278 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Dkcember 20, 1902. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for jiuWication, as will as all 

 sjieciinens for naming should lie addressed to the Commis- 

 sioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



It is [larticularly requested that no letters be addressed 

 to any member of the staff by name Such a course may 

 entail delay. 



Communications should alwaj-s be written on one side 

 of the jiiiper only. It sliould be understood that no contri- 

 butions or siiecimi'us will, in any case, be returned. 



All application for copies of the Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and 



not to the Department. A comjilete list of the London 

 and Local agents will lie found on Jiage 2f<7 of this 

 nundier. 



Corres|ioudents sending new.si>ai)ers .should lie careful to 

 mark the jiaragrajihs they wi.sh to bring under notice. 



Slqriculturat MnuH 



Vol. L SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1902. No. 18. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Trial Shipment of Bananas from Dominica. 



Recently ii .small shipment of .six hunches of 

 bananas was made to London per Royal Mail Steamer. 

 'I'he ohjeet of thi.s expeiiment was to test tlie system 

 of packing adopted in the Canary Islands, in which the 

 bunch of bananas, cut at the riglit stage, i.s carefully 

 ■vvrapped in a thin layer of cotton wool, in turn is covered 

 with jiaper. and lightly tied to keep both the wool and 

 paj)er in ))lace. The bunch is tlK'U carefidly laid in the 

 crate and held in position, to prevent bruising, by perfectly 

 dry banana trash. The buiu^hes in <piesti()n ai'i'ived in 

 London in jicrfect order and realized T.v. iUl. a piece, 

 and at- a time when the banana trade was re|)orted at a 

 low ebb on account of heavy arrivals. The brokers 

 write as follows : — 



' We are vei-y pleased to be able U> report that the 

 condition and ))acking left nothing to be desired, and we 

 are satisfied that if the; fruit can Ik; brought in a like 

 condition there need bo no fear for the i-esults.' 



An account of a similar trial shipment nf bananas 

 from B.-irbadoH wa.s j)ublished in the A'/ricnlt n r<il 

 News, page (!S. 



Jamaica Horse Show. 



On l>i,ge 1(!7 of the A'ir'iriilf >u:il Xi'irx attc 

 was dr.iwn to the .Tamaiea Horse Show which 

 ]iroi))se(l to hold u 'ar Kingston o:i Februaiy 1 1 

 12 of next year. 



The excellent qualities of Jamaica horses are 



ution 



it is 

 anci 



that every effort sh<iuld be made to maintain and 

 improve the breed. A Show unist certainly be placed 

 amongst the best po.ssible means of doing thi.s. The 

 bringing together of a tj'pical collection of Jamaica 

 horses will enable breeders to see the weak ]ioints and 

 defects in the stock now being produced, ami stimulate 

 them to set to work to rear improved animals. 

 Ths Secretary of State for the Colonies has expres.sed 

 his full sympathy with the j)roject by becoming one of 

 the Patrons of the Show. We can onl}" recommend all 

 interested in West Indian honses to give the Show 

 their active support by subscribing towards the fund 

 for prizes, or in any other way in their power. The 

 Honorary Si'cretary of the Show is the Rev. Thos. 

 P. George, Newcastle, P.O., Jamaic^i. 



Coffea stenophylla at Dominica. 



Mr. J. Jones, the Curator of the Botanic Station, 

 reports : — ' The plot of the new African coffee 

 (Cofm stciiopliijlln) at the Station is now in fine con- 

 dition and is bearing an excellent crop of berries. This 

 is a suitable s])ecies to grow at low levels in Dominica, 

 as it is not ti-oubled by the coffee fly.' (For a general 

 accMiunt of stenophylla coffee see page (i.) 



'The new coffee from the Congo (Cofca ruhd-sfa), 

 has now readied the flowering stage. It is not likely 

 to prove a succes; at low elevations in this island, the 

 plants being already badly attacked by the coffee leaf- 

 miner.' 



thi'oughout the West Indi 



d it is essential 



Pi-evention of Rotting in Timber. 



Woodwork I'xpo.sei] to the weather frequently rots 

 from the effect of water entering the joints. It has 

 been suggested that this rotting may be largely 

 preventeil by the simpU' I'xpedient of putting a little 

 powdered sulphat-e of co]iper (bluestone) into morti.ses 

 and joints when fixing the structure in jiosition. 



Rotting of wood is large] \ du'' to thi' presence of 

 fungi, and sulphate of copper is a powerful fungicide. 

 Used in th(! manner suggested, any water entering a 

 joint will diffuse the sulphate of copper through the 

 w.iiiil .Kid prevent its decay. So simple a remedy i.s 

 Wort li ti\ iu<r. 



West Indian Products in London. 



The second article by Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S., 

 formerly Curator of the Museum of Economic Products 

 at Kew, ajqiears oil page 27.5 of this number. It 

 gives a concise summary of recent s;vles in the London 

 market of some of the minor productions of the West 

 Indies. 



