84 



THE AGIllCULTUKAL NEWS. 



Maucii 21, 19'i8. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



SPINELESS LIMES IN DOMINICA. 



The spitielef-s \ ,u itty of lime is beliL-\eil to have 

 originated on the Sliawford Estate, Dominica. In the 

 A (p'i cult urn I Nrwfi (Vol I, p. SS) it was mentioned 

 that on this estate, in ]S!n. a lime tree was noticed 

 without the usual spines. On sowing seeds from the 

 fiuits of this interesting tree, some 75 per cent, of the 

 resulting plants came ' true, ' proving themselves to be 

 spineles.'^. A plot was formed at the Botanic Station, 

 and since that tin)e plants have been regidarly raised 

 for distribution lu Dominica. At present it is stated 

 that ,\bout 20,000 lime trees of the spineless variety 

 are growing in the island, tliis being eiiuivalent to an 

 area of 100 acres. 



Some particulars in reference to the ilislriln.uion ami 

 growth of spineless lime trees wej'e given in the 1 ',)0-")-(i report 

 on t'le Dominir-a Botanic Station, and reiiroducej in tlie 

 ArjririiUiintI Xi'ii's (Vol. V, p. 276). The repoi't on the 

 ISotanic Station for HK)()-7 inchules a paper, jirepared liy 

 Dr. Watts, (' .M.C, cimtaining a good deal of Inrthcr infor- 

 mation on the subject. ;. 



With a view to comjiariiig the yields of juice and the 

 percentage of citric acid in the Jiiiee, of the spineless and the 

 ■ordinary varieties of limes, tests of the two kinds, grown as 

 nearly as possible under similar conditions, have lieen made 

 from time to time al the ( loviinnient Lalioratory, .'\ntigua. 

 The results of these tests go to show that while the fruit of 

 the spineless lime is smaller than llmt of the onniiiny variety, 

 a relatively larger yield of jnicc is obtained from the spineless 

 variety, and this juice would appear to be pni'cr, as well as 

 licher in acid, five examinations were niiide, at ditferent 

 times, of fruits grown at the ]3otanic Station. The average 

 amount of citric aciil in the juic« of the ordinary variety was 

 8'35 jier cent., or 1 •■> I o/. of acid per gallon of juice, while the 

 citric acid content of the juice from the ordinary variety 

 reached an average of 929 peV cent,, or 14-86 oz. of acid 

 Iter gallon of juice. Further, Miile the ordinary variety of 

 lime gave a yield of juice eijnal, on the average, to 49'8 iier 

 cent, of tlieir total weight, the spineless lime yielded juice 

 etpial to 5;i-2.") pel- cent, of their whole weight. 



The report also gives tigures relating to tests carried out 

 by Mr. A. I'l Agar of Dominica, with tlie object of (tetermiii- 

 ing the relative merits of the two varieties. In these experi- 

 ment.s the s]iinles.-i lime gave a return of juice 12 per cent, 

 gieiiter tlian that yielded by the ordinary variety. The fruit 

 ot the spineless lime contain comparatively few seeds, while 

 the skin is smooth mid thin. There ai^icars to be no ditt'erence 



in the ipiantity or quality of the essential oils produced by the 

 two kinds of limes. 



It remains to be seen whether the spinele.s.s lime will tind 

 hivour ill connexion with the fruit trade. The thiiuie.ss of the 

 skin, the small nuinber of the seeds, and the ju.einess of the 

 fruit may more than compensate for its small size. This how- 

 ever, is a matter which can only be determined liy carefully 

 conilucted trial shipments. 



FRUIT CULTURE IN PORTO RICO. 



The fiiiit industry of Porto Rico, which in it.s 

 present stage, is an important and promising one, and 

 which will undoubtedly undergo considerable develop- 

 ment with the provision of better facilities of transport, 

 etc, formeil the subject of a paper read at the first 

 annual meeting of the Cub.iii floiticultural Society, 

 held in May of last3'ear. 



Fruit lands in" Porto llico. it is stated, are yearly 

 increasing in value. Land which, a few years ago, could be 

 bought at •■?10 and •■?20 per acre now co.sts S.oO" and $100. 

 I'ine-aiiples do so well that soils suitalile for tliis cro]} 

 command very high 'prices. .Much of tne land best suited 

 for citrus fruit growth, however, has not yet been planted, 

 as the districts in which it exists have not yet been opened 

 up by roads. 



Till- citrus fruit districts of Porto l!ico are almost entirely 

 coiiliiird lo the north side of tlic island, and comprise an 

 area of 7,000 oi- S.OOO aci-es. About 70 per cent, of this 

 is planted with •iranges, 2-5 jier cent, witli gi-a|iefruit, and 

 .") percent, with lemons. 



The oningcs grown include a con^ideraMe numlier of 

 I'll ridian vai'ieties. The early and the late kinds are expected 

 to giv(> more pi-otitable results tiian varieties rijtening in mid- 

 season. The Waslrtngton Navel orange is cultivated, and 

 aiipears to <lo muclr better in Porto .Ttico than in Florida. 

 Some of the native varieties of oranges, however, are reported 

 to do b(^ltor than any imported kinds. 



Great numbers of orange trees grow wild in iIr' nioun 

 tainons districts. The fruit is .stated to be of excellent 

 i|uality, and would ship well if properly handled. It grow.s, 

 howcvei', too far from the railway or fi'om passable roads to 

 lie a soui-ee of profit to any of the inhal)itants. It is 

 estimated that 100,000 boxes of oranges are annually lost in 

 Porto Itico on this .account. 



Artificial luami'res are u.sed on a fairly considerable scale 

 in the cidliv.-ili.in of both oranges and pine a])plcs. 



