284 



THE AGRICULTURAL KEWS. 



September S, 1906, 



Young cotton in Barbados is being attacked by the red 

 maggot ; the insects have probabl)- spread from fields of old 

 ratoon cotton. 



The Commissioners of H. 'SI. Customs report that the 

 quantities of molasses delivered on drawback or free of duty 

 for use in distilleries, or for stock-feeding purposes, continue 

 to show an increase, which is particularly noticeable in the 

 (juantity delivered for cattle feeding. ( West Iii'lia Committee 

 Cirruhir.) 



GLEANINGS. 



The Agricultural Instructor in St. Lucia reports that 

 the cacao crop is very forward on clay lands, and backward 

 on lighter soils ; on the whole, it promises to be a fair crop, 

 but not a record one. 



According to the Coiisul'ir Report on Surinam, the 

 prices of balata continued low during 190.5, and the amount 

 collected was only 244 tons, against 260 and 370 tons in the 

 two previous }'ears. The value of the year's export of balata 

 was X34,630. 



The Curator of the Botanic Station at Montserrat states 

 that 1,770 lb. of selected Sea Island cotton seed have been 

 imported from Barbados. It has germinated well and given 

 satisfaction. The cotton in the higher lands, planted in May, 

 is well forward, and consequently a better return is looked for. 



Mr. W. Robson, the Curator, reports that there is some 

 indication that the growing of lemon grass would be taken 

 up by several small proprietors in Montserrat, if a market 

 could be assured for the oil at a profitable price. Two or 

 three men in the island understand the distillation of the oil. 



Within the last fortnight, three separate shipments, of 

 2-50 bags of Creole rice each, have been made to Barbados. 

 The amount of colony-grown rice exported up to yesterday, is 

 7.54,439 B)., in comparison with 30,195 lb. shipped up to the 

 same date last year. (Demerara Argoxi/, August 25.) 



The Nassau (Bahamas) Watclunan says: ' The Canning 

 Factory of the .T. S. Johnson Company is still operating on 

 pine-apples. Up to the present time 180,731 dozen pine-apples 

 have been purchased for a pack of 51,594 cases. The company 

 is expecting to reach 65,000 cases before closing the year's 

 operations.' 



Mr. H. S. Hammond, formerly Assistant Chemist in 

 Jamaica, has recently obtained the B.S.A. degree at the 

 Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, taking first place 

 among the graduates of the year. Mr. Hammond has since 

 been appointed to a post on the stati' of the Rhode Island 

 Asricultural Exiieriment Station, U.S.A. 



It may be u.seful to repeat the announcement that plants 

 of the Central American rubber tree {Casti/lua elastica) can 

 be purchased at the Botanic Station, St. Lucia, in boxes of 

 tifty plants for 9(/. The plants are now ready for distribu- 

 tion. Plants in pots can be supplied at 3?. per 100. 

 Applications should be addre.ssed to the Agricultural 

 Superintendent. 



According to Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co.'s Sea Island 

 cotton report for August 18, practically the whole of the last 

 crop has been sold. ' In Carolina we have continued to have 

 too much rain during the past month, resulting in the plant 

 having attained great growth, but putting on not much fruit. 

 The lower pods, being all shaded, are moulding and rotting.' 



At a dinner given by the Horticultural Club to the 

 Foreign and British delegates to the International Conference 

 on Hybridization and Cross-breeding, on July 31, at the 

 Hotel Windsor, the toast of ' The Royal Horticultural 

 Society' was proposed by Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., who 

 congratulated the President, Secretary, and all concerned on 

 the great success which had attended their untiring efforts to 

 bring the society to its present standard. 



Referring to the difficulties that threaten the muscovado 

 sugar estates in Antigua, in consequence of the exodus of 

 labourers to Panama, Mr. J. Lely, writing to the Louisiana 

 Planter, says : ' To fight the labour question will not be 

 very difficult for the central factories, for the introduction of 

 steam ploughs and agricultural implements will save many 

 hands, and the success of central factories, because of the rich 

 cane in these islands, is a sure thing.' 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture has received 

 an inquiry as to whether ' there is any truth in the statement 

 which has been made that there is a Mum, .somewhat similar 

 to M. Cavendifhii, which is immune to the attacks of the 

 nematode worms that so frequently attack the roots of 

 bananas.' The editor of the Agricultural Neivs would be 

 pleased to receive communications from banana growers or 

 others interested as to any observations they may have made 

 in connexion with this interesting point. 



The St. Vincent (Jovcrnment Gazette, of August 30, has 

 the following : ' With the approval of the Secretary of State 

 for the Colonies, his Honour the Administrator has appointed 

 Mr. Charles V. Stoute, M.D.Y., to be Government Veterinary 

 Surgeon in St. Vincent attached to the Agricultural Deiiart- 

 ment, for a period of one year. Dr. Stoute arrived in the 

 colony and assumed the duties of the ofHceonthe 18th. instant. 

 The appointment of Dr. Stoute is made on the recommenda- 

 tion of the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, and his 

 services will be specially given to dealing with anthrax.' 



A committee is being appointed by the Barbados 

 Agricultural Society to investigate certain cases where planters- 

 have neglected to use recognized treatment for controlling 

 cotton pests. Certain managers have neglected to dust 

 ratoon cotton with Paris green when infested with cotton 

 worms, and others have diluted the Paris green with such 

 large quantities of lime as to render the mixture of little or 

 no value in controlling the caterpillars. Centres of infection 

 are thus being formed, from which caterpillars spread through 

 the island. It is hoped that the recommendations of the- 

 committee will be seriously considered by the planting 

 community. 



