Vol. XVIII. No. 454. 



THi: AGtllCDLT'JKaL V^WS. 



■297 



Canadian Trade Prosperity. 



Ti;e following figures, showing- the traile between 

 tianada, ami the British West Indies and British 

 Guiana for 1910-18, are likely to prove of interest. 

 The fiscal year in each case erds on March ;^1 : — 



Imports into Cmada Exports from Canada 



from We.st Indies. to West Indies. 



?6,257,963 !?4,115,.S72 



14,289,005 5,1*3:3,278 



10,550 550 (5,838,5()r} 



The figures for British Gluiana are even more 



striking : — 



Iraporls into Canada 

 from British Guiana. 

 !!S5,636,6nO 

 7,197,893 

 8,824,288 

 During 1913-19 the total trade of Canada with 

 ihe world was more than doubled ; it rose from 

 ?1 ,047,157,421 in 1913 to $2,lti9,523,502 in 1919. 



During 1913-19 Canada's total trade with the 

 United Kingdom was also doubled, practically speak- 

 ing, rising from 8308.903,(139 to §004,950,192. The 

 increase was in exports, which were more than 

 trebled; imports from the United Kingdom dropped 

 from #138,741,736 to $73,029,215. 



Canada's trade with the United States underwent 

 a remarkable e.xpansion during this period. Last year 

 her trade with the Republic was equal to 55 per cent, 

 of the total with all countries. The exports were more 

 than trebled while imports from that country 

 •were increased by 75 per cent. 



IMl'i 

 1917 

 1918 



1916 

 1917 

 1918 



Exports from Canada 

 to British Guiana. 

 $1,207,134 

 1,031,395 

 0,710,647 



The True Mahoganies. 



The establishment in recent years, of mahogany 

 plantations in certain places like Trinidad, makes it 

 desirable to know the exact botanical source of the 

 different kinds of trees. 



Mr. R. A. Rolfe, writing in the Kew Balb'tiv of 

 Miscdln'neous Information, (No. 4, 1919), enumerates 

 three species : Sivietenia Malagoni, S. hum 1.1 ifi, and 

 S. macrophylla. The first-named species is the West 

 Indian mahogany; <S'. humilifi is the Pacific coast 

 mahogany, possibly the same as Nicaragua mahogany ; 

 while (S. macrophylla is the British Honduras 

 mahogany. This last-named tree has larger leaves 

 and still" larger leaflets than N. Malmgoni, nn'l grows 

 very much more rapidly. 



Mr. Rolfe concludes his article with th(! following 

 remarks : ' It would be interesting to identify the trees 

 which produce the different Central American 

 mahoganies, for example, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, 

 Guatemala, and Panama mahogany, and for this, 

 flowering and fruiting specimens are desired. The 

 term mahogany is now applied to the timber of so 

 many trees that nothing short of the actual materials 

 will serve to identify them. All the timber named, 

 .may not belong to the genus Swietenia.' 



It would also be useful to obtain and compare the 

 commercial or economic characteristics of these 

 ilifferent mahoganies. 



The Jamaica Imperial Association. 



This acting geiieiai ."Secretary of trie Conned 'if 

 this body lias forwarded a C')py of the ni'nut-s of a 

 council ineeting held on August 20 last. 



The matters discussed were of a varied atiil 

 c<>mpiehe,nsive character, and indicate the .vidy r.mge 

 of interest taken by this Association in Jamaica and 

 Impeiial affaiis. The subjects brought up inulu'.i'xi 

 shipping, railway freights, penkeeping, the leather 

 trade, lands in Africa and other matters. 



A resolution was imanimously passed in favour of 

 the maintenance of the Imperial Departmetit of 

 Agriculture for the West Indies on a liberal scale in 

 view of "the vital importance of encouraging the 

 growth of agriculture in the W«-st Indies on scieiititie- 

 lines.' 



Rubber Research in Malaya. 



Prof J. B. Farmer, D.Kc, F.R..S., who takes deep- 

 interest in all matters affecting the rubber industry 

 generally, contributes to the InJia-Ri'Mn'r JonrnaL 

 for July 20, 1919, an interesting article iu which is 

 briefly discussed the official memorandum presented to 

 the (Soverninent of the Federated Malay States, by 

 Dr. Butler, Imperial Mycologist of the I)epartment of 

 Agriculture in India, on the problem of the organiza- 

 tion of rubber research in Malaya. The immenst 

 importance, financial and otherwise, of the great 

 rubber plantation industry in Malaya, is recognized 

 everywhere in circles interested in the development of 

 the resources of the Kinpire, and the future of the 

 industry. Professor Farmer states, is intimately bound 

 up v.ith a corresponding adv.mce in knowledge, which 

 can only be obtained through scientific research; and 

 he suggests, as absolutely sound, the broad idea that- 

 the country will benefit by the pooling of all scientific 

 information. It is short-sighted policy, he argues, to 

 endeavour to work in secret or apart, however much 

 an owner or a company tnay seem to profit for a while 

 by the possession of exclusive information; hence the 

 necessity for co-ordination is emphasized. 



The proposed establishment of a Rubber Board, 

 which is to be assisted by a Technical Committee form- 

 ed from the scientific statf transferred from present scat- 

 tered sources, to effect the object in view, is criticised 

 by Professor Farmer, in so far as the financing of the 

 scheme is concerned. Broadly, it works out that the Gov- 

 ernment is to find the money for capital expenditure, 

 while the industry (by means of special taxation) is to 

 provide for the recurring expenditure. The difficulties in 

 carrying out the scheme, and especially in giving 

 direct representation on the Board to the .scientific 

 staff, are pointed out, and some sort of contact 

 with external scientific opinion on the part of those 

 who have to direct the course of rubber re.seareh 

 and investigation, it is suggested, se.em.s inevitable, if 

 the scheme as a wliol- is to prove a real success, and is- 

 to promote the advance of the industry in the ni'st 

 effective way possible. 



