THE CUBA REVIEW 



29 



AGRICULTURAL MATTERS. 



Useful Information on Citrus Fruit Cultivation — Orange Varieties Favored in 

 Dominica — Home Grown and Imported Seeds — Butter-making, etc. 



Citrus Fruit Cultivation. 



A paper wliich contains a large amount 

 of useful information on the methods of 

 citrus fruit cultivation which have been 

 shown to be most suited to Dominica — and 

 incidentally for other parts of the West 

 Indies — was prepared by Mr. A. J. Brooks, 

 Officer-in-charge of the Dominica Agricul- 

 tural School, to be read at the Colonial 

 Fruit Show held in London at the end 

 of November last, under the auspices of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society. 



The report in the Barbados Agricultural 

 News says in part : 



The most suitable altitudes for orange 

 groves is from 800 to 1,200 feet above sea- 

 level. The fruit will thrive, however, up 

 to 2,500 feet. It is important that the grove 

 be sheltered, either naturally or by arti- 

 ficial wind-breaks. Orange trees prefer 

 an open, well-drained soil, which is rich in 

 plant food, and which retains a good sup- 

 ply of moisture without producing stagna- 

 tion. Very dry soils a-e especially unde- 

 sirable. A high rainfall is necessary for 

 the trees to do their best. A fall of 100 to 

 200 inches per annum is required. 



With the exception of the lime, all citrus 

 fruit trees (oranges, grape-fruit, shaddock, 

 lemon, etc.) are best propagated by bud- 

 ding, in preference to raising from seed or 

 from cuttings. Budded trees bear earlier, 

 yield superior fruit, and also bear more 

 true to the original variety than seedling 

 trees. 



The sour orange, the Seville orange, and 

 the rough lemon are best suited for stocks 

 on which oranges, etc., are to be budded. The 

 first two kinds are stated to be immune to 

 root rot, while the third suflfers but slightly. 

 The sour orange is an especially hardy 

 stock, and thrives well on good retentive 

 soils, such as are found in the interior 

 lands of Dominica. Both the Washington 

 naval orange and the grape-fruit are said 

 to do better on this stock than on any 

 other, and it is therefore used very ex- 

 tensively in the West Indies. The Seville 

 orange stock does best at low altitudes, 

 while the rough lemon flourishes on high, 

 dry soils, but is not suited for moist ground 

 at lower levels. The growth of trees on 

 the rough lemon stock is much more rapid 

 than in the sour or Seville orange. The 

 grape-fruit does e.xceedingly well on this 

 stock. Shaddock seedlings may also be 

 used as stocks for buddine purposes. Root 

 rot can be kept in perfect check if care be 

 taken to see that there is effective drainage, 

 and that sunlight is allowed free entrance to 

 the base of the stems. 



Varieties Favored in Dominica. 



In regard to oranges, the "Washington 

 navel" is recomm^ended as an excellent 

 variety to cultivate, and if the grower de- 

 sires to confine himself to the cultivation 

 of one good all-round variety, this is un- 

 doubtedly the kind for him to grow. Good 

 early fruiting varieties are "Parson Brown" 

 and "Bonne's Early." "Valencia Late" is 

 an excellent late-ripening kind. The "Sat- 

 suma" mandarin oranges, and the "King" 

 tangerine are also referred to in high terms. 

 Varieties of grape-fruit which, it is re- 

 marked, are difficult to surpass for general 

 health and prolificness, are the "Triumph" 

 and "Jamaica." 



Home-Grown and Imported Seeds. 



In raising crops from seed, a review of 

 all the evidence available on the subject 

 strengthens the opinion that the seed likely 

 to give the best results in any locality is 

 that which has been wisely selected and 

 carefully bred under the conditions peculiar 

 to that locality. The seed should be good, 

 selected, home-grown seed, in fact, and 

 this is likely to be more reliable than high- 

 priced, high-bred seed brought from a dis- 

 tance. Colonists should give increased at- 

 tention to the work of raising and selecting 

 their own seed. — From the Bulletin of the 

 Nebraska Experiment Station. 



Butter Making. 



There is no doubt but that with due 

 attention to the feeding rations given to 

 cows, cleanliness in milking, skill in 

 ripening the cream, and churning and 

 washing, etc., better butter might often 

 be turned out, says the Barbados Agri- 

 cultural News. In the tropics it is bet- 

 ter to use a small separator than to wait 

 for the cream to rise to the top and then 

 to skim it off. A larger quantity of but- 

 ter of superior flavor is obtained from 

 "ripe" or acid cream than from the 

 same volume when fresh, and therefore 

 the cream should always be allowed to 

 stand until acid. 



Agriculturists Form Association. 



The Anglo- Cuban Agricultural and 

 Commercial Association was recently 

 formed at Bartle, Cuba. The association 

 will gather for the benefit of its mem- 

 bers all helpful information concerning 

 agricultural pursuits in the island. The 

 officers are W. Graham Smith, presi- 

 dent; Bruce Dick, vice-president, and 

 Leonard Van Regemorter, secretary. 

 The co-operation of every one interested 

 is earnestly invited. 



