20 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 10, 1902. 



For the iiifonnation of those desirous of electing 

 a siniilai- (liier, it maybe iiientioiuii that the Ian (1<S 

 inches) with belt and <h-iving wiieel iiiiglit be obtained 

 from the Blacknian Ventilating Conij)an3-, Limited, 

 Head Office, (58 Fore Street, London, E.C., at a cost 

 of £9. (J. 0., and the stove (Motts' Comet No. 28) from 

 the I. L. IMott Iron Works, New York and Chicago, 

 at a cost of £10. 17. .'^. The latter is surrounded by 

 a galvani/ed iron jacki't to confine; the hot air and to 

 diseliarge it through the cowl into the drying box. 

 The fuel may be wood, coke or coal, ;is found most 

 convenient. Stout galvanized wire netting, suitable for 

 the cacao trays, is imjtorted by Jtessre. Marrast & Co. 

 of St. (J(Hirge's, (Jrenada, costing about 4>.'. (J'/. ])er 

 yard. Tho.se desirous of inspecting the cacao drier at 

 the Botanic Station at Dominica could do so on 

 application to the Curator. 



THE ONION INDUSTRY OF CUBA. 



Recently the Hon'ble Francis AVatts drew the 

 attention of the Department to the increasing quanti- 

 ties of onions that are being shipjjed fi\ini Cuba to the 

 UniteJ States of Ameriai. As this was likely to have 

 an important bearing on the development of tiie onion 

 industry, now being carried on at Antigua and other 

 parts of the West Intlics, it w;is suggestetl that it 

 would be Viseful to obtain as fidl information as 

 jjossible respecting the Cuban industi-y. 



In rejily to ajipliciition ma<le to Sir Percy 

 Sander.son, K.C.JLC, H.B.M. Consul General at New 

 York : and to Messrs. CJillespio Bros: & Co., the follow- 

 ing information has been kindly comnuinicated for the 

 use of this Dejjartment : — 



iSlV Percy fiaiulersoti, K.C.M.G. — to the Imperud i'l/minixsimiff 

 «/ Agru"idfiiic. 



British Consulate-Genei-il, 

 New York, March 2(i, 1902. 

 Dear Sir, 



I be^ to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 

 10th in-stant ami enclose a menionuitluni of such information as 

 1 have been able to obt;iin respecting onions from Cuba. To 

 this 1 would add tliat there seems to he every pndiabiHty that 

 legislation will l)e jKisscd nwiking a reduction in the tarili' of at 

 least 20 jier cent, as between Cuba and the United States for a 

 period of two years or perhaps more. 



Mr. Carden, our Consul General at Havana will i)robably 

 be able to give you more detailed information, but 1 am always 

 glad to give any ;uisistance I c;ui, and 1 hope you will not 

 he.sitate to call on nie at any time when 1 can be of use. 

 I am, etc., 



(Sgd.) PERCY S.VNDERSON. 



[enclosure.] 

 rmportation of onions fkom cuba. 



The onions from Cuba arc considered by tlie importers to 

 be quite eipial in every respect to those imi>orted from 

 Bermuda. Tlie soil is very ricli, and American experts are now 

 engaged in cultivation and i)acking in crates, the latter enabling 

 Hot only onions but pine-ai)pk8 t<> rwicji this m.arket in good 

 condition. Kach ci-ate contains (me bushel of onions, average 

 weiglit (iO lb. : the market price is <|Uot.e<l at 82.r>0 per crate. 

 A (juantity sold at auction on the 24th brought ?2. 10 and §2.20 

 per crate. 



The imi)oi-t duty is 40c. per bushel vi GOll). Tlie crop 

 reaches here in time to take the cream of tlie market and is 

 sold before the crop from Bermuda arrives. 



The onifms are pmduced from seed imported from Tene- 

 ritfe and sometimes a seconil croj) is raised from settings. 



The importirs believe that fruit and vegetables now being 

 gi'own in Cuba will materially affect the markets of Bermuda 

 and the Bahamas and, to scjiiie extent, those of Florida and fruit 

 glowing generally in the South. In the latter c;ise this will be 

 esjiecially apparent in the event of the annexation of Cub;i. 



It is stilted by the importers that the soil in the Balianms 

 is becoming exhausted and that recoiniiunlations to improve it 

 have as a rule been ignored. 

 March l!t02. 



yiissrs. G'dlenpie Bros, tt Co. — to the Iraperad CummiaaUmcr of 

 A'iriridtiire. 



No. 4, Stone Street. 



New York, April 4, 1902. 



Dear Sir, 



We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of 

 your letter No. 841 dated the lOtli March last with the advisetl 

 enclosure. 



In rejdy from a prominent importer we learn that the 

 Havana onion is grown from seed produced in the Canary 

 Islands : that seed is regularly imported into Cuba from 

 Teneritt'e. 



Onions from Bermuda are i)referre(l here, and during their 

 season, from May on, sell readilj-. Havana onions sell best 

 during the winter, December to April, and during the current 

 crop have been received in large tiuantities. Large onions are 

 disliked by dealers because they may in)t be retailed as 

 advantageously as those of medium size, which ai'e prefeired by 

 consumers. At the moment th" market is heavily stocked, and 

 prices range at from Sl.iiO U $^00 the crate : the dimensiims 

 of a Havana crate (outside) are T by 10 by 23; ends solid: top, sides 

 and bottom consisting of slats : the same crate was found to 

 weigh 57 lb. gross. We understand each Havana cr.ite is 

 reputed to coiitiiin 1 bushel of onions. The duty on impoi-t«l 

 onions is at the rate of 40e. the bushel of 57 lb. At |)resent> 

 there is no preferential rate in favour of Cuban onions, though 

 we may reasonably suppose some allowance is being sought foi" 

 this vegetable in the Bills now being discussed by the United 

 States Congi'ess. 



It seems to us, success in the American markets with West 

 Indian produce of a peri.shable nature is largely dependent upon 

 the carrying service obt^iinable. In this connexiim we bring to 

 your notice the following facts. The steamers ]>lying between 

 Bermuda and New York com|)lete the trip one way within 43 

 hours ; and those between Havana and this, perform the service 

 within from tiO to 72 hours. So far the rail and water route has 

 not been used for freight, to our knowledge. 



We hoi)e to sup])lcment the foregoing by information which 

 we have reijuested and hoi)e to receive from (-uba shortly, and 

 tiu.st what we have written will prove serviceable. 



(Sgd.) (JILLKSPIE BROS. & CO. 



Stock Farmat the Agricultural School, Dominica. 



The jHiny stallion 'Norman,' be](Higiiig to the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture arri\-ed in Domi- 

 niai, from the Virgin Islands, last week. He is a fine 

 animal of his class, and doubtle.«s his services will be as 

 fully utilized as in the c;ise of the cob stallion ' Jamaicji. 

 Lad,' who is now .st;inding his second se<i.son in 

 Dominica. 



The small stock farm in connexion with the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture at Dominica 

 now comprises the stallions 'J amaiav Lad' and Nor- 

 man,' the donkey stallion ' Yankee Boy,' two Poland 

 China boars, and two sows, a Shro])shire r.im, and half 

 a dozen kinds of the best breeds of jioulfry. 



The services of the stud animals are nmch in 

 request by breeders of stock. Young iiure brc<l pigs 

 are readily sold. The demand for eggs for hatching 

 cannot be fully met with the present pens of fowla 



