, 1896-12-23
BARBADOS NEWS.
agricultural Reporter 9th Nous

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The weaifer is decidedly juicy, The total
rainfall for the n 18th to 9ate lbeing not less
han 10 inches Should it continue the total
H. Cor No .nber will not be less than %
inches, perhaps 2 fit. Such a prodigious
rainfall cn not but have q decided influence
OH our agricultural prospects; indeed, it must
affect MS materially both as regards the grow
ing crop, and that which is about to be
planted. Planters like Doctors disagree and i.
estimate effects differently. For the most
part they are now chiefly occupied in grum-
bling at the damage done to their prepara-
ton fields by the water and the extra'ex-
pense accustomed. However, there is always
compensation. The planting season. Gan be.
extended; al experience seems to show chat
the, dark varieties now in fiShIOnsd do best
When late pladed. The soil is So saturated
that very light showers will be suficient.to
keep up moisture for weeks to come. Some
of the very bet and most prom sing fields
of Burke and White Transporter TINT are
now under vigorous growth an. with few
arrows, were planted, or extensive supplied,
in February and March Of - "sent year.
AS we Lave before inumated ratooning
parishes like st. George Will probably do.
better with their late spring of white. Trans.
parent ratoons than with itheir first crop Of
similar variety. Experience alone oan lie,
termine whether it is better to plant these
varieties late and then leave them to ',tkem-
selves, or early, cut down the, forward
growth, and thus obstain a late but bunshier
stool; by either method maturity ut the ar
rowing season might be ar'iicially restrained.
There els ne reason Why Cart. should not
change tendencies. and, by interfering with
its powers, encourage the plant to spend
: some of it's super1uOus reproductive vigour
: il gathering sugar.
The planter has plenty of time on his hands
for oogitating weighty agricu' raj points,
for ct rain it Iaineth every day, but at
NIGHT it poureth;'" his fields are in the wash
and. all Les has TO do is to wait and think.
One of the problems of the ssqson will be
how to provide plants. Experience has
taught lis that in this Island at least the juicy
plant cut from the top enl of the cane is the
most reliable; it springs not merely from the
eyes but also sends up q strong central shoot.
This was the favourite plant III the old
Bourbon non-arEowing days, apa the supply
was always equal to the demand, but now
the--freely arTQwklg varieties nave changed
all that; they yield very few'top-p plants and
therefore pieces Of cane arei vogue. Thesf5
however, have proved themselvl to be very
unreiiable-they die Wholesale; and last years
supplying amounted to rep..nting. The
energetic ana ohservant manager If RowanS
planto' n has very successfully cepsed with
T. difficulty. BY way of experiment he
painted a dozen arrow tops, of these eleven
grew, and at present he has ~, acre of fine
canes thus planted. Que would think that
she arrow cane, into which nature. has infused
reproductive energy. would make the bsst
plant, but OF. ga ..a,hers th~1ght differ
entity, anG y have pi"' ly' followed their
lead. The SUE es obtained at feouans with
arro% plants solves a difficulty snd is of
acoIomic va e; these plants, it should be
rehem bered, eqGire worry careful handling
not being SO ell sheatlet MS the top plant:
the. eyes and ,ile. shoots are easily injured
or broken of.
Seeing is ! .lieving, end perhaps those Of