Ill 



about eight inches high the seedlings should be thinned out to the 

 three strongest, and later two of these are to be removed, leaving the 

 strongest one. In thinning do not pull them up but cut them off with 

 a knife close to the ground ; or the roots of the remaining one may be 

 disturbed. 



If, when sowing, the soil is dry it is advisable'to pour some water 

 into the hole, drawing down just a little of the surrounding dry soil 

 with the fingers before putting the seeds in. 



The time of sowing depends largely on the "seasons"; about a 

 month or six weeks before the fall rams set in is a good time, say dur- 

 ing August if the " seasons" fall in October and November ; the idea 

 is to have the plants up to a fair size so that they may make the bast 

 use of the rains when they come; the pods ripening in the dry weather 



that follows. 



Weeds should be kept down by constant hoeing whenever dry wea- 

 ther permits of this being done, more especially during the first period 

 of growth and the time of ripening; the loss of soil moisture is thus 

 reduced to a minimum, it occurring only through the cotton plants ; 

 and which is perhaps as important, burrs and other seeds are pre- 

 vented from adhering to the lint. 



The plants during the ripening season, should be looked over every 

 four or live days and all open pods relieved of their load of cotton; 

 this must be carefully sunned for a day or two b fore gi ining and 

 packing. 



BIRD SEED. 



Mr. Capern of Bristol has sent out birdseed of various kinds for ex- 

 periment in Jamaica. Application for small quantities for trial may 

 be addressed to the Director of Public Gardens and Plantations. King- 

 ston P.O. The following notes will sufficiently indicate the nature of 

 the plants and their requirements. 



Hemp {Cannabis saliva) is cultivated either for hemp fibre, or for 

 the narcutics, bhang, ganja and cimrras ; the seed is a bye-product. 



It is cultivated for fibre in European countries, and in India only 

 in the inner valleys of the Himala\a between 4,000 and 7,000 feet. 

 Rich moist soil, thoroughly cultivated, is requisite for a yield of fibre. 



When the plant is to be used to produce fibre, it is grown close ; but 

 if for seed only, it is recommended to dibble 2 or 3 seeds at distances 

 every way of 4 or 5 feet. When the seedlings are 3 or 4 inches high 

 the weakest should be pulled up, leaving only one plant. 



The male an . female flowers are produced on separate plants, and 

 the fibre of the male, plant is of superior quality. About 13 weeks 

 after sowing, the flowers on the male plants fade, and the leaves turn 

 yellow and the stems whitish. Each of the male plants is then up- 

 rooted singly and carefully so as not to injure the fibre of the stem. 

 The female plants require a month longer to ripen their seed, but by 

 that time tha fibre has become coarse and of little value. 



Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) grow best in light, rich, calcareous 

 soils well supplied with moisture, and without any shade from trees. 



The seeds are sown 1 inch deep in rows, 18 inches apart, and 30 

 inches asunder in the rows, thus giving about 11,000 plants to the 



