, 1888-12-19
Barbados.

~ tlC Sit'l ~ w &OIC ~ 1CCOlu ltIo
fall Of some very acceptable showers,
extending over the week, 10th to 10th
inst, since our last summary. These
showers were pretty general throughout
the island. Up to Wednesday this week
was very dry. the sun during the day
being extremely hot. Yesterday, however,
about + O'Clock, there was a fine shower
III Town, and We hear OF some rains also
IN 81. James and st. Thomas; but these
were not general. True, the nights nave
been dellCiOuSIy cool, and attended with
the fall OF heavy ueWS; but these do not
an Ord sufficient moisture for the canes
at thlS period OF their growth. Octohrr
this year has proved the GrIeSt October
on record for upwards of a quarter OF a
century. And, as wei known, October
and November are the two months Of the
year when Planters look for rapid growth
and vigorous punching in the growing
canes. Their expectations on this head
have not been realised, and it is SCARCELY
TOO early to prOphe,y thu, according to
the opinions Of those who know a thing
or two, the comparatively dry weather
of these TWO months viii cause something
like Il difference on the minus side of
10000 hhdS, in the estimate which was
formed at the end Of September Of the
next crop. OF course, it is yet possible,
and a thing devOuliY to he hoped for,
that the Island may ue blessed vItn
favourable OnOt yey nravy) rains for the
balance OF the year, ard january next
year. In that case the estimated dItfpr.
'nce We have mentioned Will be miuimiz-
ed. AS a matter of fact. however. the
drought of October has, from a variety
OF causes, had Il varied effect in different
places. In the deep clay lands Of the
valleys, where the soil was thoroughly
saturated with the rains Of July, August,
and September, and where the canes
were so advanced as to cover the banks
aud check evaporation, the want ct
moisture has been scarcely felt. But. of
COURSE, his does not necessarily imply,
aud, indeed, has not been accompanied
with, that growth Of the canes which as
a rule characteristics the month Of Oct Der.
In the lighter black soils the canes
ShOweC symptoms of exhaustion, and
the showers we have had as vet this
month were not a ht TOO soon to refresh
and reinvigoratp them. But even IN the
thin black soils, az in st. Philips parish,
the canes have in some places held
wonderfully We'll and this is attributed
principally to their somewhat forward con
ditiOn, arising from earlier planting, which
udS Oeeu lne means or a1Ordlng shade and
preventing evaporation. On the whole,
the drought OF This October has made
good the old saying. that backward canes
suffer much from The want of rain during
that month. And This has been particulars
ly noticeable in the elevated parishes
OF st. Thomas and st. John. In ST.
Thomas, where the canes were thick
and forward, they rather benefited tt an
suffered from the falling off in the rainfall;
whereas, i'll ST. John, the canes, where
they were not so advanced as in st.
Thomas, suffered very much in conse.
Quence of the dry weather. Everywhere,
az regards ratoons which sprung from canes
cut late last reaping season, they showed
visible signs of the want of rain. 1t
thus appears that our planters have
had the valuable lesson taught them.
of the benefit OF early preparation and
planting. From the authenticated Re
ports sent in from the various parishes
we gather that the most serious mischief
has been 0ccaSi0ued by The recent drought
among the small patches of canes of the
labOrers, and of the small landowners.
This has necesSitated, in not a few of
these cases. the cutting of these small