420 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



December 31, 1901. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



BARBADOS BANANAS. 



'J'he tiilluwiiig is a cojiy of a letter wliicli lias been 

 .iddresseii to the Siijjeiintendent of the Royal Mail 

 Steam Packet Company in reference to the temperature 

 to be observed for Barbados bananas when carried in 

 the fruit chambers on board the 'Trent' and ' Tagus': — 

 Imperial Commissioner of A(/ricul(m'e — to the StipeflnteiideHt, 

 li.M.S.P. Compdny, J>arha<Uis. 



Barbados, Deceiiilier 17, 190-t. 



I believe tlint it would be <lesirable to jilace fiu recoixl, 

 in a clear manner, exactly wliat we would wish in the way 

 of temi^erature when Barbados bananas in crates are sln|)i)ed 

 in the cool chambers on board the 'Trent' avid 'Tagus.' 



We thould be satisfied if it would be possible to 

 maintain a temperature nut below GO F. and not above 

 tj.5° F. It is not necessary, however, that we should obtain 

 a temperature of Co" immediately the fruit is put into the 

 chamber at Barbados. If the temiierature could start iit 

 about 7.5° or even 80° at Barliados, then it unglit be 

 gradually reduced within a few days to G5" and, if po.-:sible, 

 a day or two later to 60 , hut not loieer. 



If during the winter months when apiiroaching England, 

 the temperature on deck falls below 60', then the object of 

 the officers should be to maintain the temperature in the 

 fruit chandler from falling heloiv that. This might be done 

 ly stopping the working of the fans for a brief period and 

 carefully watching the results. The fans might be re-started 

 directly the temperature rises above 65'. 



As you are aware, this information is not of value to the 

 officers on board the other ships, as they are not, as yet, fitted 

 with cool chauLbers. 



HYBRIDIZATION OF PINE-APPLES. 



Reference has already been made in the A'jri- 

 fidturul Nrivs (V(d. II, p. 4.04) to the experiments 

 that are being carried out in the Botanic Gardens at 

 Hope, Jamaica, with a view of pro(hicing Jiybrid pine- 

 apples. The following e.xtract on this subject is 

 taken from the Annual Report on the Public (Jardens 

 and Plantations for the year ended March :31, 1904 : — 



With a view of raising a variety of pine that would 

 combine the fine appearance and shipping (pialities of the 

 Smooth Cayenne with the delicious flavour of the Ripley, 

 experiments in hybridization were instituted in the year 

 1904. 



No Cayenne plants being in flower at Hope when the 

 Ripleys were ready for pollination, some fiower heads were 



very kindly contrilmted by the late ]\Ir. Chas. E. Smith. 

 As a result of the initial experiment, sixty-four plants were 

 raised and planted out. The liiiiley Howeis were cros.s-ferti- 

 li/.ed between April 25 and !May 20, 1901, and the 

 fruits ripened in the middle of July; the .seeds were 

 sown in clean sand the first week in August, the 

 seedlings potted into bamboo pots early in September 

 1901, and jilanted out at a distance of 2 feet ajiart 

 in August 1902. Several of the plants very quickly 

 took the lead and grew vigorously, whilst a nundjer 

 of them exhifjit a very feeble constitution : all differ fi-om 

 each other in appearance — some are spineless like the male 

 jiarent, and some are spiny like the Riiiley. The first fruit 

 was cut on November 18, 1903, and was fairly good ; the 

 second one was stolen — it resend.iled very closely the 'Red 

 Rpainsh.' The third to ri^ien was a curiosity, a rather poor 

 ' Cayenne ' devoid of top. Others are now developing fruits. 

 During 1901 pre[iarations were made for extending this 

 important work, and in tlie following year, 1902, Cayenne, 

 Ri[iley, and tjueen were brought into flower at the same 

 time to permit of crossing and intercrossing ; resulting in the 

 following being raised : — 



seedlings. 



These have been planted out at a distance of 9 inches 

 apart in nurserj' lieds, to be grown (in to the sucker size and 

 treated as such when large enough, e.g., dug up, trimmed, 

 and }ilanted out in ' field ' beds. 



The third batch, numbering 500, raised in 190.3, is now 

 l.ieing nursed in .3-incli pots in the glass-house. 



Drying^ Copra in Samoa. The copra driers in 



Samoa all use the hot-air system. Air is heated in a fire[)lace 

 and conducted through iron pipes which cross and recross 

 the lower part of the building : the end of the pii>e is 

 generally turned into a smoke-stack. The drying is caused 

 b}' a continuous current of air adnntted through ventilators 

 in the side of the building at its base. This air is warmed 

 in passing the heated piiies, and then passes through and 

 dries the trays of eojira, and is drawn out at tlie roof by 

 another set of latticed ventilators. (U.S. Monthly Consulai- 

 Reports.) 



