404 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 17, 1904. 



WEST 



INDIAN 



FRUIT. 



DOMINICA FRUIT FOR LONDON 

 EXHIBITIONS. 



Mr. A. J. Brooks, Acting Curator of the Botanic 

 Station, Dominica, writes as follows: — 



The Dominica Agriiultiiral S(jciety forwarded by the 

 mail leaving Dominica on Xovenilier 11, 20 cases of frnits, 

 etc., for the Royal Horticultnral Society's Colonial Fruit 

 Exhibition to be held in London on December 13 and 14. 

 The cases contained : — 



!Mangosteens, carambolas, bananas (16 hands each 

 bunch), limes, oranges (Washington navels, sweet and Seville), 

 shaddocks, grape fruit, citrons, pajiaws, etc. Also sanii)les of 

 all citrus oils and juices, besides a sjilendid exhibit of various 

 flours and meals, including banana flour, ginger powder, 

 corn flour, clove powder, tumeric puwder, pumjikin flour, 

 cinnamon powder, tannia starch, arrowroot, etc. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 FRUIT EXHIBITION AWARDS. 



We extract from the Public Telegrams of 

 December 13, the following list of awards secured by 

 the West Indies at the above exhibition : — 



The following awards have been made in connexion 

 with the exhiliition of C'dlonial fruit at the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Hall. The Fioyal Horticultural Society's gold medal 

 for Dominica and Barbados fruit, and .Jamaica garden oranges 

 shown !)}■ the West India Committee. A gold medal for 

 preserves and a silver gilt medal for fruit to .James Philip 

 & Co., and a silver gilt medal to the Royal Mail Steam Packet 

 Company for their display of West Indian fruits. 



ORANGES IN PORTO RICO. 



l)ulletin No. 4 of the Porto Pico Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station deals with the propagation and marketing of 

 oranges. It is stated that the cultivation of oranges in Porto 

 Rico on a conmiercial scale has commenced since the 

 American occujiation and has not yet gone beyond the 

 experimental .""tage. It is estimated that fully C,000 acres 

 have already been jilanted in budded trees secured either 

 from Florida or local nurseries. 



The orange having been grown for many jears from 

 seed, the fruits exhibit a great variation in quality. While 

 .some of tlie fruits are (piite worthle.s.s, a few are as fine as 

 <an be found in California or Florida. It is recommended 



that growers should rather propagate from such trees as 

 these than plant large areas with trees budded from 

 varieties that are new to the island. 



The bulletin has therefore been prepared with the view 

 of instructing small growers throughout the island. 



Detailed instructions are given as to the projiagation of 

 oranges by budding, and the formation cif a grove. The 

 writer also devotes some attention to working over old trees. 

 The methods suggested in this connexion are crown graftin<' 

 top grafting, top budding, dormant budding, inarching, and 

 bridge grafting. It is stated that, although it may seem 

 wasteful to cut down a large tree bearing a comparatively 

 good grade of fruit, it is astoni.shing how soon after workin»- 

 over the same tree will bear as large a crop of much finer 

 fruit. 



The directions are accompanied throughout with 

 excellent illustrations which greatly enhance the value of the 

 bulletin. This also applies to the instructions as to picking 

 grading, and niai-keting. Growers are warned not to shi'p 

 inferior fruit : ' Xo fruit .should be shi|ii)ed out of Porto 

 Rico unless it is of the very best ijuality and has been 

 carefully graded and packed! A box of fruit generally sells 

 in the market on the merit of the poorest .specimens contained 

 in it.' 



BREAD-FRUIT MEAL. 



The following is the result of an analysis by Prof- 

 essor J. P. d'Albuqnerque of a sample of bread-fruit 

 meal from 8t. Lucia : — 



Moisture 



Oil 



Albuminoids* ... 



Mucilage, starch, etc. 1 



Indigestible fibre 



Asht 



1213 

 1-3.3 



:v.5l 



77-00 



3-98 



205 



100-00 



* Containing nitrogen ... ... ... -56 



I „ starch G8-81 



t ,, phosphoric anhydride ... -21 



T „ potash 100 



-j- ,, insoluble siliceous ntatter -34 



Value in units ... ... ... 89 



Albuminoi<l ratio ... ... 1 to 22-09 



Professor d'AIbuquerque i-emarks: 'This is a well 

 prepared specimen of bread-fruit meal.' 



