Vol. III. No. 61. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



269 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



Drugs and Spices in the London Market. 



The following is Mr. J. R. Jackson's report on the 

 London drug and spice market for the month of 

 -June : — ■ 



Extreme quietiies.s and, in some weeks, a deciiled dull- 

 jie.ss, have again characterized the markets, a condition that, 

 in view of tlie siunnier liolidays wliicli at the tinu- of writing 

 Lave commenced, is not likely to imiirove till autumn again 

 sets in. Oi all drugs eamiihor is perhaps the most carefully 

 watched, but still remains dejiressed. 



With regard to West Indian products, the following 

 notes will show that (piantities and prices have been ipiite 

 normal : — 



SAESAPAEILLA. 



At the sale on June 2, Mexican was reported scarce 

 Loth in London and New York. The arrixals in London 

 were stated to include -52 packages of grey Jamaica, 14 

 of Lima and 9 of red native. Honduras was in fair 

 demand, 1.5. 'M. per lb. being asked for good ; Is. Id. for 

 ■ordinary and Is. for common rough. A week later when the 

 52 packages of grey .Jamaica were jnit upon the market, 

 they were disposed of at from 9(/. to Is. per lb. according to 

 <iuality, sea-damaged fetching SIJ.; fair Lima sold at from 

 \0d. to l\d., and native .Jamaica from Id. to Sd. ; fair red, 

 10'7. and pale reddish, 9c?. At the last sale prices had 

 somewhat improved, grey Jamaica being quoted at l.s. to 

 Is. 2d.: good Lima at l\d. to Is., and good Honduras at 

 Is. 3(/. per lb. 



GINGER. 



At the first sale of the month, on the 8th., a large 

 ■fjuantity of Jamaica was offered. A small proportion of this 

 .sold at rates from -t.5s. to iSs. for qualities including good ; 

 ordinary dark fetching from 32s. to 33s. ; good small cut 

 Cochin was bought in at 3.5s., and good bold Calicut at 30s. ; 

 fair washed Cochin sold at 18s. 6'/. to 19s., and cuttings at 

 l-ts. 6d. to 15s. ; small mixed Japan was sold without 

 reserve at 17s., and mouldy at l-os. to 1.5s. 6d. A week 

 later, when .523 barrels of Jamaica were offered, somewhere 

 about half the quantity was disposed of at lower price.s, the 

 quotations being 44s. Gd. to 45s. for good ; 41s. to 4.3s. 6(7. 

 for fair washed ; 36s. 6(7. to 40s. for medium dullish, and 

 32s. to 35.S. for ordinary to ordinary dullish. At the same 

 sale 120 packages of Cochin were offered, and 27 sold at the 

 following rates : 31s. for small, inedium and Iwld cut ; 16s. 

 for fine cuttings, and 18s. 6d. to 20s. for fair to good washed, 

 rough. At the next sale, on June 22, prices remained about 

 the same for ordinary qualities, but for good liright plump 

 in half-barrels 59s. Cvl. was obtained, and in cases, 55s. 

 Though fair sup]ilies of Calicut and Cochin were offered the 

 demand was not brisk and the sales effected were at some- 

 what lower rates. Bold, roughly cut, and scraped and 

 limed, however, sold at 55s. At this same sale fair limed 

 Japanese was sold without reserve at 1 6s. Gd. At the last 

 spice sale, on June 29, when 857 barrels of .Jamaica ginger 

 were offered, 100 were sold publicly and a fair quantity 

 disposed of privately. The prices realized were as follows : 

 fair bright to good washed, 44s. Gd. to 46s. ; middling 

 to good middling, 40s. 6d. to 43s. 6c7. ; ordinary bold 

 dull, 34s. ; and ckrk, 31.'!. to 32s. There was but little 

 demand for Cochin and Calicut, though sales were made 

 privately for fair washed rough Cochin, at 19s. 



It will be seen that we Iiave gone somewhat into detail 



witli regard to the comparative prices of ginger from -Jamaica 

 and other sources, and it will be noted with satisfaction that 

 there has of late been an u[i\vard tendency and preference for 

 tlio .Jamaica product. 



AUKOWEOOT. 



At the first spice sale sonre 700 barrels of good 

 manufacturing St. Vincent were disposed oi privately at 1 'Id. 

 per If), and at auction at 1 '^d., fine realizing 3'/. per ft). There 

 was but little or no change in these prices throughout the 

 )nonth, but at the auction on .June 22 pearl, in tins, w<xs 

 offered and bought in at 3.V/., and in barrels, at 2k/. At the 

 last sale, on the 29th., there was absolutely no demand, and 

 of the 317 barrels of St. Vincent offered none were .sold. 



PIMENTO, NUTMEGS AND MACE. 



Pimento began the month with very little demand at 

 prices varying from 3d. to 3J(?., and at the last sale out of 260 

 bags offered, about 30 were sold at the previous rate. 



Of nutmegs and mace, at the sale on the 22nd., West 

 Indian nutmegs were reported steady and mace quiet, a few- 

 packages .selling at Is. 5d. to Is. 6</. for fair pale reddish. 

 These conditions continued, and at the last sale of 227 

 packages offered, the bulk were sold. At this last sale 52 

 packages of West Indian mace were sold at from Is. Id. to 

 Is. 8d. for good bold pale ; Is. od. to Is. Qd. for good pale 

 and reddish ; Is. 3d. to Is. id. for fair red ; and Is. J(/. to 

 Is. 2(7. for broken. 



CASSIA FISTULA, TAMARINDS, ETC. 



Cassia Fistula pods from Dominica were ofifered at the 

 first drug sales on June 9: 39 packages were offered, of which 

 7 were sold at 26s. per cwt. 



A large supply of tamarinds was also offered, fair 

 Barbados fetching 9s. Gd., and ordinary dry Antigua, 6s. Gd. 

 to Ss. Gd. jier cwt. in Ijond. 



A box of ordinary musk seed from Clrenada sold at 7d. 

 per ft)., one of bay oil from Montserrat, 6s. 3(/. per ft)., and one 

 of West Indian distilled lime oil. Is. 7(7. per fti. 



In the middle of the month 'good unracked' West 

 Indian lime juice fetched Is. 6f/. per gallon. 



No quotations have been given for West Indian kola, 

 but good bright Ceylon was offered at the close of the month 

 at 5(7. per ft)., 6 packages being disposed of out of 11 offered. 

 At Liverpool 8 bags of dry nuts were sold at 3(7. per ft), and 

 a small portion at 2ld. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



At a congregation of tlie University of Birming- 

 luxm, which took place on July 9, the degree of 

 D.Sc. was conferred upon the Hon. Francis Watts, 

 B.Sc, F.I.C., F.C.S., Government Analytical and 

 Agricultural Chemist for the Leeward Islands. 



Mr. H. A. Ballou, B.Sc, Entomologist on the staff 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, having 

 completed his visit of inspection to the Northern Islands, 

 returned to Barbados in the R.M.S. ' Esk' on July 30. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has 

 appl•o^•ed of the provisional and temporary appoint- 

 ment of Mr. J. S. HoUings as Agricultural Instructor 



at Nevis. 



