122 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Aug.  1,  1896. 
hand  suHicient  temporary  shade,  until  the  young 
trees  get  well  rooted  and  have  grown  largo  enough 
to  form  their  own  shade  by  the  extension  of  their 
branches  in  close  contact  with  each  other. 
For  this  purpose,  bananas  and  plantains  might 
be  thickly  planted  together  the  preceding  season, so 
that  thei-e  would  bo  an  abundance  of  shade  for  Uie 
young  coffee  and  cacao  when  they  are  ready  for 
their  permanent  places,  and  thereby  protected  for 
the  dry  season. 
When  the  primary  shade  is  establishea  the  young 
plants— the  larger  ‘ the  better— should  be  planted 
out  at  the  beginning  of  the  planting  season,  so 
that  every  be  tiiken  of  favourable  wcatlier 
and  the  chances  of  failure  reduced  to  the  lowest  pos- 
sible degree.  . 
The  Government  are  willing  to  encourage  the  in- 
troduction of  cacao  and  coiTee  into  Carriacou  and 
would  allot  plants  for  this  purpose  gratuitously,  pro- 
viding that  the  iuital  expenses  of  freight  and  pack- 
ing be  borne  by  those  desirous  of  making  the  ex- 
periment, and  also  that  suitable  shade  plants  had 
Len  established  the  previous  season.  Forking  the 
ground  before  planting  is  recommended,  and  during 
the  dry  season,  independent  of  shade  plants,  the 
chances  of  success  would  possibly  be  greater  if  the 
ground  was  thickly  covered  on  the  surface  by  trash 
formed  of  dried  tig  leaves  cut  into  convenient  lengths: 
stable  manure,  if 'available,  would  be  better  still,  or 
in  fact  any  kind  of  partially  decayed  rubbish  hud 
on  the  surface  would  be  better  than  none.  The 
reason  for  applying  a covering  or  coating  on  the 
surface  of  the  soil  between  and  round  the  plants  is 
to  prevent  the  soil  Iroin  becoming  too  dry.  This 
process  keeps  the  soil  “cool”  under  normal  ciivuin- 
stances.  By  loosening  the  ground  during  the  growing 
season,  and  covering  the  soil  over  as  advised  during 
the  dry  season,  it  would  be  nothing  extraordinary 
to  expect  success  with  coffee  and  cacao  at  Oairiacou. 
TTnfoi-tnnatcly,  Parasol  Ants  exist  there,  though 
absent  from  Grenada. 
Appearances  suggest  that  pine  apple  cultivation 
would  siieceed  at  Carriacou.  These  might  be  grown  in 
large  quantities  for  export. 
MlNOlt  AOlUGUI-TUU.vn  lUtODUCTS. 
7.  By  direction  of  the  Government,  a report  was 
written  by  the  Curator  on  the  Minor  Agricultural 
Products  of  Grenada,  for  the  Government  of  British 
Guiana,  during  the  mouth  of  August.  In  oonnee- 
tion  with  this  matter,  I beg  to  thank  the  Hon. 
James  Paterson,  lion  D.  S.  Del’Teitas,  and  Mr. 
George  Whitfield  Smith  for  ready  and  willing  assis- 
tance in  replying  to  questions  1 addressed  to  them 
on  the  subject. 
rr.ANT  sAt.r.s. 
8.  Wc  have  this  year  only  realized  about  half  as 
much  in  cash  as  wliat  wo  did  the  year  previous, 
the  sales  amounting  to  htty  pounds  (kfiO).  Jhit  wo 
have  on  the  other  hand  more  than  trebled  in  valve. 
■ exchanges  to  that  of  IB'.IJ,  for  \yhile  in  the  latter 
year  a sum  of  thirty  four  pounds  sixteen  shillings 
and  cloven  pence  (£81.  Iti.  11.)  stood  to  the  credit 
of  exchanges,  we  this  year  can  show  for  a similar 
imrposc  one  hundred  and  hftecn  pounds  ten  shillings 
and  five  pence  (.£11.'5.  10.  5). 
Charges  for  coffee,  cacao,  kola,  pmd  nutmeg  plants 
have  been  reduced  by  consent  of  the  Government, 
and  this,  considered  in  conjunction  with  the  genoial 
depression  existing,  accounts  in  no  small  degree  for 
the  smaller  sale  of  plants.  To  show  that  plants  are 
not  grown  on  any  principle  of  rerimneration  at  the 
Garden,  it  might  be  necessary  only  to  mention  that 
coffee  and  cacao,  irrespective  of  size,  are  disposed 
of  at  the  rate  of  forty  cents  (1/8)  per  hundred  plants 
if  in  boxes,  eight  cents  (4d.)  extra.  Boxes  are 
only  sold  at  cost  price.  Making  money  is  not  so 
much  the  object  in  view  by  soiling  jilants,  etc.,  at 
the  Garden,  i s by  increasing  the  distribution  of  good 
qualities  of  agiicuitural  and  horticultural  plants,  by 
e.xchange. 
I-ROPOSKn  AOIlIOUI.TiniAI.  SCIIOO',. 
11  This  scheme  initiated  by  the  Governor  has 
fallen  through,  for  the  present  at  all  events,  for 
want  of  support  and  cncoimigomont.  It  was  His  Ex- 
cellency’s wish  to  attach  boys  to  the  Imtamc  G uPcn 
where  they  might  be  taught  practical  subjects  in  re- 
lation to  iigriculturc  and  horticulture,  which  could  not 
fail  to  bo  of  benefit  to  tliem  as  future  planters  or  small 
peasant  proprietors.  It  was  proposed  to  pay  them  at 
the  rate  of  seven  pence  (7d.)  per  day. 
UKCARIA  GAMBIER. 
1;-).  The  Dil’ector  of  the  Boyal  Gardens,  Kew,  has 
sent  us  on  different  occasions  seeds  of  this  tanning 
plant,  but  up  to  the  present  time  we  have  not  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a single  seed  to  germinate, 
altliough  we  have  tried  it  under  different  conditions, 
as  well  as  following  out  the  Kew  circular  instruc- 
tions as  to  how  to  grow  it  from  seeds.  It  is  how- 
ever, on  record  that  seeds  germinated  once  in  this 
Garden,  but  died  off  wmeu  only  an  inch  or  two  in  height. 
It  would  be  interesting  to  learn  of  the  successful 
fruiting  of  the  Dominica  and  Trinidad  plants  which 
were  reported  to  be  doing  well  sometime  ago.  The 
chances  are,  if  these  fruited,  plants  could  be  raised, 
as  the  seeds  would  then  be  obtained  and  sown  im- 
mediately with  the  further  advantage  of  being  accli- 
matized. 
COFFEE. 
11.  The  Arabian  and  Liberian  have  continued  to 
do  well.  From  the  Arabian  trees  which  were  grown 
from  seeds  of  the  true  Blue  Mountain  coffee  of 
Jamaica  that  were  received  direct  from  the  colony 
ill  the  first  instance,  an  excellent  crop  of  cher- 
ries was  picked  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
year,  and  the  seeds  sown  for  propagating  pur- 
poses. 
This  is  another  3’ear’s  proof  that  the  Arabian 
varieties  do  well  at  or  near  sea  level  in  Grenada. 
Upon  the  Waltham  Estate  in  the  parish  of  St. 
John’s,  one  of  the  properties  of  the  Hon.  Macaulay 
Browne,  it  is  reported  upon  good  authority  that  it 
does  there  rem.arkibly  well,  although  close  to  the 
sea.  Some  of  the  Liberian  at  the  end  of  the  year 
had  cherries  upcu  them  which  were  advancing  to 
the  stage  of  maturity.  These  are  now  but  slightly 
shaded  with  young  samau  trees,  and  banana  piants. 
It  is  evident  from  observations  made  at  the  Garden, 
very  little  sliade  indeed  is  required  for  coffee  plants 
that  have  attained  the  age  of  three  or  four  years. 
Were  it  not  for  the  dry  season,  shade  cotild  be 
entirely  dispensed  with.  Shade  .trees  often  harbour 
insect  piests  which  attack  the  coffee,  and  from  the 
frequent  dropping  of  branches  injury  is  also  done 
to  the  coffee  trees  by  breaking  and  splitting  off  the 
living  branches.  A vigorous  growing  coffee  tree  bear- 
ing large  very  dark  green  leaves,  and  a crop  of 
large  cherries  in  the  Inberian  coffee  plantation, 
answers  well,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  description  given 
in  “New  Commercial  ITants  and  Drugs,”  No.  7, 
Christy,  Loudon,  1881,  for  the  Maragogipe  Coffee 
of  Brazil.  The  seeds  will  be  sown  when  ready,  so 
that  we  may  be  enabled  at  a later  date  to  offer 
plants  for  distribution  to  planters.  The  three 
CoJI'ea  .‘tfenophjiUa  plants  are  at  a standstill.  A 
fottrth  kind  of  coffee  growing  at  tlio  Garden  was 
presented  to  us  rluviiigthe  year  by  Mr.  John  McPbail, 
St.  John’s,  under  the  name  of  “ Menuda.”  Mr. 
McPbail  obtain  this  variety  from  the  Trinidad  Gar- 
dens during  Mr.  Prestoe’s  time. 
A Coffee  Commission  composed  of  the  lion.  D.  S. 
Do  Freitas  (chairman),  Mr.  A.  Hess,  Mr.  G.  E.  St. 
George,  Mr.  H.  LaMotbo,  Mr.  G.  SYhittield  Smith, 
with  Mr.  Sejitimus  Wells  as  Secretary,  was  instituted 
by  the  Governor  during  the  yt  ar,  in  the  interests  of 
agriculture.  Sittings  were  held  in  each  of  the  parishes 
to  collect  information  from  planters,  and  tlicir  de- 
liberations are  to  appear,  it  is  understood,  in  a volu- 
minous report  early  in  the  ensuing  year.  M'ithout 
anticipating  the  Commissioners’ report,  it  is  worthy  of 
notice  that  persona  have  become  aroused  over  the 
coffee  question,  and,  in  consequence,  the  supply  of 
young  plants  has  fallen  short  of  the  demands.  " \\o 
are  making  strenuous  efforts  at  the  G.irdon  in  pic- 
paving  ourselves  to  meet  a reasonable  demand  for 
plants  wlien  next  planting  season  comes  round. 
SU'II.V  I.EMON. 
17.  At  the  request  of  His  Excclloiicy  the  Go- 
vernor, seeds  and  plants  of  this  commercial  lemon 
were  procured  with  tlio  view  of  propagating  it 
m quantity.  Nono  of  tlio  seeds  germinated. 
