206 



THE AGEICULTUEAL NEWS. 



June 18, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



Canada. 



The following is Mi: J. Eiis.'^cll Murray's report on 

 the trade in West Indian products in Caniada during 

 the month of April : — 



Business (leveloimient was .slower than anticipatecl, and 

 a cold wave delayed the breaking up of the ice on the river ; 

 as a con.sequence, it was not until the 4th. inst. that the 

 first .steamer reached Montreal. 



WEST iNOi \N i;e( iri;<i( iTv with IANADA. 



This important factor for the devekipiiig of trade cannot 

 be too earnestly taken up among the islands. In the 

 interest of the sugar planters it is of the utmost importance, 

 as it will make an ojiportunity for a reviewing of the sugar 

 duties which are at present entirely in favour of the refiners 

 here. Under jiresent conditions only dark sugars, under 

 16 Dutch Standard, can l:>e ini ported with any prospect of 

 success, while all the fine jellow syrup sugars, white and 

 j-ellow crystals, are entirely e.vduded. Under present 

 conditions, dark sugars 89 degrees basis pay, after allowance 

 for preference, 41c. per 100 ft., while those over IG Dutch 

 Standard have to pay 84c. per 100 ft., which places these 

 sugars at too high a parity of price compared with Canadian 

 sugars, so that the mere question of one or two shades of 

 colour over the IC Dutch Standard precludes practically the 

 same sugar bv an extra dutv of 4-3c. per 100 ft. viz : — 



" ■ ■ B.W.I. B.W.I. 



White Granulated (Canadian) 



$4-20 per 100 ft. 9G deg. Cry.s- Syrups 



tals duty 89deg. 



paid above above 



16 D.S. 16 D.S. 



No. .S Yellow (highest g^ade^ $3-83f 83-46 



$3-33 per 100 ft. 



The removal of this line fif demarkation and the admit- 

 ting of the sugar on the polarization test for duty would 

 mark the adxent of a nuich larger sugar trade for the West 

 Indies with Canada. 



SUliAK. 



The market continues its upward course. The advance 

 during April of 12c. per cwt. for 88 degrees beets for Ajiril 

 and May shipments has enabled refiners to raise prices 

 10c. per 100 ft. during the last ten days. The market 

 remains firm with a goc'd demand. Trinidad, Dcmcrara, 

 Barbados and .Jamaica are points from winch considerable 

 supplies ha^■e been received. The following official returns 

 just received for February .how that Britisji Guiana continues 

 to ship freely, supplying the place of German sugars : — 



190-J. 1904. 



British Guiana ?:347,894 



Germany 8309,191 4,300 



B.W. Indies 35,514 69,310 



MOLASSES. 



Last year's stock- continue to be offered at a reduction 

 of 2 and 3c. per gallon, which, with the reported iirospective 

 heavy crop of Barbados, retard .sales of the present offerings. 

 (Small new arrivals of West Indian are however meeting 

 ready sale in the West. Maritime provinces .still report 

 a continuance of the molasses war which seems to be a ques- 

 tion of trade rivalry between New Brunswick and United 

 fjtates business interest^. Barbados offerings during the first 

 •week of May at 24?,c. duty paid, have not found buyers. 

 Counter offers of 22.',c. have Vieen made by buyers, Imt 

 eelleis declined. 



SPICBS. 



Business has again been quiet during April, 

 weakened, especially in pimento and ginger. 



Prices have 



COCOA-NUTS. 



The last nine days of April and the opening week of May 

 have seen a complete collapse of the cocoa-nut market in New- 

 York. The following which has been taken from the Trade 

 Market Beports will be of interest to .shipper.^ : — 



Tiiniihid. Jamaica. San Bias. 



April -M 831-00 $33-00 84250 



April 2s 821-00 $28-00 838-00 



May 9 817-50 — 829-00 



All our recent arrivals were sold before the market gave 

 away. We anticipate an early recovery, and we shall be glad 

 to hear from planters or shippers who have any cocoa-iuits to 

 offer, stating quantity and price, bags included, f.o.b. for 

 Halifax, or c. & f. Montreal. 



THE SHEEP INDUSTRY IN JAMAICA. 



As briefly announced in a recent issue of the 

 Agricultural N'ews, efforts are being made to develop 

 the shcoji-breeding industry in Jamaica. At a recent 

 meeting of the Agricultural Society it was pointed out 

 that, as a rebate of lO.s-. duty was paid on sheep 

 imported to supply the troops, local breeders were 

 unable to sell their sheep. The following is the report 

 by the Secretary, who was instructed to obtain informa- 

 tion as to the number of fat sheep likely to be for 

 sale : — 



I beg to report that I ha\e received the following 

 information in rcpl}' to my inquiries relative to nundjer of fat 

 sheep available in the island. The response has not been very 

 complete, and lu-obabj)- I have not a note of half the flocks. 

 The Collector-General gives the number of sheep in the 

 island at March 31, 1903, as 16,629, and the lumiber of 

 fat sheep available for market may be taken as one-fifth of 

 this numlier. 



Nearly all the letters received report that because of 

 slow sales breeders are reducing, but that given a good market 

 the}- could keep much larg<.T flocks Many report having to 

 sell as low as 3(/. per ft. live weight in order to get their fat 

 wethers and fat ewes off their hands. In St. Elizabeth even 

 2.','/. I'cr ft is Vicing taken. There is an entire unanimity of 

 ojiinion that the requirements c>f the nnlitary for nuitton 

 could be supiilied easily ; and the St. Ann butchery rcjiort 

 that they tendered for the military contract fully pi-epared to 

 sujiply from local sources all the sheep that would be 

 required. 



In Trelawny, report says that the price of sheep mutton 

 has fallen to 6d. per ft. in the open market, and 7Ul. per ft. 

 delivered at the door. 



The replies received showed a total of 4,651 breeding 

 ewes and 3,592 fat sheeji available now. 



At the meeting at which this report was presented 

 it was pointed out that, as not more than 800 sheep 

 were required eacii year for the troops, there was 

 a thiee years' suji])ly in the island. 



It was eventually decided that representations 

 shoidd bo made to the Colonial Secretary with a view 

 of seeing if some arrangement conid not be made with 

 the military authorities to get the sujiply from the 

 island. 



