152 



THE AGllICULTURAL NEAVS. 



May 



1904. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well 

 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



Communications are invited, written on one 

 side of the paper only. It should be understood 

 that no contributions or specimens can, in any 

 case, be returned. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricul- 

 tural News' should be addressed to the Agents, 

 and not to the Department. A complete list of 

 the London and Local agents will be found at 

 foot of page 143 of this volume. 



The 'Agricultural News': Price Id. per 

 number, post free 1 ',i d . Annual subscription 

 payable to Agents 2s. 2d. Post free, 3s. 3d. 



^0ricultural |^leiu!i 



Vol. III. SATURDAY, MAY 7, l'J04. Xo. 54. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



The Utilization of Sea-moss. 



A note ;i])peared on the subject of sea-moss from 

 Anguilla in the Agricvltural iY^ft'.s (Vol. Ill, p. 8) 

 and it was mentioned that a sample had been 

 forwarded to the Imperial Institute for a report as to 

 its possibilities. 



In his report Professor Dunstan states that the 

 two samples (one from Barbados and one from 

 Anguilla) were similar in character to Irish moss, and 

 it was thought tliat they might possibly prove suitable 

 for some of the purjaoses for which the latter is 

 employed. 



The West Indian mosses are le.ss completely 

 soluble in water than Irish moss, especially the sample 

 from Barbados. In regard to gelatinizing power, the 

 sample from Barbados was distinctl}' superior, and 

 that from Anguilla inferior, to Irish moss. Six grains 

 of Anguilla moss, five of Irish, and two of Barbados 

 were recpiired to form a jelly with 100 c. c. of water. 

 Both specimens of West Indian moss yielded a mucil- 

 age which po.ssessed good adhesive properties. 



A firm of brokers, to whom specimens were 

 submitted for valuation, reported that, as far as could 

 be judged from the small sample available, the West 

 Indian mosses were not equal to Irish moss for 

 technical purposes, and that consignments represented 

 by the .samjjle would fetch from lO.s. to 15.«. per cwt. 

 The market ])rice of Irish moss was from 20v-. to .SO-s. 

 according to qnality. It is suggested that consign- 

 ments of several hundredweights of the two mosses 

 should be forwarded in order that the market could be 

 properly tested. 



Cassava Starch. 



In the last issue of the Ajriculfural Xewa 

 (p. 137) reference was made to the presence of acid 

 in cassava starch, and to the results of Professor 

 d'Albuquerque's examination of a sample from Barbados. 

 Professor d'Albuquerque has similarly examined a 

 sample of cassava starch from Dominica, and reported: 

 ' The acidity of this sample by ordinary tests is 

 imperceptible. The delicate method of estimation 

 employed discloses a trace of acidity exceeding!}^ small 

 compared with the best available .samples of arrowroot 

 starch. This is a ver}- carefull}- jirepared starch.' 



Sugar Industries of Hawaii and Trinidad. 



The Siujar Phinter publishes an interview by 

 a representative of a local paper with Mr. W. G. Kay, 

 a sugar planter of Trinidad, who was on a visit to 

 Hawaii for the ])urpose of studying steam cultivation 

 and methods of production generally. Mr. Kay draws 

 an interesting com])ari.son between the two countries 

 as sugar producers. 



Conditions are widely ditferent in Trinidad and 

 Hawaii. In Trinidad planters have to depend entirely 

 upon the rainfall. The average production in Trinidad 

 is 2 tons of sugar to the acre : in Hawaii it is double 

 that amount. The total sugar output of Trinidad is 

 60,000 tons yearly. The cost of production is from 

 $45 to $48 per ton : in Hawaii it is from .^40 to S45. 



Mr. Kay was of opinion that Hawaiian planters go 

 in for more intense cultivation ; the labour-saving 

 devices requiie a minimum of supervision. Triple 

 crushing is the rule in Hawaii, while in Trinidad 

 double rollers are used almost entirel}'. 



Shipments of Cotton from Barbados. 



A return with valuation of 82 bales of cotton 

 shipped froui Barbados on February 2 and JIarch 12 

 last was received by last mail from the British Cotton 

 Growing As.sociation. 



There were 09 bales of Sea Island cotton and 13 

 bales of Egyptian cotton. The average price quoted 

 for the Sea Island cotton was just under 15(/. (30c.) 

 per ft. The highest was 1(3.W. (33c.) per lb; the lowest 

 13(/. (2Gc.) per lb. 



The highest figures, liiil. to ICi*/. per lb., were 

 quoted for a Sea Isl.-ind cotton described as ' clean, 

 bright, well prepared, with fine, long staple.' 



The lowest price was for Sea Island cotton described 

 as ' staple short, coarse and irregular.' 



For Egjptian cotton the highest value quoted was 

 S\d. (17oC.) per lb., described as ' fairly clean, staple 

 irregular but fairl}- strong.' The average for Egyptian 

 cotton was a little over 8'/. (16c.) jier lb. 



Later advices to hand state that of 51 bales of 

 Barbados cotton recently shipped to Manchester the 

 prices w ere as follows : — 



Forty bales of Sea Island cotton sold for 15fZ. to 

 16c?. per It). ; 11 bales of Egyptian cotton sold for 8(7. to 

 10(?. per lb. 



