274 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



SEP7EMB1R 8, 1906. 



crop. The system renders impossible the planting of 

 leguminous crops for purposes of green dressing ; it 

 will therefore be necessary for the planter to devote 

 special attention to manuring. 



The general prices for St. Kitt's cotton have been 

 better than in previous years, having ranged from 

 Is. M. to Is. bd. per lb. of lint. 



The cotton worm was troublesome, but, owing to 

 the prompt use of Paris green, little actual damage 

 was done. The leaf-blister mite is the most serious 

 pest of cotton in St. Kitt's, but it was not so trouble- 

 some last year in the early stages of the plants' growth. 

 It made its appearance when the cotton was maturing, 

 and therefore did not cause much loss. The plants 

 were pulled up and burned. 



In Xevis the results were rather disappointing, the 

 yield being poor in most cases. This was, no doubt, 

 due mainly to a verj- dry season. The cotton worm 

 was most persistent in its attacks, while the leaf-blister 

 mite was also prevalent. 



The prices have kept steady throughout the year 

 at abojLit Is. 3c?. per lb. 



Encouraging reports have been received from the 

 island of Anguilla. On some estates, where accurate 

 returns are kept, the average yield is placed at 318 lb. of 

 seed-cotton per acre. The average yield for the whole 

 island, however, was probabl}^ far less. Owing to the 

 persistent attacks of the cut worm, considerable 

 difficulty was experienced in some cases in getting 

 a good stand. The cotton worm, though extremely 

 troublesome, was kept in check by the use of Paris 

 green. The leaf-blister mite, fortunately, did not make 

 its appearance till too late to cause any serious loss. 



There are three ginneries at work \\\ Anguilla. 

 During the season, the Central Factory turned out 191 

 bales, of 200 lb. each, which included 131 bales made 

 from 94,713 lb. of seed-cotton sent in by peasants to be 

 ginned and shipped for them. ' Prices have been satis- 

 factory, ranging from 14A'7. to I'd. per lb., while one 

 sale is reported at 18(?. 



Various experiments wei'e carried out by the 

 Department in the presidency. Those at St. Kitt's 

 have already been reported upon in the A gvi cultural 

 News (Vol. V, p. 231). Experiments to ascertain the 

 best distance for planting cotton were also carried out 

 in Nevis. In this connexion it may be mentioned 

 that, while the average yield, over nearly 1,000 acres 

 of land in the neighbourhood of the Xevis Experiment 



Station, was less than 200 ft), of seed-cotton per acre, 

 that on the iV,-acre experiment plot was at the rate of 

 1,210 lb. The best results were obtained when the 

 cotton was planted 4 feet by l\ feet. 



It may safely be claimed that much of the success 

 that has been met with in connexion with the 

 establishment of this industry' has been due to the 

 zealous interest taken in it b}' the local officers of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Hybridization of the Sugar-sane. 



The Gardeners' Chronicle refers as follows to 

 a paper on the ' Hybridization of the Sugar-cane,' read 

 by Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., D.Sc, etc.. Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agricult\ire for the West Indies, at 

 the International Conference on Hybridization and 

 Cross-breeding held in London recently : — 



At one time, be said, all canes were propagated by 

 cutting-s, but in 1888 it was discovered, or rather re-discovered, 

 that some varieties of cane produced seed. Experiments 

 were carried out, the best canes were .selected, and it might 

 be considered that the seedling cane started from that time. 

 The Otaheiti canes had been cultivated up to 1888, but they 

 were attacked by a .serious disease, and means had to be 

 found to control it. The re-discovery came in just at a time 

 when it was wanted. Had it not been for the discovery of 

 seedling varieties, sugar-canes would practicall}- have gone out 

 of cultivation. During the last eight years great develop- 

 ments had taken place in the West Indies. The Department 

 of Agriculture there was provided by the Government with 

 £20,000 for its maintenance. Years ago he suggested to our 

 own Government that a grant should be made to that 

 department, but nothing was done until !Mr. Chamberlain 

 took the matter up. He was glad to say that thej' received 

 great assistance from the United States Department, especially 

 in connexion with the production of cotton. As to the 

 seedling canes, they had distributed them to Cuba, Porto 

 liico, Mauritius, Xatal, and parts of India, and everywhere 

 the production had been enormously increased without any 

 extra cost, owing to the cultivation of the new seedling canes. 

 AVhile they were increasing the output and the richness of the 

 sugar, they were also doing much in making the canes 

 disease-resisting. In Java and elsewhere they had been most 

 successful in cross-fertilization by hand. In conclusion Sir 

 Daniel read an extract from the final progress report of 

 Professor Harrison, which stated that, owing to the Imperial 

 grant-in-aid (which ceased to be payable from March 1906), 

 the area occupied by new seedling varieties in liritish Guiana 

 had extended from -D-oO acres in 1899 to 20,065 in 1906, 

 and that, during the last five years, the new varieties of 

 seedling canes had given, over large areas, mean results of 

 8, 10, 22, and 3.5 per cent, of sucrose higher than the average 

 of the returns obtained from the Bourbon during the same 

 l)eriod. 



On the motion ofMr. Elwes, .seconded by Sir Daniel 

 Morris, it was decided to send a resolution thanking the 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture for what they had done 

 for the West Indies. 



