388 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Deckmber 3, 1904. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



BANANA SHIPMENTS FROM 

 GUIANA. 



In connexion with the efforts tliat arc being made 

 in British Guiana to establish a trade in bananas witli 

 the United Kingdom, the following circular has been 

 issued. It will be noticed that the system of paying 

 for bananas by weight is being introduced : — 



The bananas to be quite green, and not quite 'full' and 

 of the 'Cavendish' variety only (locally known as 'Dwarf 

 or 'Chinese'). No others will be accepted. 



The bunches, which will be paid for as below, must be 

 delivered in good condition at Messrs. Garnett it Co.'s wharf 

 on the day iireeeding the dei>arture of the mail steamer or on 

 the day itself by special arrangement, or may be delivered, if 

 coming by train, at the liailway Co.'s wharf on the day 

 preseding the departure of the mail. 

 Per bunch of Per bunch of 



6 hands, 20 to 30 lb. 12c. 50 to 60 lb. 32c. 



7 hands, 30 to 40 ,, 20c. 60 to 70 „ 40c. 



BRITISH TRINIDAD 



No bundle 



L'it;hing under 20 R, will be taken. 



BANANA FERTILIZER. 



The following is a certificate of analysis, by Prof- 

 essor d'Albuqucrque, of a banana fertilizer used in the 

 Canary Islands : — 



Moisture — - — — — 



Ammonium sulphate * — — — 



Organic matter t — — — — 



Insoluble siliceous matter — — 

 Monocalcium phosphate — — — 

 = tricalcium phosphate rendered soluble 

 in water X — — — 



Phosphates soluble in ammonium citrate 1 

 Insoluble phosphates — — — 

 Calcium sulphate, ) 



Alkaline salts, ilagnesia, etc. ft J 



— 49-00 



10000 



-*■ Containing nitrogen 2--53 = 



f „ „ ' •67 = 



t t „ ,, (nitric) — 



Total nitrogen 320 = 



I Assimilable phosjihates — 



t t Containing potash — 



= suljihate of potash — 



FRUIT FOR THE LONDON 

 EXHIBITION. 



The Port-fif-SiiK i ii (linutte of November 18 

 contains the following account of the shipment of 

 a largo exhibit of Tiinidad fruit for the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's Exhibition of Colonial-gnjwn Fruit 

 to be held in London on December 13 and 14 : — 



The Eoyal Mail Company having decided on their own 

 account to accept the oft'er to send a show of Trinidad fruits 

 and vegetable [)roduce to the E.xhibition of the Horticultural 

 iSociety, Mr. W'. W. Syniingtfin, Managing Director of the 

 Symington West Indian J''ruit Companj', was by them 

 commissioned to collect and prepare the exhibit for 

 shipment ; and yesterday, at the Fruit Company's packing 

 slied.s, the fine collection w-as arranged as a very attractive 

 show, which won deserved admiration from the visitors 

 invited to see it. The fruit was shown jiacked and 

 half packed (to illustrate the process) in neat wooden and 

 liamboo boxes and baskets ; or packed in a preservative 

 liquid in wide-mouthed, clear-glass bottles ; and included 

 oranges, limes, tangerines, grape-fruit, shaddocks, ground nut.s, 

 bananas, ockros, papaws, sapodillas, .sugar-canes, pine-ajiples, 

 green cocoa-nuts, peppers, melongene, green and white 

 christoiihines, nutmegs in shells and mace, cherries, cassava, 

 sweet potatos, j-ams, avocado pears, granadillas, pumpkins^ 

 etc., as well as a small assortment of locally made preserves, 

 hot pickles of various kinds, roasted cashew nuts, and several 

 kinds of jams from local fruits. The whole goes to 

 Southampton by to-day's Roj-al ilail in the cool storage, 

 and will there be kept until the day of the show. It 

 certainly forms a verj' comprehensive sample, especially 

 considering the season of the year, of what Trinidad can 

 produce; and both Mr. Skinner of the lloj-al Mai! Company by 

 whom it has been organized, and Mr. Symington, on whom 

 has fallen the labour of its collection and preparation, arc 

 deserving of much credit for the advertisement it is bound 

 to ati'ord the colony. 



Lucky Beans. It may be of interest to mention 

 that the ' Lucky IJeans ' or ' Good Luck seeds,' .so commonly 

 emiiloyed in the West Indies as pendants, are borne by a plant 

 known as Thevftia nereifoUa, belonging to the natural order 

 Apucyneae. It is a pretty ornamental shrub, with large 

 saffron-coloured flowers, frecjuently grown in gardens. The 

 fruits, wliich are supposed to be poi.sonous, contain a hard, 

 two-celled seed. The milky juice of this plant is a dangerous 

 poison. 



