308 



THE AGPJCULTUEAL NEWS. 



September 24, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



THE CITROMETER. 



At a meeting of the Dominica Agricultural Society, 

 held on August 12, the Hon. Francis Watts 

 addressed the meeting as follows on the subject of the 

 citrometer, a special I'orm of hydrometer for testing 

 lemon and lime juice: — 



The origin of the scale of the citioineter was unknown, 

 and he believed he had rediscovered it, for he found that 

 •when the indications of the citrometer were taken in boiling 

 concentrated lime juice they were found to approximate 

 closely to the indications of a Twaddell's hydrometer at 

 60' F. Thus, a sample of lime juice giving a reading of 60' 

 citrometer at boiling tein|ierature will give a reading of 60' 

 Twaddell at 60° F. As a result of the discovery, the 

 planters will now be able to concentrate their lime juice 

 with some degree of scientific accuracy. 



MARKETING FRUIT. 



In an able article in 

 Journal on 'Fruit culture 



the Xatal A</ricidtaral 



as a Xatal Industry,' the 



ollowin"- observations on the 



writer makes the 

 marketing of fruit : — 



No fruit, except the lowest qualities, sin add be marketed 

 in rough bulk. All others should be graded to size, colour, 

 form, and maturity, and [lacked so that they can be sold in 

 the case. 



The fruit must arrive at its destination before it is 

 full}' mature, and still sufficiently free from bruises to allow 

 it to ripen ec^ually and thoroughly. It is in being able to 

 judge, or to know from past experience, the exact condition 

 in which each fruit must be picked in order to arrive fit, that 

 the skilled grower and packer scores, while the amateur 

 keeps on losing money while he learns. 



Regular senders of highest grades soon become known, 

 and then constant!}" command a market. Their brands 

 become widely recognized, the constant quality is a standing 

 advertisement. But this condition is attained only by 

 adhering rigidly to the principle of sending away no second 

 grades ; indeed such .should not be grown, but if they are 

 grown make cider or marmalade of them rather than ruin 

 a good name by marketing this class. It is not in the fruit 

 alone that this care is necessary, but in every detail connected 

 with each consignment, the grading, the quality, the maturity, 

 the colour, the cases, the packing, the despatch, the cartage, 

 the ventilated car, the cool chamber (if necessary) — in fact, 

 every detail, however snuill, which can make or mar the 

 success of a business. 



THE BANANA INDUSTRY IN THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



The following account of the banana industry in 

 the United States is taken from the ConsuMir Report 

 on the trade of Philadelphia for 1903: — 



During the last fifteen years the trade in bananas has 

 grown to an enormous extent in the United States of 

 America. In 190:! there are reported to have been 

 .50,000,000 bunches of bananas brought into the United 

 States, while from ten to fifteen years ago the fruit was 

 practically unknown here. 



Cuba was the first country to send bananas to the 

 United States ; the Spanish-American war, however, pre- 

 vented the projier development of the crops, and finally the 

 trade with that island ceased altogether, .famaica, in the 

 meantime, has substituted its banana crops for tho.se of 

 Cuba, and up to the time of the hurricane last year a large 

 proportion of the bananas imported to the United States 

 came from that island. The hurricane destroyed a large 

 nundjcr of the plantation.s, and it will not be until next 

 autumn that they will be again in o[ieration. 



Of late great development has taken place in tlie 

 banana trade of Central and South America, and a con- 

 siderable portion of the supjilies now received come from 

 those districts. Another producer is Porto Pico, and many 

 consitmers think that its fruit is superior to any other, and 

 the prices therefore range higher for the fruit from that island. 



The tianana Ijusiness has now been reduced to a science. 

 Formerly shipments were made o)i sailing schooners, and in 

 consequence large [lortions of the cargoes were always found 

 to be si)oiled, but of late this trade has been carried on with, 

 fine steamers fitted with refrigerating apparatus. Most of 

 the fruit is consigned direct to the dealers, but occasionally 

 a cargo arrives in port here, which is sold by auction. 



AGRICULTURE IN ST. LUCIA. 



In the St. Lucia Blue Book for 1903, the following 

 remarks occur under the heading ' Improvements in 

 Agriculture and Manufiictures': — 



The cultivation of limes has been taken u\) on a small 

 scale. 



^Manioc cultivation and preitaration for the export of 

 starch is in the experimental stage. 



Cacao plantations are gradually being extended, and 

 methods of cultivation improved. 



Cotton growing is slowly on the increase, the area under 

 this crop being about 2.j0 acres. 



