JAMAICA. 



BXJLTjBTlISr 



OF THE 



DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. II. MARCH, 1904. Part 3. 



COTTON CULTIVATION. 



It may interest those who are thinking of cultivating cotton to know 

 what cultivation was found necessary at Hope Grardens, and th^ time 

 taken by labours^rs. The following extracts from the diary will be of 

 some assistance. 



The experim ntal plot is one square chain, and was first well ploughed, 

 and prepared for seed. 



Date. Work. Time. 



26 Aug. Seeds sown ... ... f day 



21 Sept. First cultivation with cultivator worked 



b}^ one mule ... 1 hour. 



Plants thinned out, leaving only one to 



each hole ... ... 2 ^^7 



28 Sept. Second cultivation with cultivator ... 1 hour 



8 Oct. Third time with cultivator ... 1 hour 



28 Oct. Moulding Plants .. -.. ^ day 



28 Oct. Commenced flowering 



7 Nov. Fourth and last time with cultivator, 



picking out weeds in ro'vs at same time 2 hours 

 4 Dec. Weeding 1 day 



7 Jan. Commencel gathering cotton. 



The sowing of the seeds and subsequent cultivation of a square chain 

 therefore occupied 8^ days, or at the rate of 32 J days per acre. 



In many parts of the Island where weeds are not so troublesome, the 

 cost of cultivation would be very much less. For instance in the 

 Pedro plain, an experimental plot has co^t 14s. per acre to cletm, 3s. to 

 sow, and 63. to cultivate, which consisted of hoeing twice. 



THE PROSPECTS OF CASSAVA STARCH. 



ByH. H. Cousins, M.A., (Oxon ) F.C.S., Island Chemst. 



Through the enterpise of Mr. J. W. Middleton in testing the com- 

 mercial production of starch at Longville and his public spirit in plac- 



