2U 



THE AGRICULTUrvAL NEWS. 



July 30, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT IN LONDON. 



We extract the following from the Wci-t India 

 Commlttue Circular of July .5: — 



A feature of the baiKjuet given by Mr. Lytteltoi; at tlie 

 Colonial Ottiee on the occasion of the celebration of tlie 

 King's Birtliday, on June 24, was a selection of West 

 Indian fruit, ])re.sente(l by the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Ai'riculture. This consisted of a fine bunch of Barbados 

 bananas, and a selection of Smooth Cayenne jiine-apiiles grown 

 in the island of Dominica. The Barbados bananas are 

 a special sort and are sent over carefully jiacked in cotton 

 wool in wooden crates. The fla\our is said to be superior to 

 that of any other bananas that reach this country. 



The jiine-apples were greatly appreciated ami their com- 

 mercial value is shown by the fact that Messrs. George Monro, 

 Ltd., who recently .sold two crates, reiiorted that it was the best 

 fruit they had so far received from the West Indies, and tliat 

 if similar fruit, carefully packed .so as to protect both the 

 crown and fruit, were regularly shipped from the West Indies, 

 a good trade might be done in them. Of the first consign- 

 ment, above referred to, every fruit arrived in excellent 

 condition and fetched an average net price of 4s. each. 



At the dinner given in his honour by the West Indian 

 Club on June 22, Sir Daniel Morris presented a fine sample 

 of litchi fruit from the West Indies. This is a native of 

 China and is highly esteeTued, po.ssibly next to the mango.s- 

 teen, for flavour and delicacy. So far, the litchi has not 

 been exported from the West Indies, although tine large trees 

 are to be found in some of the islands. The fruit successfully 

 brought over by the donor was grown under the care of 

 Mr. J. H. Hart, F.L.S., at the beautiful Botanic Gardens at 

 Trinidad. Mr. Hart mentions that this is only the third 

 time in seventeen years that the Trinidad trees liave fruited. 

 Possibly by a system of skilful control and irrigation the trees 

 may be induced to become more pi-olific ar.d jn'oduce regularly 

 large crops of o)ie of the most delicious fruits of the tropics. 



GATHERING PINE-APPLES. 



With regard to the article on 'Gathering fruit for 

 market,' reprinted in the Agricultural News (Vol. Ill, 

 p. 212) from the Bulletin of the Department <if Af/ri- 

 eultnre, Jamaica, Mr. J. H. Hart, F.L.S., writes from 

 Trinidad a.s follows: — 



The recommendations of the writers in reference to 

 jiine-apples are contrary to my experience. 



They write : Do vol cut the steiUS but break off laeh 

 i-Ioge up to the base of the fruit. 



1 should ad\ise : — 



Cut the stems carefully dose up to the base of the fruit, 

 in the same way as oranges are treated, and do not break 

 out the stem as it is apt to cause injury to the fruit and 

 cause rapid decay. 



As this is a point in regard to which opinions of 

 practical men a|)pear to be contradictory, it would be 

 of interest if pine-apple growers would give the results 

 of their experience in this connexion. 



CONSUMPTION OF BANANAS 

 UNITED STATES. 



IN THE 



The United States Manthly t'onsidar liejiorts 

 for March 1!)04 gives the following statistics showing 

 the value of bananas declared for export to the United 

 States during the fi.scal years ended June 30, 1902 and 

 1903, respectively :— 



To Refine Bees'-wax. Melt the wax in a jar, and 

 put into it jiowdered nitrate of soda (Chili salt[)etre) in tlie 

 liro[iortion of 1 oz. to 1 lb. of wax. Afterwards add, by 

 degrees, 2 oz. to 1 Itj. of sulphuric acid, diluted with ten 

 times its weight of water, keeping the wax warm, and 

 stirring the while. Let it stand a shoit time, and then till 

 up the jar with hot water and allow the whole to cool. The 

 wax should then be white. Afterwards wash with water to 

 remove any nitric acid which )nay remain, as it would make 

 the wax yellow. There is a slight dittereuce observable in 

 the (piality during refining or bleaching. (Queensland 

 Agricultural Journal.) 



