244 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWif 



August 8, 1908. 



WEST INDIAN FRUI' 



THB CANARY 



BANANA INDUSTRY IN 



ISLANDS. 



Orticial retuni.s rolaliin,' t,o the exports uf baiiMiin.s 

 from the Canary Islands during the past year show that 

 there has been a slight falling off in the shipments as 

 compared with 190(). The number of crates exported 

 in 1907 were 2:^91,297. as compared with 2,-i7().044 

 in the jjrevicjiis year. This decline does nut however, 

 indicate that ihci-e is any jiermanent decrease in 

 production. 



It i.s reported liy the IJiitisJi CdiisuI :it the Canaries 

 that the (piahty of the bananas from tliose islands has lately 

 shown signs of degeneration, and this is stated to be due to 

 the nundicr of years that the tan<l lias been under the same 

 ■cultivation, and to the deficient system of maiuning practised. 

 Ripe-rot caused by {(^'/(leo.tpoiiiini miixdrum) was last year 

 <"vident in the case of large numbers of bundles. 



Owing to steady emigration from the Canaries t.) Cuba, 

 the fruit business of tlie islands is sutfering much from want 

 of labour. The jirofits of the banana industry are also stated 

 to have been diminished by the increased cost of irrigation 

 •and as the result of the keen competition exercised by the 

 Jamaica fruit on the I'.ritish market. 



In regard to the destination of the banana shipments, 

 the great bulk, 2,119,684 crates, went to the Cnited King- 

 <hjm. This cpiantity is, however, less by 165,000 crates 

 than the British imports of Canary Islands bananas in 1!)0G. 

 On llie other hand, the exports to .seveiii! European countries 

 show a considerable increase, (iermany took KiS.O'JS crates 

 of bananas, France 77,") 10 crates, and Spuin 26,00.") crates. 



The ]^)ritisli Cunsul expres.ses the l.eli,r thai with 

 increased facilities for shipment to ("ontinental ports, the 

 shipments of bananas in that direction would largely increase. 

 It is evident that the l'"rencli auil (ieiinan people are acc|iiii- 

 ing a taste for the fruit, and that with the provision <,( 

 a, better system of shipment and distrilaition, a hugely 

 extended market for the banana will be found. 



A con.sidcrable ](roportion of llic,, bananas shippeil to 

 Marseilles is re-exported to Kgypl, where, it is stated, tin- 

 fruit iinds a ready sale, despite the high price at wlii.li it is 

 retailed. 



The steam-hip conipanies engaged in the trans]ioit 

 trade recently combined, with one except ifin. to incicase the 

 freiglit chiirges from the Canaries to Creat r.ritain. 



At the beginning of 1907, the cost of transport to 

 London was l.v. .3(/. per crate, plus 10 jier cent, of the value. 



Towards the end of the year this was raised to Is. Sd. per crate, 

 plus 10 per cent. The rate to Liverpool was reduced to 

 i'ul. per crate, but afterwards advanced to l.v. This increase 

 of freight charges has caused a good deal of dissatisfaction 

 among iirodueers, and rates will possibly lie again reduced. 



THE ROSELLE OR RED SORREL. 

 Cotisideiable attetiiion li.is, during ilie jiast few 

 years, in the Hawaiian Islands been given to the 

 cultivation and uliliztition of the red sorrel {HU>iscn.-i 

 s(tl),/((rifi(,), so well know t) in tln^ West Indies. The 

 plant has been grown at the Hawaiian Agriudtural 

 Experiment Station, and the fruits made into jams 

 and jeilie.s. The following details are given in the 

 report for 1907 on the uork of the station, as to 

 methods id' cultivation of the plant : — 



111 Honolulu it is best to plant the seeds of the roselle 

 in lioxe-; or seed beds towards the end of Fel>iiiaiy or early in 

 .March, and to transplant to the open tielil when the plants 

 have attained a lieight of 6 or 8 inches. Seed planted 

 liefore this date has produced plants which have borne 

 |>reiiialiirely and have not produced the main cro]) earlier 

 than those from the seed planted later. The plants slioiilil 

 stand about ."5 to 4 feet apart in the row, and the rows 

 from 4 to 6 feet ajiart. If the soil is good and moisture 

 aliiindant, 4 by 6 feet will not be too great a distance. 



The soil for the ro.selle need not, however, he the 

 lichcsl, liiit good soil will yield corresiiondingly good results. 

 .\ small amount of after-cultivation will be necessary in 

 order to keep the soil well tilled and supplied with moisture. 



The yields in the ex|ieriment conducted at the station 

 Would average from 6,000 to 7,000 tti. per acre with a very 

 iiio(leiate use of water. The cost of picking these fruits 

 w.iiild lie from h: to i'c. per Ih. If produced in sufHcieiit 

 supply to liecome a regular article on the market, tliev 

 woiilil probably command a price of fc. per Iti. .\llowing Jjc. 

 fill the cost of gathering and \t: for packing materials, there 

 would remain '4c. per It), as the value of the fruit on tile 

 plants. Taking the yield at (),000 Hi., this would represent 

 a value of SI 80 per acre for the crop in the field. 



.Messrs. I'iekford it lilack re|iort that from .laniiary 1 to 

 .lime .'fO of the present year they shipped over .'irijOOl) barrels 

 of tlour from Canada to the West Indies and British (iiiiaiiii, 

 as compared with 20,000 barrels shipped in the first six 

 months of 1907. (Mnritlmt Mm-hant. Julv 9, 1908.) 



