Vol. XIV. No. 349. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



297 



Trade Conditions in British Colonies since the 

 War. 



In Ro Empire \ - appearing in the 



August nu ure, attention is 



disorganization <>l trade in s e of the 



larger British < consequent on the war. In Wesl 



Africa, for instance, il is mentioned thai the entire 



business - i n oi L\igeria has become more or less 



disorganized since the outbreak of war. Certain new 



outlets for trade have I n open d up lately, however, 



and it is hoped that the benefit derived from these 

 will, i" some extent, counterbalance the losses 

 experienced by the closing of other outlets. Importers 



ipical products and raw materials have suffered 

 considerably, and are likely bo continue to do so on 



nil of irregular markets, difficulties in delivery, 

 and heavj additional costs occasioned by the increase 

 in freights and insurances, and in the prices of coal 

 and material. With regard to mining, the state of war 



<m the Camer i frontier has asioned a temporary 



setback to this industry in Nigeria. In spite of the 

 present stagnation however, the assumption is made 

 that with the situation settled in Wesl Africa, trading 

 there is likely to expand beyond the limits hitherto 

 obtainable. 



Similarly, in India, the first result of the war was 

 the abrupt cessation of the considerable trade with 

 German) and Austria-Hungary, the imports of private 

 merchandise from which countries, during 1913-14, 



sejifced 7 per cent, ami 2"3 percent., respectively, 

 of the total imports of India: while of the exports from 

 India. Germany took ion per cent, and Austria- 

 Hungarj 4 per cent., the chief items being food-grains, 

 raw cotton, jute, seeds, hides, and skins. The shutting 

 off of the export trade is said to have proved even 

 more serious than the closure of the import trade, both 

 by reason of its greater value and because the removal 

 of these two customers for exported Indian goods 

 concurrentlj with the dislocation pi trade in other 

 lirections, resulted in a reduction in the demand for, 

 and in the price of, certain important commodities. 

 In regard to jute for example, Bengal has been greatly 

 affected. Very high prices were realized in the 

 preceding year, as much as £6 being obtained for 

 a bale of raw jute. A record crop was grown last 

 year, and prices fell as low as £2 Is. 4</. a bale. 

 Diffic dties have also been experienced with regard 

 to cotton, mainly on the Bombay side. The 

 position was unsatisfactory when war broke out, 

 previous overtrading, and the depression caused by 

 the banking crisis of 1913-14 having led to the 



accumulation of stocks of piece>g Is and the 



lock up of capital in connexion therewith. Then 

 came the war, and with it the cutting off of 

 markets and a fall in the price of raw cotton. Another 

 staple product seriously affected is the ground nut 

 prop of Madras, which is usually largely exported to 

 France. It is satisfactory to mention, however, that 

 the general situation has been eased to some extent 

 by the recovered security of Indian waters, and there 

 are also welcome indications oi in leasing confidence 

 ■and trade activity in India itself. 



Guide to the Dominica Gardens. 



The follow ing : , t the i Official 



Guide to the Botanic Gardens, Dominica, which was 



issued b\ tin- Dep ken from Natwre, for 



Julj 29, 1915:— 



An official guid to the Botanic ( lardi ns 

 Dominica, has recently been issued < price Qd. i. to wh 

 we would direct the ir attention of all 



resti (1 in botanj and in the tropical economic 

 products of the world, ! le consists of sou,,. 

 fort} lour pages with a good index, a map of the 

 gardens, anda number of interesting illustrations. Tl 

 area under cultival ton is now . 60 a xes, and 

 consists of the garden proper oi I I acres, with expei 

 ment grounds and nurseries, [n the dsed 



the lime cacao, mango Para rubber, coffee, and other 

 plants which are supplied at cosl pri the planting 



mi nil . and ii is here that i he grafting of cacao, 

 limes, etc., and other experiments are earned out, which 

 have made the Dominica G ar dens renowned. To the 

 botanist, however, the gajden proper is the more 

 important feature. Here may be seen a multitude 



• resting and n- fnl trees and shrubs remarkably well 

 grow n and displayed, and in the guide particulars of the 

 various plants and notes on their economic value are 

 given. In L892, a year alter the garden was formed, 

 Mr. Joseph Jones was sen! from blew and has now 



I n Curator for twenty three years. It is to his skill 



and devotion that Dominica now possesses for its size 

 one of the finest tropical botanic gardens in the world. 

 Mr. Jones is to be congratulated on having produced 

 so excellent and useful a guide, which will be much 

 appreciated.' 



The Control of Ticks. 



Our readers will have noted the advertising 

 campaign which Messrs. Cooper and Nephews have 

 started in the West Indies through the medium of this 

 journal. By this and other efforts the firm has shown 

 considerable enterprise in the West Indies, and not 

 without justification. The veterinary problem of the 

 West Indies is the tick problem. It is true that 

 cattle raising and dairying are not organized industries 

 as they are in other and larger parts of the Empire: 

 this to some extent excuses the general apathy of local 

 -lock owners; but the facl remains that with working 

 cattle the efficiency of the animals is greatly increased 

 by the eradication of ticks, and there is no doubt that 

 the same holds good for animals raised locally for the 

 purpose of supplying meat and milk. The results 

 obtained from spraying in Antigua have justified the 

 most sanguine expectations. Animals that have been 

 treated two or three times show a complete absence of 

 the parasite, and they look more thrifty and their skins 

 rue softer and more pliable. For a full account of the 

 results of the trials referred to, the reader may consult 

 the West Indian Bulletin, Vol. XIV, No. 2. pp. 122 

 25. A more recent article on the subject is that 

 which appears in the Agricultural News for July :;, 

 1915, where it is stated that Messrs. Cooper and 

 Nephews have offered bonuses equal to half the cost, of 

 erecting two swim dips in Antigua. 



