its vigorous growth and copious 

 foliage, it covers the ground early and thus diminishes 

 the amount of labour required for weeding. This is an 

 important consideration on large estates where labour 

 is scarce. There will be a large increase this year in 

 the area devoted to B. 208. 



B. 147 also appears to be giving good results in 

 St. Lucia. 



Desiccated Cocoa-nuts. 



An interesting discussion took place at a meeting 

 of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of 

 British Guiana, held on July 12, on the possibility of 

 establishing a minor industry in desiccated cocoa-nuts. 

 It may be mentioned that in England and the United 

 States cocoa-nuts are cut up and desiccated for 

 confectionery purposes. It was reported that the 

 demand for this product is increasing. 



At the meeting i-eferred to, the Hon. B. Howell 

 Jones stated that he had received a letter from a firm 

 of mechanical engineers in England to the effect that 

 they were prepared to send out a representative to 

 initiate the establishment of such an industry if the 

 matter met with sufficient response from those inter- 

 ested. The necessary plant for dealing with 750,000 

 nuts a year, exclusive of the cost of a 10-h.p. engine 

 and boiler, and the building of a house, would cost £260. 



Mr. Howell Jones suggested that, as few growers 

 produced as many as 750,000 nuts a }'ear, the growers 

 should combine and erect a small fiictoiy. It would be 

 necessary, however, that steps should be taken, by 

 careful selection of nuts for planting and attention to 

 cultivation, to improve the quality of the nuts produced 

 in the colony, which, at present, compared very 

 unfavourably with the quality of the product from the 

 Straits Settlements, Trinidad, and Jamaica. 



