Vol. XII. No. 296. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



2S7 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



The Report of Mr. J. R. Jackson is as follows: — 



Business in Mincing Lane, not onlj- in drugs and spices 

 but in general produce also, has been of a normal character 

 for the season of the year. July and August being the chief 

 holiday months, very little business is anticipated, and the 

 month under review, has passed with very few e.fceptions to 

 the rule, either in the extent of business, or in prices realized, 

 the exceptions being a plentiful supply of Cassia Fistula at 

 the beginning of the month, and a consequent decline in the 

 prices realized. Mace also, in the middle of the month 

 dropped from Id. to 2d per tti. on previous prices. The 

 following are the details affecting West Indian products. 



GINGER. 



At the first spice auction on the iind of the month the 

 offerings amounted to 531 bags and 14 cases, all of which 

 were bought in at the following rates. Brown rough Calicut, 

 good medium and bold 38.s. medium part shrivelled 35s., 

 limed cut tips 40s., and washed rough CVichin 29.s-. to 30.v., per 

 cwt. A week later nainely on the 9th n fe.w ssles of Calicut 

 were etiected. Cut tips fetching '32s. 6d , and biight cuttings 

 35s. Bold was bought in at 85s., medium at Go.--, and small 

 cut at 42s, 6d. Brown rough Calicut was also bought in at 

 35s. and washed rough Cochin at 30s. 



NUTMEGS AND MACE. 



The first sale of the month opened on the 2nd with 

 201 packages West Indian nutmegs which were sold at the 

 following rates: 66's, 5|c?., 80's to 90's, 4W. to 5d , 92s to 

 9S"s, ihd. to i'ld., 100s to llO's, Ud. to"5d, and 147s, 'jd. 

 These prices were from |rf. to Id. lower than previous prices. 

 On the 10th of the month the sales amounted to 650 

 packages of West Indian, which opened at easier rates, but 

 later became steadier. On the 23rd, 805 packages were 

 brought forward and sold, fiO's to 67's fetching 5d. to Shd., 

 70's to 80's, 5d. to 6hd., 81's to 90's ihd. to b\d., 104's" to 

 114's, 4|rf. to 5d, 126's to 136's, i^d. to 4fd and 145's and 

 164's. ikd. 'rhirty-four packages of ]']astern were also dis- 

 posed of at the following rates: 58's to GS's, Id. to 9d , 78's 

 to 95's, 5'/. to 5hd. and llO's i'^d. At the last auction on 

 the 30th 114 packages West Indian were offered and sold at 

 prices varying but slightly from the preceding 



Mace was represented at the first spice auction on the 2nd 

 of the month by 64 packages of West Indian, all but one of 

 ■which sold, fair to good reddish fetching 2s. 2d. to 2s. M. 

 per tt)., dark red 2s to 2.<. Id. and broken Is. Ctd. to Is lOd.; 

 on the 9th of the month 213 packages of West Indian were 

 brought forward, 200 of which sold at 1'^. to 2d. lower, for 

 mixed sorts, while good to fine realized full prices; fair to 

 pale fetching 2s. 5d. to 2s. 6d , pale and reddish 2s. 2d. to 

 2s. 3d. and dark to fair reddish Is. lid. to 2s. Id. and 

 broken Is. 6d. to Is. 9c?. per lb. At the auction on the 23rd 

 the offerings amounted to 199 packages of West Indian all 

 of which sold at from Is. 9(^. to 2s. od. for fair and broken 

 at Is. 5c?. to Is. Id. per lb. At the last sale on the 30th only 

 29 packages of West Indian were offered and sold at prices 

 varying but slightly from those of the previous week. 



SAESAPARILLA. 



At the first drug auction on the 10th sars.aparilla was 

 almost a neglected commodity, native Jamaica being the 

 only kind represented, and thi.s only by 12 packages, 

 none of which, however, found buyers, the whole being 

 bought in at 8d. to 10(/. per lb. for ordinary pale red and 

 yellow. It was stated thai privately 2s. per Ui. was asked 

 for a limited quantity of giey .Jamaica, and the same price 

 for Lima. At auction nn the 24 th, the offerings were as 

 follows: grey Jamaica 20 bales, native Jamaica 37 bales, 

 and Lima Jamaica 3 bales. The whole of the former were 

 disposed of, fair to good fibrous fetching Is. 8d. to Is. lOd. 

 per ft).. Is. 7d. for ordinary roughish, and Is id. to Is 6d. 

 for sea damaged. Of the 37 bales of native Jamaica only 

 3 were disposed of, good red realizing 10c/. per lb. and fair 

 red pre.ss packed M The 3 bales of Lima Jamaica were 

 unsold. 



C.\SSIA FISTULA, OIL OF LIME, ANNATTO SEED AND 

 TAMARINDS. 



In the early part of the month it was reported tliat 

 East Indian cassia fistula was both cheap and abundant, 

 15s 6d. per cwt. being the price quoted for good quality; 

 at auction on the 24th, 14 packages were offered, but 4 

 only found buyers at 17s. 6c?. per cwt. for good stout 

 West Indian. It was reported at the beginning of 

 the month that the supplies of distilled oil of lime 

 was becoming rapidly exhausted at 3s. per ft). At 

 the close of the month, however, 2s. 9d. was the 

 price quoted for good West Indian distilled, at the 

 drug auction on the 10th 49 bags of fair bright 

 coconada annatto seed were brought forward and the whole 

 disposed of, fair bright fetching 4c?. to i^d., and country 

 damaged 3d. to 3 Jc?. per ft). At auction on the 9th, 1 1 barrels 

 of tamarinds from Montserrat were offered and sold at 14s. per 

 cwt. for fair darkish in bond. At the last auction 48 packages 

 of West Indian were brought forward, 7 only of which found 

 buyers at the same rate for dry Montserrat namely 14-. per 

 cwt. Twelve packages of fair juicy Barbados were bought in 

 at 1 7s. in bond. p]ast Indian were reported to be exceedingly 

 scarce. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial CoimmissiDner of Agriculture is 

 expected to arrive in Barbados, from duty leave in 

 England, on October 6, 1913. 



Mr. P. T. Saunders, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Officer 

 to the Department, returned to Barbados, from 

 St. Vincent and the Leeward Islands, on Atigust 

 2(3, 1913. 



Mr. W. Robson, Curator of the Botanic Station, 

 Montserrat, arrived in Barbados on August 25 by iho 

 R. M. S. 'Trent', en route for ^Montserrat aftei' three 

 months' leave of absence spent in England. 



It is itated in the Voice of St. Lucia (July 5, 1913) that 

 the Agricultural Superintendent in that island conducted the 

 examination during 1912 in the primary schools of the 

 Presidency. The examiner urges that more practical work 

 should be done, and that the scholars be given opportunities 

 to do things, and not only hear about tbem. 



