36 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 30, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



SEEDLESS LIMES. 



The Bulletin of flu' Bafunicdl Di'jHirt)iH'i)f, 

 Trinidiid, ic'conis tho occunoiicc of a lime tree 

 bearing seedless fruits. The following note is of 

 interest : — 



This has been brought to the notice of the Depaituieut 

 by !Mr. T. J. Potter, ANarden of La Brea, and bud-\vood was 

 handed to Mr. Leslie, Senior Agricultural Instructor. 



Buds have been taken and jilaced upon suitable stocks, 

 and it is hoped soon to secure iiernianently this interesting 

 addition to the fruits of Trinidad. 



Fruits from the tree were examined and found to be of 

 the ordinary size, character and flavour, but entirely seedless. 

 Mr. Potter reports however, that in one instance he found 

 a single seed in a fruit. The tree appears to be of vigorous 

 growth, and likely to be well suited for cultivation in 

 Trinidad. It has the habit and growth of an ordinary lime. 



BARBADOS BANANAS. 



Frequent reference lias been made in these 

 columns to the steady growth in the exports of 

 Chinese or dwarf bananas from Barbados. These are 

 identical with the Canary bananas and when shipped 

 in good condition obtain encouraging prices. If this 

 trade is to become established and prove remunerative 

 to the growers, it will be necessary for them to make 

 great efforts to i)roduce first class iVuit and pack it in 

 the best possible conilition. 



The following extract, taken from the Barbados 

 Agritulfurnl Reporter of January 10, presents the 

 subject in a practical form : — - 



Banana plots look vigorous except where they are 

 crowded by potato.s or other vegetables. Because some of 

 us have not cleared from our Ijanana exportations the 

 extraordinary sums which were obtained in a few instances, 

 they condemn this biisines.s as a failure. But we have been 

 interested in .some shi|)ments and we have .seen that, with 

 attentive cultivation, cutting the fruit at the right stage, 

 and packing carefully, more can be cleared from bananas 

 than is now being cleared from sugar or anything else that 

 we cultivate. Bananas reipiiro moisture and rich soil so as 

 to give large bunches. Because good bunches may be got 

 with little manure, it must not be undeistood that the fine 

 bunches of twelve or thirteen hands, wliich really pay, can be 

 obtained without some exi)enditure and trouble to enrich the 

 soil. 



COCOA-NUT PLANTING IN THE WEST 

 INDIES. 



Tlie following letter from Messrs. Lodcrs iS: Nuco- 

 line, Ltd. (Francis H. Loder, Managing Director,) 

 Cairn Mills, Silvertowo, London, dated January 5, 

 1904, has been received in reference to cocoa-nut 

 planting and obtaining produce of the cocoa-nut palm 

 from the West Indies. It would appear that there 

 is a possibility of a considerable exj)ort trade in these 

 pro<lucts- — 



We are interested in the produce ot the cocoa-nut )iahn, 

 being large buyers of cocoa-nut oil from Ceylon, and at the 

 present time are considering the question of obtaininj; 

 supplies from other quarters of the globe. The Ihitish West 

 Indies have been suggested and Mr. Secretary Lyttleton has 

 reeonnnended us to connnunicate with you. ^^'c .should 

 esteem it a favour, if you would inform us whether the 

 British West Indies present ojiportunities for the cultivation 

 of cocoa-nut jialms suitable for producing cocoa-nut oil of 

 good (juality, and whether such iilantations are already in 

 eiistence or if suitable land could be obtained for laying out 

 plantations. Any further information on the subject of 

 cocoa-nuts would be esteemed. 



WEST INDIAN FERNS. 



The following is a list of West Indian ferns, 

 described by the late George S. Jenman, F.L.8., British 

 Guiana, of which there are no specimens in the 

 Herbarium of the Royal Gardens at Kew. 



The Director wouhl gladly welcome specimens of 

 any of these for the Kew collections : — 



Neplu'odium bibracliiatuni. 

 ,, (lejcctum. 



Purdiaei. 

 mil nigrcsccntiuni, 

 deiulricdluiii. 

 iiiutatuiii. 

 iiimliatum. 

 xipliopteriiidoe- 

 fi>liiuii. 



Acrostichum kaieteurum. 

 Adiantum dissimiilatum. 



,, malalieiise. 



Aspidimii Cliristianae. 

 Asplciiiuiii Harrisi. 

 ,, Fawcetti. 



,, iiiniipducliense. 



,, Peikinsii. 



,, duale. 



Daiiaea iiigrcscens. 

 Davallia Slciaiiei. 

 Hyineiiophylliim kaieteurum. 

 Nephrodiuia negligens. 



,, basiattenuatum. 



,, ninibatuni. 



,, grenadense. 



Pol 



yp' 



,, kiHikeiiaamae. 



,, Harrisi. 



Pteris bulbifera. 



,, inaeqiialis, Jenm. nnii 



Baker. 

 ,, Harrisonae. 

 Trichouianes solitariuni. 



