Vol. XIV. No. 351. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 





of I k>m >ut on lands such as those 



of Mon i n here the re i ipen and the dry 



oj moisture fr >m the 

 upper layers of the soil. The lime is normally a 

 tree When grown in distri, lia le to seasonal drought the 



i i ; ivel, but 

 tions li ■ 1th ots d iveloped in the 



wet season are killed oul i I ry months, sometimes to 



a serious extent. < toe i ' the results ol exposure is a marked 

 increase in this effect. It is perm is nquire whether in 



some casi 8 the highl icial results obtained from heavy 



applications ;etable mulch have not been largely due 



to it> action as a soil covering rather than to the manurial 

 effects more ommonl} attributed t - . it in this connexion. 

 The quicknes of the results o m observed cases 



this view. On the other band, the presence 

 of large quantities of growing herbaceous vegetation aboul 

 the trees increases the rate of loss, and it would seem desir- 

 able to reduce its transpiring surface as much as possible 

 by cutting it just before the advent of the dry season. 



W.N. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN FIJI. 



Though much larger than the West Indies, the 

 islands of Fiji possess with us many features in common, 

 and the following note from a recent Colonial Report 

 as to the progress of planting in 1 '.*] 4 may be of interest. 

 Tha "figures given do not include native cultivation, 

 and so far as Europeans are concerned can only be 



taken as estimates, owing to the disinclination of - 



of the planters to furnish particulars of their cultivation. 



The number of acres under cane in 1914 was 62,851, 

 as against 18,208 in 1913, and the nurhber of tons ol cane 

 produced was 874,164 in 1914, as against 736,992 in L913. 



Notwithstanding these increases the export of sugar 

 ised from 94,710 tons in 1913 to 92,112 tons in 1914, 

 which is to be attributed mainly to unfavourable climatic 

 conditions. 



The area under coconuts cultivated by Europeans 

 was estimated at 42,492 acres in 1914, as against 32,915 

 acres in 1913. Returns from the Lau District are included 

 for the year 1914, and account for •",.'-".•7 acres of the 

 apparent extension of the area under coco-nuts. 



The copra industry, it is satisfactory to note, has improved, 

 The exports for L913 had been reduced considerably as 

 a result of a storm affecting the yield of plantations, and the 

 quantity exported may be expected to reach the normal rate 

 before long. During the early stages of the war the local 

 price for copra was vcr\ low and little or none was offered for 

 export. Later on, as the market price recovered somewhat, 

 shipments began again and the industry had settled down 

 before the end , ,| | he year. 



The area under bananas cultivated by Europeans was 

 estimated at 6,667 acres in L914, a against 6,608acres in 

 1913. A consid aount of this fruit is also grown on 



native plantations. The I bananas was increased 



considerably during 1914, and a corresponding rise in the 

 exports was inticipated. This was realized only in a p 



degree owing to the i f -hipping facilities in 



consequence of the war. 



The estimated area under cotton in 19] I was 530 acres, 

 as againsl 23 - 7 acres in 1913. Some progress has 

 made in ei waging Indians holding small leases to grow 

 on. 



DRUGS AND SPICES IN THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



Mr. J. 1!. ducks,,],. A.L.S., bus forwarded thi 

 ing reporl on the I., union drug and spice mai 



for i he niont h of J ul\ ; 



A fair amount oi business continue- to be trans; I 

 in the London drug and -pice markets. The quantitie 

 drugs and chemicals imported week by week go to | 

 the activity that still prevails in the overseas comm 



Notwithstanding Germany's i tinued submarine barba 



prices all round continue to advance, though citric acid has 

 q somewhal easier since our last report. The following 

 details will show the position of tin , I lian 



products at the time of writing. 



GINGER. 



At auction on the 25th, 200 barrels and 268 bags of 

 Jamaica ginger were offered of which 112 found buyers at 

 the following rates: Con. 6rf. to 67s. per cwt. for midd 

 bold, 62s. to 63«. for low middling, and 58s. to 60s. for . 1 

 ordinary. The offerings of calicul and Cochin were all 

 bought in at the following rates: 27s. per cwt. for brown 

 lough calicut and washed rough Cochin, and 30s. for b 



cuttings. Some small cut calicut in case.- was bought in it 



fOs. t,, 12s. Qd. 



.MACK, PIMENTO IND \ RROV ROOT. 



At the same auction on the 25th, West Indian mace 

 sold at 2s. 4rf. per lb. and Eastern at 2s. 3d.; pimento at 

 lfd., and St. Vincent arrowrool al -!'/.. at which rate 108 

 barrels were' disposed of. Good Natal realized S\d. per lb. 



s MCS UWKILLA. 



At the drug auction on the 12th of the month, sarsap- 

 arilla was in good supply as follows: Grey Jamaica 50 

 bales of which 25 wers sold. Lima-Jamaica 10 of which 

 8 were sold: native Jamaica 26, and l'1 sold Honduras 47 

 and none sold. The 25 bale.- of grey Jamaica realized Is. 

 to Is. 10«. per tt>. for fair fibrous, the 8 balesof Lima-Jamaica 

 Is. Sd. per lb. for good, and of the native Jamaica, dullish 

 red realized Is. lrf. per tb.. good red Is. 2d., and dull to fair red 

 Is. to Is. lrf. 



CITRIC MID, LIME OIL, I S.SSIA FISTULA, \NN\TTo SEED, 

 C \SIIKU \I Is, INI, KoI.A. 



Citric acid has been easier as the month progressed, 

 starting at 3s. 4rf , to 3s. lid. per lb, it dropped in the course 

 of a week to 3s. 3d. and at the close to 3s. 2d. per lb. In the 

 early part of the month lime oil was much in demand, with- 

 out any supplies. It was reported that as much as 9s. per lb. 

 had been paid for a small lot of West Indian distilled. The 

 position remained unaltered at the time of writing. The 

 supply of Cassia Fistula lias almost ceased throughout the 

 month, and enquiries have been made for it in the sale rooms. 

 The large quantity of 210 pacl - tnnatto see, 



ottered in the middle of the in,, nib. but none was sold. 

 It was said that fair dullish East Indian could be 

 obtained at from lid. to 8'/. In the middle of the month 

 a lot of some 60 pacl :ashe\\ nuts was offered, i".) 



of which sold at 9s. per cwt. Tt was stated that they n 

 in a badly weevilled c lition. Nineteen pacl i 



were als,, offered at this le an I disp >sed of al the followi ig 

 rates: fair dull Jamaica hal • lii Java 6 J'., 



small dull halves 6'i.j md pickings 



