Vol. III. No. 45. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



13 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



Cocoa-nut Meal and Molascuit in Canada. 



The following letter, addressed by the Commis- 

 sior.er of Customs at Ottawa to Mr. J. Russell Murra}', 

 Agent for this Department in the Dominion of Canada, 

 is of interest : — 



Ottawa, Xovember 28, 1903. 



I liave tlie honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 

 letter, of the 1-lth. instant, to the Hon'ble Minister of Customs 

 in regard to the free entry of cocoa-nut meal and molascuit 

 when produced in the British West Indies and imported into 

 Canada. 



In reply I am to state that cocoa-nut meal is admitted 

 to free entry under item No. 559 of the taritF as palm nut 

 meal. 



You state that molascuit is the fibre of the sugar-cane 

 after it has passed through the crushing mills, then 

 mixed with a low grade molasses and prepared for stock 

 feeding. 



Under the Customs Tariff of 1897, the duty on this 

 article (molascuit), composed as above stated, would be 20 per 

 cent, ail valorem, subject to a rebate of one-third of the above 

 duty under the preferential taritt', when produced, in and 

 imported direct from, the British West Indies. 



An Act of Parliament would be necessary to change the 

 duty in this case, and I am unable to state what action 

 Parliament may be inclined to take in the matter. 



I may point out, however, that under the tariff as 

 it stands now, the British West Indies have a tariff preference 

 •of 6f per cent, in their favour, as against foreign competitors, 

 in respect of molascuit imported into Canada. 



If the article were placed on the free list, this tariff 

 advantage in favour of the 73ritish West Indian product 

 would disappear. 



I have, etc., 



(Sgd.) .lOHN McDOUGAL, 



Conunissioner of Customs. 



West Indian Products in Canada. 



The following extracts from a report by Mr. J. 

 Russell Murray, Agent of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture at Montreal, on West Indian business in 

 Canada, dated December 7, 1903, will be of interest to 

 growers in the West Indies : — 



Cocoa-nuts : All grades of West Indian nuts are of ready 

 sale if up to the standard of 3f inches in diameter and 

 weighing not less than HO tt). per bag of 100 nuts. We 

 can place a contract of 200 to -100 bags per month. 



Jamaicas, |28 to $30 per 1,000, duty paid in Montreal. 



Cacao: Offerings of new crop will now find market. 

 Demand steady and prices in sympathy with New York. 



Trinidad, lie. to 15c. per lb. ; Grenada, 13c. to 13|c. 



Coffee : Market continues to advance and fair business 

 is being transacted for all grades. 



West Indian, 12c. per lb. ; Jamaica, 8c. for ordinary 

 ■and 10c. for fair to good. 



Sui/ar: The markets are flat owing to a general 

 holding back of business in the United States until the 

 Cuban reciprocity treaty is passed. No large lots have 

 «,rrived in Montreal during the last two weeks. 



Molasses : Market continues firm owing to short supplies 

 ■of New Orleans, and prices have advanced Ic. to lie per 



gallon. Barbados may be cjuoted to-day at 42c. to 47c. 

 (inland cities). 



Jlolascnit : During the coming crop every effort should 

 be made to develop this jiroduct. There will be a large 

 market for it in Canada, and I should be glad to arrange 

 contracts for producers. Samples of this product from 

 Demerara have created a most favourable impression among 

 the stock-farming interests. 



AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



Barbados. 



The Annual Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition of 

 the Barbados Agricultural Society was held at Harrison 

 College on December 21. Owing to the very inclement 

 weather which prevailed on the three or four days preceding 

 the Show, the exhibits were not as numerous as in previous 

 years, but were on the whole of comparatively high equality. 



The Imperial Dejjartment of Agriculture ottered three 

 special prizes of f 5'00 each, namely : — 



For the best collection of fruit. 

 For the best collection of meals. 

 For the best collection of vegetables. 



Ten 'Diplomas of Merit' of the Department were offered, 

 of which six were awarded as follows : — 



Yams Castle Grant plantation. 



Pepers (fresh) Mr. Francis Ly thcott. 



Grape fruit Castle Grant plantation. 



Muscatel Grapes ... Mv. Jas. T. Ijourne. 



Cured and Pickled 



Hams and Bacon ... The Zenith Packing Company. 



Salted and Pickled 



Fish Mr. G. W. Hunt. 



The stud Anglo-Nubian billy ' Black Rock' and the 

 Toffenburg billy ' Bruce,' imported by the Department with 

 the object of improving the local breed of goats, were on 

 show and attracted much attention. 



As usual the good quality of the ground provisions and 

 vegetables was one of the striking features of the Exhibition. 

 Another point of interest in connexion with this show was 

 the exhibit of specimens of local minor industrial products — 

 cured hams and bacon, biscuits, oleomargarine and preserved 

 fish ready for export. It is to be hoped that these minor 

 industries may so develop as not only to decrease the number 

 and value of the imports in their respective lines, but to 

 build up an export trade with the neighbouring colonies*. 



Forthcoming Shows. 



Arrangements are being made for the holding of 

 the following Shows under the auspices of the Imperial 

 Dejaartnient of Agriculture : — 



Antigua: February 1904. 



Barbados : The Local Industrial Exhibition and Show 

 of Stock for Peasant Proprietors will be held at Lower 

 Estate, St. ]\tichael, on .January 12, 1904. 



Dominica : Sixth Annual Show to be held in February 

 1904. 



Jlontserrat : The Fourth Annual Show, under the 

 auspices of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, will be 

 held in the JIarket during the month of February 1904. 



St. Vincent: It is proposed to hold an Agricultural 

 Show on March 10 next. 



