196 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



June 18, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



CRATES FOR BARBADOS BANANAS. 



The following is an extract from a letter from 

 Messrs. Pink & Sons to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture for the West Indies, dated May 2, 1904., 

 dealing with the matter of suitable crates for Barbados 

 bananas : — 



The object of shippers is, I take it, to economize room 

 on board ship. If the growers were to be a little more 

 careful about the size of the crates, it would make all the 

 •difference. For instance, in the last cargo. No. 86 packed 

 a bunch weighing 56 lb. in a crate, 2 feet ?> inches by 11 

 inches, which arrived in splendid condition. This was a most 

 neat package, just large enough and not too large. Again 

 No. 77 sent a bunch weighing 69 lb. in a crate, .3 feet by 

 1 foot 5 inches, which was about 6 inches too long and 3 inches 

 too wide at the least. I regret to say most of the bananas 

 are packed in these large crates, whereas smaller crates would 

 cost less and take much less room, while the bananas 

 themselves would arrive in an equally good condition. 



If you would compare the crates sent from the West 

 Indies with the crates sent from the Canary Islands, the 

 difference in size is very marked. The West Indian crates 

 not only require much more space on board the ship, but 

 they take up much more store-room at this end. Another 

 matter is the strength of the crate. One shiiiper packs his 

 •double bunches in pinewood crates, which will not stand the 

 carriage of delivery to our store and then to our customers. 

 It is true the fruit he sends is excellent ; but his crates will 

 not stand the weight. They require to be made of a tough 

 wood that will not split. It is noticed that one shipper packs 

 his fruit in crates that never break. The wood in this 

 instance is light but strong. 



CITRUS SEEDLINGS VERSUS GRAFTS. 



A correspondent writing in the X<ifnl AjricuUtmd 

 Journal of Ai)ril 22 refers to the ditticulties in getting 

 suitable stocks for grafting citrus trees. Seedling lemons 

 have a very .short life while seedling oranges appear to do 

 ■well ; this grower is therefore trying sweet orange stock. 

 He fully realizes the advantages of grafts over seedlings, the 

 principle of which, in his opinion, is that the graft bears two 

 or three j'ears earlier than the seedling. 



In reijly to this corresponflent, the Conservator of Forests 

 remarks: ' "Citrus" practically answers his own question. 

 He claims that seedling lemons die off in his district in a few 

 yeans, but implies that seedling oranges live into a fruiting 

 condition. If .so, then seedling sweet orange is the stock to 



use in his case. All the citrus kinds work more or less 

 successfully upon one another ; the difhculty is to find out 

 which stock suits the soil and conditions of drought or 

 irrigation.' 



But it is also pointed out that the different citrus trees 

 vary considerably in their requirements, which must be fully 

 understood by the grower. ' The seedling which thrives as 

 an unworked .seedling at any place is the one to use there 

 as a stock for others.' 



In addition to the advantage mentioned above of early 

 fruiting, there is a still greater advantage in that a fruit of 

 known and marked quality can be perpetuated, for with 

 seedlings the fruit is of an uncertain, and almost always poor 

 quality. 



ARBOR DAY. 



Nevis. 



The following is a brief summary of the report of 

 the Sub-comuiittee of the Nevis Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society appointed for the purpo.se of 

 making arrangements for celebrating Arbor Day in 

 that island: — 



That the King's birthday, November 9, be fi.'ced for 

 Arbor Day. 



That the managers of schools be invited to associate in 

 the undertaking 



That the teachers be requested to endeavour to interest 

 their children in the matter. 



That a definite programme of the following nature be 

 carried out: — At a fi.xed hour the scholars and teachers assemhle 

 at their respective schools and a short address be given by 

 the manager or the teacher on the utility of planting and after- 

 wards caring for useful and ornamental trees. The childrea 

 will then Ije marched to the spot chosen for planting. On 

 arriving at the spot the trees will be planted systematically, 

 and the ceremony concluded with addres.ses and the .singing 

 of the National Anthem. 



Stock eating the Bark of Trees, :^^r. J. H. 



Crouch, Eugowra, writes in the Agricultural Gazntte of Xeio 

 South Wales: — 'I have noticed cattle <at times, but more 

 fre(|uently horses, gnawing the bark off the tree,s for the last 

 twenty-five years. I cannot .say for a fact why they eat the 

 bark, but am of opinion it is for want of salt, and when my 

 stock take to bark-eating I give them salt, and notice they 

 leave off" almost at once.' 



