, 1892-11-05
TIL {: AVIS
Chcistiaasted, St, Cceix,
Saturday, End November 1892.

Attention has been called more than once of
late to the island Of Barbados as O place
where the cultivation of the sugar cane has
been carried to q high degree Of perfection,
and in comparing it with Santa Cruz, it has
been pointed out that the island enjoys on the
average a better supply of moisture than does
our own. 1t is said that while we have on the
average ali annual fall Of 80 lines, or about
As English inches, Barbados has about 100
llnes more, say about IS inches. We take this
statement from the pamphlet onCane Manures
published bv the Government of Santa Cruz
some months ago, and presume that it is
based on reliable Information. tbs year the
difference between the two islands must be
very much greater than what is above stated,
for while We have been suffering from a def
cient rainfall, Barbados has been getting I'M
usual heavy rains. 1t il possible, however, to
have too much of a good thing, even 80 good q
th;1g as rain, and that has been the case this
year with Barbados. In the AgricultNrGE Re
porter of 2lst October. Just to hand, we find
it stated that there had been less rain during
the previous fortnight than for some time, and
that the sunshine had been rather a benefit
than otherwise, as, owing to the excessive wet
of the previous month, the canes were not as
healthy or as forward as one would have ex-
pected after the heavy rainfall. This is con-
hrmed by the correspondents writing from the
different parts Of the island. From one place
we read The canes in many fields ale not
what the general public expect from the guam
tity Of rain which has fallen, and that is just
why they are not for many soils the rain
has been too much Ly a long way. and instead
of health and , igor we. have lack of vitality,
as evidenced by the color of the leaves, and
in some cases, positive p~uniness. Taking it
all round, however, we will III this dis
trct make fair crops l think, but bum
per crops mast not be crpeCted." Another
correspondent Whites :-"Ihe canes in the
parish are green, but not so forward as they
should be, in fact some of them are very far
behind hand, and will not come up to the e,-
pectations formed Of them" A third writes
1.-THE canes throughout the parish have very
much improved during the last 2 months.
Some estates on the lowlands have very fine
crops. On others, While there is marked i'm
provement, they yet seem to be suffering
from the effects Of too much moisture, and are
not as full in the bunch as they should be. I
am sorry to have to report that the Borer is
still very prevalent. On may estates the dis
eased canes, have been Systematically cut out
four times, and yet there ale many with dry
lopS W oe ooeH us one passes ny the Htlus.
Most Of the other reports refer more or less
strongly to the injury done by the excessive
wet. TheSt. Andrew correspondent, however,
says that it is astonishing how green and
vigorous the canes keep, notwithstanding the
very heavy weather experienced in June, and
he attributes this i'll part to the liberal appli.
cation Of foreign manure, without which, he
thinks, only a poor return could be expected
from the heavy soils.
The average rainfall for October down to
the date of publication does not appear to have
been much greater than what we had in Santa
Cruz but while wa we're looking hopefully to
the skies for a b%ountifnl supply Of moisture
and We're disappointed that it did not come,
the BarbadianS were rejoicing that it held off;
they had already had mopo than enough.
Some Of Mr.. Paul's school boys, aided by a