Sjbpt. h 1903.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
163 
A YEAR'S WOKK IN TRINIDAD: 
ANNUAL REPORT, 1902-3, OF THE 
BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, BY 
MK, J. H. HART, f.l ». 
HINTS FOR PLANTERS AND HCHOQL- 
GAKDENS; A GOOD DEAL ABOUT 
RUBBER. 
The Annual Report of the Trinidad 
Botanical Department, written by Mr. J. H. 
Hart, F.L.s , is before us, and has several 
points which stand out, inviting attention. 
There is evidence in the pages of the Report 
that the Botanical Department of Trinidad 
is bent on making itself usefully felt 
throughout that Colony, and that by its 
patient experiments anJ through its skilled 
advice, it is prepared to guide the agri- 
cultural interests of the isl4,nd, when new 
departures are desirable, and a profitable 
return for capital and labour is in view. 
It is not simply what is done by the 
trained officers of the Department working 
on their own account, nor the instruction 
which is imparted to the cadets attached 
to the station ; but an effort is made to 
reach a wider public, and scatter broadcast 
the quarterly issue of the official Bulletins 
which contain the latest results of scientific 
observation, and the cream of its patient 
research. Courses of lectures are also deli- 
vered for the benefit of students of the 
Training School of Teachers, and the 
lectures are open to planters on the pay- 
ment of' a small fee. From an expert there 
is always much to be learned, and although 
planters are presumed to know their own 
business ^ well, there can be no doubt 
whatever that a course of lectures on the 
principles of general Agriculture, or on 
some special branch of it in particular, by 
a thoroughly qualified man, should widen 
the planter's horizon considerably, and 
teach him, among other things, how little 
he knew, and how much there was yet 
to be known. Our Scientific Staff at Pera- 
deniya might increase its usefulness by 
following in the footsteps of the Trinidad 
Botanical Department. Bee-keeping, although 
not a strictly recognised branch of a bota- 
nical department, naturally takes a place 
as a kind of " side-show," and it is evidence 
of the enterprise shown by Mr. Hart, the 
Trinidad Superintendent, that he includes 
bee-keeping among his duties, and has de- 
voted a paragraph of his interesting Report 
to this outside subject. He tells us that 
the native black bee of Trinidad is too 
mucli given to swarming to produce much 
honey, and several consignments of Italian 
queens were imported which made excellent 
progress when united to stocks of the 
ordinary black bee. But later experiments 
have led to the desirability of dispensing 
altogether with the local bee, as the Italian 
has been found to be more productive, 
giving nearly double the yield of honey. 
In Ceylon, as far as we know, little or 
nothing has been done to make bee-keeping 
popvilar or a general buccsgb, and the object- 
lesson of Trinidad might well be profitably 
followed in the colony, till in time every 
school-garden should have its hive, and the 
local bee-keeper be in general evidence. 
Rubber has naturally engaged the attention 
of the authorities of the Trinidad Botanical 
Department and good progress ia reported. 
In the trial section reserved for observtv- 
tion Castilloa, Hevea and Fiintumia have 
been grown, and it has been found that 
the Funtumia Elaatica gave good rubber 
four and a-half years from planting, while 
Castilloa of the same age was evidently 
immature and of less value. The latex of 
Funtumia also coagulates more easily " as 
it can be prepared by heating in vessels 
over a tire, and besides gives a larger 
percentage of rubber from equal quantities 
of latex," The use of commercial Formalin 
for the purpose of agglutination " promises 
to prove an excellent means of preparing 
rubber of the best quality from rubber 
fluids." It also " acts as a preservative, 
prevents decomposition, and materially 
improves the quality of the rubber." F. dtstica 
grows either in the open or under shade, 
but with shade the growth is more rapid, 
The seed carries better and keeps longer than 
that of Castilloa or Hevea and can be sent by 
post, as a thousand seeds weigh but an ounce. 
Experiments have proved that it is not 
advisable to bleed the rubber tree in dry 
weather, and that the flow is freer in the 
rainy season. An interesting record is made 
regarding one-fifth of an acre planted with 
the yam Dioscorea. The out put was 3,845 
lb., and when the produce was sold, and 
working expenses deducted, there was shown 
a net return at the rate of £17 per acre. 
Onions were also tried— two experiments— 
the first sowing produced at the rate of 
two tons per acre ; the second sowing — 
a fortnight later— is contemptuously dis- 
missed with the remark — " Produced no 
return worth mentioning*" It is evident 
that the man who goes in for onion culture, 
has more than the usual tropical risks, and 
would require to be "very square-headed" 
to succeed. There is much to learn about 
timber trees, spices, fruits, vegetables, to- 
baccos, coffee, cacao and sugarcane in the 
pages of Mr. Hart's Report, and to those 
mterested in Tropical Agriculture, the perusal 
is as profitable as sitting for an hour at the 
feet of an expert who was there to frankly 
tell all he knew. 
AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN THE 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
The Administration Report by the Resi- 
dent-General of the Federated Malay States 
for 1902, gives an interesting and lucid ac- 
count of the present position of agriculture 
in that part of the Mal^y Peninsula. The 
country being pre-eminently suited for rubber 
cultivation, it is only natural that this pro- 
duct should claim the great-^st share of 
attention, both from the Government and 
Planters. Though an export has not yet 
begun, it promises to be on a considerable 
Bi-ale in the near future ; 16,000 acre*, was the 
