58 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 7, 1902. 



ONION CULTIVATION. 



Dominica. 



In the Agricultunil AVi'-.s of May 10 (p. 20) 

 information was published respecting the considerable 

 trade in onions carried on between Cuba and the 

 United States. In spite of the advantages undoubtedly 

 possessed by Cuba, these wiio are concerned in onion 

 cultivation "in the West Indies need not be discouraged 

 thereb}-, j)ro\ided their produce is exactly suited to the 

 New York market and is packed in suitable crates. 

 The following is a letter, dat<'d M;iy 10, addressed 

 h\ the Hon'ble H. Hesketh Bell to the Kditor of the 

 Dumiiiicctn: — 



The results of the experiinental shiiiiuciits of Dumiidoa 

 oniiins wliicli wc miidc t(i the New York market in February 

 niul March hist will pniliahly l)e of interest Ut your reacler.s and 

 may, I hope, encourage further ventures in that direction. 



(2.) 12 crates were shipped on the 28tli February and b on 

 the 11th. March. Both lots reached New York in excellent 

 ccmdition. The first realized ?2.5(l per crate, and the second 

 $2.40. The brokers reported that tlie quality of our onions 

 was so good that thej' could ' at all times compete with 

 Bermudas or Culia.s.' They warned us, however, against 

 making small .shipments as the charges im such small lots eat 

 up a disj)roportionate part of the proceeds. 



(:5.) The onions sent on these occasions were produced 

 at the .Agricultural School, at the Botanic Station, and by ISIr. 

 E. A. Agar at ' Lahaut.' Those I grew at ' Sylvania' «ere enually 

 tine and were sent to Barbados and St. Lucia, wliere they sold 

 at rcnunierative rates. 1 learn that some of the ex[)eriments 

 made l)y planters in other parts of the island were unsuccessful, 

 this year, owing to the attacks of .a kind of slug known as the 

 'paloot.' I trust that those gentlemen will not be discouraged. 

 and that, in view of the excellent prices realized by our Domi- 

 nica onions in New York, they will try again. The Curator 

 «)f the Botanic Station, in another column, is publishing a 

 notice offering again to procure sets and seeds of Bermuda 

 onions for such planters as may desire to continue their experi- 

 ments in this direction. 



Onions in New York Market 

 Messrs. Gillespie Brother.-i & Co., write : 

 In continuation of the remarks we addressed to j 

 respecting onions, on the 4th April (see A'jyivnUiitat A' 

 J). 20) we have to say the information received \iy us from 

 i'uban friends confirms what we therein wrote in reganl to 

 origin of the seeds. \Ve can do nothing more than recommi 

 that the crates in which onions are .shipjied .shouhl be n.ar' 

 only on the ends and not on the slats, and tightly packc 

 that tliev arrive here full and not slick. 



vtrs 

 our 

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Prickly Heat. This, in some ca.ses, is u troulilesome 

 affection during the hot .season. The writer has found the 

 following treatment effective, especially in the early stiige.s. 

 First, moisten the jiarts affected with water, then dust over 

 with a small (jiiantitj' of white oxide of zinc and rub gently 

 with wet fingers until it forms a i)aste. This will .soon dry 

 and leave the ajipearance of a white wa.sh. Rei^eat night 

 and morning until the itching and rod appearance have 

 entirely disappeared. Sometimes the ointment of white 

 oxide of /.ine is used, but this is grea.sy and disagrceal'ie. 

 Where tiure is a general tendency to prickly heat, iunuediafely 

 after the nuiruing bath ilu.st over with powder eompo.-.ed of 

 one third parts of cacii of the following, viz : white oxide of 

 •/.ine, boric or boracii; acid in jiowder and .starch j)owder well 

 shaken toi'etlier. 



RECIPES FOR COOKING CHRISTOPHINES 

 OR CHO-CHOS. 



The following Jamaican Recipes for cooking 

 christophines or ' cho-chos,' as they are called in that 

 Colony, are taken from Bullctiv, No. :ifi, DIrixion of 

 Biitmnj. of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture : — 



The cho-clio is a very useful vegetable. It can be 

 cooked in various ways, and the natives are very ]>artial to 

 it, it being as they say, ' so cooling.' They often put it in 

 their .sou|)s as an addition. Plain lx>iled with butter or 

 white sauce, it is excellent ; urashcd with butter and black 

 poi)per, it is nice : put in stews, it makes a pleasant variety ; 

 and made into boiled or baked puddings with a judicioii.s 

 addition of .sugar and lime juice, it so much reseinl>le> a])]de 

 as to deceive one into believing o:ie is eating ajiple pudding 

 or aplile tart. The baked [ludding is particularly good. 



C/io-rfiD, xhifff//. ISoil two clio chos with the skin on. 

 When boiled .scoo|i out the insides (cutting the chocho the 

 long way). Renr>ve the seeds and pith, pare away the pul[> 

 carefullv, leaving enough near the rind not to Iireak with it. 

 !Mash the pulp with .some nicely sea.soncd fine ndiice. to 

 which add a little butter and jiepjier, and pack the mixture 

 into the chocho backs or skins. Cover with fine bread crumbs 

 and bake. A nice side di.sh. 



Jitd-eil Cho-cho puililin'i. Four good-sized cho-chos 

 boiled with ten cloves, and ma.shcd and prepared as before, 

 only [mtting the juice of two limes, one half-|iouud of sugar, 

 one tablespoonful of liutter, and some nutmeg. I'ut the 

 mixture at the bottom of a well-buttered pie dish and cover it 

 with a |)int of grated bread. Beat the yolks of three eggs and 

 one white and add to them half a pint of milk sweetened to 

 taste : jiour this ovei- the bread (Maunbs and bake. When it 

 has ' taken colour' and is nicely baked remove it from the 

 fire. Then beat the whites of the eggs left over into a stiff 

 froth; add two tablespoonfuls of .sugar: when stitf sjiread 

 over the piulding. Put back into the oven for a coiijile of 

 minutes to colour a pale yellow. It is nice either hot or cold. 



Cho-cho tart. Line the pie dish with pastry (pie crust) 

 and leave .some to cover the tart. Take six good-sized cho-chos ; 

 jiarc, core, and boil them with a dozen cloves. When tender 

 .slice them, not too thin, and put them at the bottom of the 

 pie, sprinkle them with the .sugar, the grated lime peel (of 

 one lime) and the juice (of two limes), tiien cover with 

 jiastry and bake from half an hour to three-ifuarters. Iviten 

 when cold with a cold l)i>ile(l custard, it is nuich more ap[irc- 

 elated, but it can be served hot as api>lc tart. 



Cho-clij fnvory. -Vw\. two boiled cho clio-. in fingers: 

 put on anchovy toast airl poiir \cry hot coco;', iiiit c-ream 

 civer the whole. Serve hot. 



Cho-cho Fritters. — Boil three large eho-chos with six 

 cloves until tender, remove the seeds and i)ithy .sid>stance 

 inside and mash the pul|>. Si|ueeze it in a clean cloth until 

 as dry as you can get it. Then nnx in one egg well beaten, 

 add butter and pepper (and .sidt to Havour) : a teaspoonful 

 of butter will do, and renuive the cloves. .Make into fritters 

 and frv in lard. 



Yams in Tobago. Ebboa yams succeed well in 

 Tobago in ricii loamy soil, particularly if iirotected from high 

 winds. Planted in .January the croi> is ready to be leaped 

 in August. 



