ing. In Jamaica, however, where pines are chiefly grown for the 
fresh fruit market and consequently a finer class of pine is required, 
manuring seems to be considered advisable if not necessary. It is 
recommended (Jamaica Bulletin VIII, 1901, p. 139 ) if the sol] 
poor and arid to fork in or plough in a good dressing of farm yard 
manure, when breaking up the soil 6 months or so before planting, 
and give a top dressing of wood ashes after the plants have startec 
to grow. Artificial manures are also largely used by growers in 
the West Indies. In clayey soils the application of lime when 
preparing the ground is found highly beneficial and soils that have 
become exhausted by other crops may be made suitable for pines 
by growing a crop of cow peas and ploughing them in when in 
flower.” 
A Jamaica planter, Mr. SMITH (Jamaica Bulletin \ II, i 9 °o) 
writes on his experience with fertilizer thus; 'The best results 
so far f have obtained have been from 550 lbs. of cotton seed meal 
per acre combined with 100 lbs. of high grade sulphate of potash 
at time of flowering, l do not seem to get any results at all from 
phosphoric acid. Stable manure (from horses) should never be 
used wo YwaAter Wssr thoroughly rotted. The manure from cattle 
may be used with splendid results.” 
Mr. Coi.'SINS in the Jamaica Gleaner Nov. 2, 1903, gives an 
excellent report on (he use of fertilizers in Jamaica of which the 
following extracts are of interest : — 
‘ No results whatever from fertilizers were observed at any 
centre except Clover, near Mandeville, where the results were 
quite striking. 
The Rowington results were not encouraging. It appear* 
likely that after the heavy rains a good deal of surface rooting took 
place and that the plants suffered from scorching when the drought 
followed and the full sun beat down upon them later. 
“On the red soil from the limestone in St. Ann (Huntly), ferti- 
lizers produced no effect. This soil is apparently quite rich enough 
for pines without assistance. 
At Barbican, on the light alluvial .soil of the Upper Liguanea 
plain, fertilizers were quite inoperative. This soil is apparently 
richer than the maximum requirements of the pine in plant food. 
- At Billy Dun, on a similar soil with less humus and exposed 
on a hilly slope to intense heat, fertilizers were alike of no avail ; 
the plants suffered greatly from scorching. 
The experience of the Hon’ble Philip Cork, when he grew 
pines at Barbican, is in agreement with these results. Even enor- 
mous doses of fertilizers proved ineffectual when applied to the 
pines. 
The phosphate fertilizers had absolutely no preventive effect 
on the formation' of “cockscombs” on the United Fruit Company’s 
plantation. 
At Clover, on the red soil of Mandeville, the pines were grate 
