Vol. XVIIl. No. 454. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



again, the attacks are often unequal, that is, the rodents may 

 exhibit a preference for individual trees, or for groups of 

 trees in certain parts of field. To some extent the losses 

 under this head could be followed up by collecting the 

 attacked pods and calculating the amount of beans lost. 

 But it is doubtful if this is iiwne in any of the experiments 

 of the present day. The yields given are those of cacao 

 actually collected and sold, and it would probably be unwise, 

 to introduce any fcrm of calculating crops in addition to 

 the actual crop gathered. 



During the progress of experiments, losses may also 

 be due to pilfering, which is so common in the West Indies. 

 It is clear that the plots which suffer most in this respect 

 are those which are so situated as to oflfer opportunities 

 with the least likelihool of detection. 



Though the losses from various causes are common on 

 estates throughout the Wes' Indies, it is clear that the 

 eflfect of a single cause might affect plot experiments, 

 especially in the c»se of a single series, and that a possible 

 collective effect would make this work very misleadmg. 



.Much might be done to control canker in plantations 

 by spraying. Information on th's matter may be found on 

 referring to the spraying experiments in 'I'rinidad, which 

 show the heavy losses caused by canker, and their possible 

 effect on plots. Also the variation in yield of seedling 

 trees might be overcome to some extent by making 

 experiments with budded or grafted cacao, that is, with a 

 sinele variety instead of many varieties as at present. It 

 is understood that this i« being done on some scale in 

 Trinidad. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



COWPEA PRESERVATION. 



Considerable difficulty is often experienced by local 

 planters in keeping cowpeas and other beans for any length 

 of time free from bean weevils, and during the past many 

 lots of beans and peas kept in storerooms awaiting favour- 

 able weather for planting have been destroyed by these 

 pests It is fail ly well known that applications of carbon 

 bisu'phide will free grain from weevil.'^, but there are several 

 drawbacks to its being commonly u.sed for this purpose. In 

 the first place, carbon bisulphide is expensive; and in 

 addition, there is an element of dinger always present when 

 it is handled, on account of its being highl> inflammable. 

 Its oonoxious odour also renders it unpopular. 



Two lots of cowpeas were put up in open bottles. One 

 lot was stored in air-slaked lime at the rate of 4 parts of 

 peas to 1-1 A parts of lime by wtight, and one was stored 

 without lime. The experiment was cummenced on .January 

 and was carried on for s .x months. Cowpeas which were 

 untreated were at acked by weevils in four weeks time, 

 and those put up with lime were quite free from weevil 

 attacks in July, six months i.ftrr storing. Germination 

 tests were m ide in July, and the peas kept in lime gave 

 96 per cent. The untreated lot was Ladly damiged by 

 weevils, and thrown away some considerable time before the 

 experiment terminated. 



Fiom the above it will be seen that planters have a cheap 

 and effective met nod of keeping cowpeas free from a pest 

 which ill the past has caused them a considerable amount of 

 worry. Although cowpeas are specially mentioned in the 

 above, it is possible that many other grains which are being 

 kept for planting purposes can be preserved in a similar 

 manner. (Keport on the Agricultural Department, Antigua, 

 1917-18.) 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 

 MARKETS. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S , has forwarded the t'ol- 

 iowing report on the London drug and spice markets, 

 for the month of July : — 



[n reviewing the condition of the London produce 

 markets for the month of -Tuly, it must be taken into 

 consideration that July is one of the chief holiday months 

 of the whole year, when Lindon is supposed to be denuded 

 of hRlf its population. The present year, however, has been 

 more or less in an abnormal condition from its beginning, 

 and the advent of peace with its accompanyine rejoicings 

 has for the moment occupied the minds of the nation to 

 the exclusion of other matters. Notwithstanding all this, 

 Mincing Lane has been fairly busy both in the matter of 

 supplies and purchasers, as the following notes will show. 

 Added to this, the period under review covers five weeks 

 instead of the usual four, the first auction being held on 

 July 3 and the last on July 31. 



GINGER. 



At auction on July 10, common to good common 

 Jamaica was disposed of at 90.f. to 9as. per cwt., and 

 medium to good lOO.s". to llOs; wnshed Cochin fetched 8-5^^, 

 and wormy 60^^. to 6"2x. Gd.; for African, -3.5.?. was asked, 

 and for Japanese 50s. 



SARS.VPAniLL.\. 



At the beginning of the month sarsaparilli was ia 

 good supply, as follows : grey Jamaica 33 bales, of 

 which 10 only were sold ; 2s. 9tf. per B). being paid for 

 fair. Of Lima. Jamaica 55 bales were offered and 13 

 sold. 2s. '2d. being paid for part mouldy. Of native Jamaica 

 .38 bales were • ffered and -10 sold good red fetching ]s. 8d. 

 per tt>., red and yellow \s. \d. to \s 2d., and dull grey and 

 red mixed \s-. 12 bales of Mexican were also offered but held 

 at 2.V. per Bt). 



PIMENTO, MACE, KOLA, ARROWROOT, C.iSHEW NUTS, 



ANNATTO SEEDS, CASSIA FISTULA, LIME OIL, 



TAMARINDS, AND CITRIC ACID. 



Pimento has been steady tliroughout the month at from 

 o^d to b-^d. Mace has also held a steady position at from 

 ly. Td- to Is. Sd. per Ri for ordinary to fair Singapore, and 

 \s. 3d. for pickings .Vt auction on the 3rd of the month 

 kola was in f ill suppl, being represented by 1.30 packages, 

 110 of which found buyers, good sound Java halves selling 

 at Id. per lb , and .50 bags of slightly dusty West African 

 quarters at the same price. At the end of the month 

 arrowroot was ri'presented by several hundreds of birrels 

 of manufacturing St. Vincent, which were disposed of at 

 Gd. per lb. At auction on the 3rd of the month 20 pickiges 

 of cashew nuts were offered bat failed to find a buyer. At 

 the same auction, 8 pickages of annatto seeds were brought 

 forward with a similar result- Cassia Fistula was repjrted 

 a^ the end of the month as beinu; dearer, holders asking 

 lids. At auction on the 18th of the month 3 cases 

 of fair West Indian lime oil, chiefly hand-pressed, were 

 bought in at lis. per tt) Tamarinds liave been slow of 

 sale: at auction on the 3rd of thf month 100 barrels of 

 fair Barbados were offered and bought in at .35.?., and it 

 was stated that for 70 barrels of dark squisby Barbados 

 that bad been offt red, no bid was made. 



