February, 1909.J 



143 



Edible Products. 



Organic manures such as pen manure 

 and liberal mulchings are doubtless the 

 best and most remunerative. Where 

 these cannot be obtained in sufficient 

 quantity, it is essential to give manures 

 containing nitrogen and phosphate, and 

 in many cases it will be well to supple- 

 ment mulching with moderate applica- 

 tions of nitrogen and phosphate. 



Phosphate may be given with advantage 

 in the form of basic phosphate in appli- 

 cations of from 1 to 4 cwt. per acre. A 

 sufficient application in most cases will 

 be 1 cwt- per acre annually for several 

 years. 



Nitrogen may be given in the form of 

 sulphate of ammonia at the rate of from 

 1 to 2 cwt. per acre, but nitrogen should 

 be given preferably in a form in which 

 it is more slowly available, such as dried 

 blood, at the rate of 2 to 4 cwt. per acre. 



With the development of the cotton 

 industry in these islands considerable 

 quantities of cotton-seed meal may be 

 within reach. This forms a very useful 

 source of nitrogen, and may be used at 

 the rate of from 8 to 6 cwt. per acre. It 

 introduces fair quantities of phosphate 

 and potash as well as nitrogen. 



The present experiments afford uo. 

 evidence as to the value of potash and 

 phosphate independently of each other. 

 The soils of Dominica are, however, 

 fairly well supplied with potash, and it 

 is not likely that this constituent is 

 urgently wanted. In the event of 

 planters desiring to experiment with 

 potash, it is believed that small dressings 

 of from 5 to 1 cwt. of sulphate of potash 

 will prove sufficient. 



Government Plot at Picard. 

 This plot was started in 1900, in order 

 to ascertain whether cacao could be 

 grown on the low lands at Picard. At 

 the time the plot was laid out, the 

 general opinion was that this district 

 was not suitable for cacao. Largely as 

 the result of the success of these experi- 

 ments considerable areas of cacao have 

 been planted in the neighbourhood, and 

 the success attending the newly-estab- 

 lished fields justifies the action. This 

 area is now regarded as one of the most 

 promising districts in Dominica. 



The plot consists of one acre divided 

 into four sections. In the early stages 

 the whole of the plot was manured with 

 pen manure and dried blood. In 1903 

 the area was divided into four plots, 

 each of ] acre as follows :— 



A. Receving pen manure. 



B. Receiving 2 cwt. par acre of sulph- 

 ate of ammonia. 



C. Receiving 4 cwt. per acre of basic 

 phosphate. 



D. Receiving 4 cwt. per acre of dried 

 blood. 



These manures are applied annually. 



The southern part of plot D. is found 

 to rest on a gravelly subtratum ; pro- 

 bably the old river bed extended to this 

 point. From 1905 this poor portion has 

 been dressed with pen manure in an 

 attempt to restore fertility. 



The first small pickings were gathered 

 in 1904-5. The yield from the plots have 

 been :— 



Plot. 



Number of 

 pods. 

 1904-5. 



Number of 

 pods. 

 1905-6. 



Number of 

 pods. 

 1906-7. 



Equivalent to dry 

 cacao in 1906-7, 

 in pounds. 



A. 



8 



319 



883 



68 



B. 





235 



598 



40 



C. 



13 



390 



733 



60 



D. 



6 



133 



493 



38 



Total- 



28 



1,077 



2,707 



. 212 



The trees receiving pen manure have a 

 very fine and healthy appearance, and 

 they have given the largest yield of 

 cacao. 



The trees receiving sulphate of ammo- 

 nia also present a very fine healthy 

 appearance, but they have not yet come 

 into such heavy bearing as the trees 

 receiving either pen manure or basic 

 phosphate. 



The plot receiving basic phosphate 

 has given a large return, and the trees 



looking excellent condition. The foliage 

 is perhaps not so heavy as in the plots 

 receving pen manure or ammonia. The 

 plot experienced no lack of nitrogen, as 

 it has received a large number of green 

 dressings from the careful manage- 

 ment of the Weeds which have grown 

 upon it and have been turned in. The 

 plot does not show indications of fall- 

 ing off such as are referred to in con- 

 nexion with the basic phosphate plot 

 in the large series of experiments at 

 Picard. It must, however, be remem- 

 bed that this plot, with the others, 



