THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Jaxuakv 3, 1914. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



THE CUBAN FRUIT GROWERS' AND 

 SHIPPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The above organization has recently been instituted in 

 Cuba by the growers and shippers of fruits, vegetables and 

 other perishable agricultural produce, to take the place of the 

 Cuba Fruit Exchange, in connexion with the management of 

 which there was considerable faction some time ago. 



The underlying principles of tUis new society are some- 

 what as follows. Only growers may become members unless 

 the Executive Committee vote unanimously to permit anyone 

 not a grower to join. All surplus in the hands of the 

 Treasurer, after paying the operating expenses of the year, 

 is issued as a dividend, save that •'52,000 may be taken from 

 such surplus for the purchasing of necessary supplies to be 

 sold to member.-! at exact cost An important feature of the 

 organization is that it is personally represented in the markets 

 of the North and in Cuba by employees hired and jiaid 

 exclusively by the society and dependent upon giving good 

 results in order to keep their positions. Each member must 

 export all produce through the Association, and sell all citrus 

 fruits in the liome market through it if the value of tlie .sale 

 is more than ■■?2.5, or if he per.sonally makes the sale, he shall 

 pay the usual commission to the Association. He may, 

 however, ship to any firm abroad, but if this firm is not 

 amongst those approved by the society, it does not assume 

 any responsibility (or the returns from such shipment, nor for 

 the remittance of the returns 



The packing of produce is standardized. This will lead 

 to a high reputation for produce bearing the Association's 

 mark. 



The general form of organization is that of a Joint Stock 

 Company, this form having been adopted because it is 

 essential under the laws of the island. However, the share 

 of stock issued to members is in reality only a certificate of 

 membership, as it entitles them to no profits. 



The employees of the Association in North .America, in 

 addition to inspecting the goods there and superintending 

 sales, making remittances of returns, repoits, etc., are obliged 

 to present for payment all claims for loss in transit and 

 damages, and will be backed in their just demands by the 

 full influence of the organization. 



The manager of the Association is empowered to obtain 

 from the transportation companies the most favourable rates 

 and best facilities for the rapid and safe handling of the 

 produce of its members. 



A certain fixed amount is levied against pach package 

 of any character shipped by the members, which will be 

 collected from their returns from such shipments. 



risen from •i!277, 746 to •■? 1,009,-596. Native cultivation of 

 this crop is also extending. While the quantity of Cdcao 

 obtained by the natives amounted to only u.36 tons in 1910 

 the produce was about 714 tons in 1912. 



Cacao in Kamerun — According to an interesting 

 note published in the Chamber of Commerce Journal 

 (December 1913), most of the cacao estates in Kamerun 

 (German West Africa) are situated on volcanic soils at the 

 foot of the Kamerun mountains. During the period 1904 

 to 1906, the cultivation of cacao in this Protectorate, passed 

 through a serious crisis on account of the appearance of the 

 so-called 'brown rot' disease, and about 40 per cent. n{ the 

 plants were ruined. The people became discouraged and 

 rubber began to be substituted for cacao; Ijut of recent years 

 planters have returned to the old cultivation. From 1906 

 to 1912 — six years — the value of the cocao exported has 



THE RIPENING OF BANANAS. 



The followino; results, taken from the E.rperiin'rat 

 Station Record (( )ctober 191o), h.ave been obtained in 

 the course of an in\estigatiori into the changes which 

 take place during the ripening of bananas: — 



Ripening changes progress regularly to a maximum and 

 then decline; at its greate3t intensity, ths heat production 

 is equivalent to approximately 1 calorie per hour per 

 kilogram of bananas. 'The heat liberated is a measure of 

 the activity of one or m'lre of the ripening proc^s?es. 

 Analysis his shown that during ripening the banana starch 

 is transformed into cane sugar and the cine sugar into invert 

 sug-iv, and that there are important changes in the character 

 of the tannin compound-', and that other changes occur, 

 brought about by the production of aroma and flavour 

 bodies, and perhaps in other ways. It has also been found 

 that in addition to the transformation of carbohydrates, there 

 is an actuil loss of this food constituent during ripenin". 

 From the data for oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide, and 

 heat output, it appears that the heat liberated by the ripen- 

 ing bananas is largely due to the destruction of carbohy- 

 drates.' The results which are reported and discussed 

 represent only part of the experimental data which have 

 been accumulated. 'No attempt is made at this time to 

 draw deductions regarding the practical applications which 

 can be made, as this may be done more properly when 

 experiments now under way are completed.' 



The Cultivation of Cardamoms in Ceylon.— 



Nearly every lea planter in Ceylon devotes a small proportion 

 of his estates to the cultivition of cardamoms as a side is-^ue. 

 The cardamom in England and Germany especially has an 

 important use in the manufacture of medicines as a stimulant 

 aromatic, and to neutralize unpleasant tastes in a variety of 

 medicines. In northern l'".urope, cardamoms are used as a spice 

 for fl-ivouring cakes and in the preparation of liquers. In 

 Germany the perfectly dried seeds or capsules are sold by 

 almost every grocer as a spice for curry and for home-made 

 curry powders. They are also ground in little spice mills, 

 and the powder is used in miking certain kinds of bread, in 

 the preparation of sausages, in cookery, and in tinning fish. 

 The essential oil of cardamoms is now being used by some of 

 the largest perfumers in France and the United States. The 

 oil retains its qualities for an indefinite period, if kept in well- 

 stoppered bottles. In India the well-to-do native classes mike 

 large use of cardamoms in cookery, flavouring curries, cakes, 

 and confectionery. On the Ceylon plantations coolies gather 

 by hand the cardamom seed capsules, which, spread on trays, 

 slowly bleach and dry in the sun, and are then clipped, 

 graded, and packed in bo.xes or bags of .50 to 100 ft), for 

 export. Of late a strong demand has arisen from India for 

 dried green cardamoms, which are more highly flavoured 

 than the bleached cardamoms. (Journal of tin Royal 

 Soriefr/ of Art 1, November 'iS, 1913.) 



