"Vol. V. No. 120. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



373 



TOBAGO STOCK FARM. 



The illustration on this page, showing a view of 

 the Tob'igo Stock Farm, is reproduced from Pamphlet 

 No. 41, Tobago, Hints to Settlers. 



The farm was started in 1899 with the idea of keeping 

 improved animals for encouraging the breeding of first-class 

 stock. The farm has since been worked as' a branch of the 

 Government Stock Farm in Trinidad. Since January 1905, 

 it has been under the management of Mr. Henry Meaden. 



As in the case of the Trinidad Farm, a feature of the 

 farm is the annual sale of stock. 



In the report of the Manager for the year 1905-6, it is 

 stated: ' I am pleased to be able to state that the inhabitants 

 have taken more advantage of the various stud animals that 

 stood for service on the farm than in former years, and 

 seem to be pleased with the results.' 



In addition to cattle, sheep, pig.s, a stallion and a donkey, 

 poultry of various breeds are also kept at the farm. 



The receipts for the year 1905-6, amounted to 

 .£491 lis. .3Jc?.; the expenditure was £1,051 6s. 9./. 



Fig. 24. Government Stock Farm, Tobago. 



WAX FROM THE RAFFIA PALM. 



The Chamber of Commerce Journal (November) 

 gives an account of a ' new wax product ' obtained from 

 the raffia palm (Raphia Ruffia) : — 



It is reported that a product has recently been dis- 

 covered in the leaves of the raffia palm which, by its chemical 

 and physical properties, might be classed between wax and 

 gum, and bids fair to become a valuable commercial 

 commodity of Madagascar. The process of extracting the 

 wax is simple. The natives who gather the raffia fibre 

 generally pitch their camp in the neighbourhood of a raffia 

 grove, to which they bring the leaves. The fibre is taken otf, 

 and the leaves are thrown aside in large quantities. The 

 wax is collected by beating the dry leaves on a dry mat or 

 cloth and gathering the pellicles and white powder which 

 fall from them. Then, after boiling these pellicles and 

 powder, the wax thus formed is kneaded into cakes 

 of any form. This wax, which is very pure, will 

 probably be more highly valued than bees'-wax, although 



yet an entirely new 

 product. 



Laboratory ex- 

 p e r i m e n t s have 

 shown that raffia 

 leaves give a theo- 

 retical yield of 16 

 per cent, of wax. 

 The average produc- 

 tion of wax would be 

 about 100 grammes 

 of wax for every 

 kilogramme of fibre 

 obtained. Supposing 

 that raffia wax turns 

 out to have a value 

 about equal to bees'- 

 wax, this means 

 a yield of wax equal 

 to three-fifths of the 

 value of the raffia 

 exported. Nothing 

 is yet decided as to 

 what may be the 

 possible use to which 

 this wax can be 

 put. It might, 

 perhaps, be utilized 

 in the manu- 

 facture of bottling 

 wax. 





ARBOR DAY AT ANTIGUA. 



Arbor Day was successfully observed at Antigua 

 on November 9, the ceremony as in previous years 

 taking place in both town and country. 



In St. John's, the ceremony consisted of the planting of 

 a royal palm by his Excellency the Governor and Lady 

 Sweet-Escott on each side of the approach to the bridge on 

 the North Sound Road, leading to the Botanic Station. This 

 was followed by the planting of sixteen mahogany trees by 

 young ladies, along the bank on the side of the North Sound 

 Road, continuing the Ladies' Avenue begun in former years. 

 Trees were also planted by representatives of the High School 



and Grammar School and of the various elementary schools in 

 the town. Before planting the trees, his Excellency delivered 

 a short address on the objects of Arbor Day. 



In St. John's sixty-one trees were planted in all. 



In all the various country parishes the day was 

 celebrated in the customary manner by the planting of trees 

 by various ladies and gentlemen and by the children of the 

 elementary schools. 



The movement appears to be firmly established in the 

 island, a proof of which is the fact that a number of 

 people observed the day by planting trees on their own 

 behalf. 



