Practical Application
p. 151 · Read in the full issue
Of Advances
In Tropical Agriculture
AUCKLAND, March 10.
THE Cook Islands Director of Agri culture (Mr. Maurice Baker), returning from vacation in Jamaica, gave some details of recent ad vances in tropical agriculture in that area in a February broadcast over Radio New Zealand.
New chemical sprays had been developed there which had the effect of considerably extending the pine apple fruiting season. Used in the Cook Islands they might have the effect of extending the Cooks’ pine apple season from the present brief October-January period to a June- January crop.
The sprays will be tried in the Cooks.
Mr. Baker said that Jamaica’s good harbour facilities permitted the use of inexpensive cardboard shipping cartons. These could not be used in the Cooks, where it was common for produce to be doused with sea-water in the loading operations at reef passages.
Speaking of cocoa, Mr. Baker said that important advances had been made in the propagation pro cess. Where, up to now, much work had been involved in transplanting, it had now been found that “bud ding” methods, as employed with citrus, greatly simplifi ed cocoa growing operations.
Mr. Baker had also studied the coffee industry in Jamaica and found that crops which had been neglected for as long as 30 years were being brought back to full pro duction by correct pruning methods These could be applied in the Cooks to rejuvenate the old plantings.