180 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 6, 1914. 



FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. 



OAOAO CULTIVATION IN TRINIDAD 

 AND THE GOLD COAST. 



In this short note further publicity will be given to 

 Mr. W. G. Freeman's discussion of the relative characteristics of 

 cacao cultivation in Trinidad, and on the West Coast of Africa. 

 The discussion arose through the publication in the Philippine 

 Agrimltural Revmu, of an article which contrasted the 

 cultural skill of the two colonies much to the disadvantage of 

 Trinidad. The general trend of this article is that the cacao 

 planter of Trinidad should pay greater attention to cultivation 

 and that if he did so he would secure a larger crop. It is 

 stated further that whilst the output of cacao from the Gold 

 Coast has increased largely since 1910, that from Trinidad 

 during the same period has decreased. The explanation 

 ofTered is that the Gold Coast industry has advanced owing 

 to scientific horticulture and careful attention to field methods, 

 whilst the diminution in the Trinidad output is presumably 

 attributable to the combination of bad cultural methods, 

 absurd overshading and a very severe fungus disease. 



As a matter of fact this explanation of the decrease in 

 exports since 1910 for Trinidad and the results for the Gold 

 Coast is completely wrong. It so happens that 1910, the 

 year taken for comparison is the year of the record cacao 

 crop for Trinidad. Since 1910 the colony has experienced 

 a succession of dry seasons — the droughts of 1911-12 and to 

 a less degree of 1912-13 being amongst the most severe that 

 the colony has ever felt. Thus the reduction in output is 

 due almost entirely to the reduction of rainfall. 



In the case of the cacao industry on the Gold Coast 

 circumstances are entirely different. The enormous increase 

 has simply been due to a rapid increa.se of the large and 

 remarkably well suited areas for cacao growing which occur 

 in that colony. The conclusion must be drawn from the 

 reports of the departments of agriculture that the present 

 magnitude of the Gold Coast industry is by no means due 

 to science — it is essentially due to the natural advantage 

 of large suitable areas and cheap labour. 



Whereas the officers in charge of agricultural activity 

 are doing excellent work in both colonies it behoves the 

 growers in Trinidad to bear in mind that they have in the 

 Gold Coast a formidable competitor, which, when means of 

 transport have been more fully developed, will undoubtedly 

 be a serious opponent of the Trinidad grower on the cacao 

 market, unless he gives greater attention to uniformity, and to 

 the production of the best type. 



THE ORANGE OIL INDUSTRY. 



The oils of orange (sweet and bitter) and lemon were 

 first produced commercially in Southern Italy and Sicily. 

 The output from these places has held the first position in 

 the world's markets for many years. Each manufacturer or 

 syndicate of growers sells under brands which are well 

 known for their purity, standard, quality, etc., each ship- 

 ment being sold under the guarantee of one or other 

 of the well-known analytical chemists who test the 

 various essential oils. Until the time of the Messina 

 earthquake (where large stocks of new seasons oils 

 were destroyed) there was practically no sale for West 

 Indian orange oil; Sicilian sweet orange oil and bitter 

 orange oil of well-known brands held the market at 



prices which ranged from 4s. to 4s. ^d. per B)., c. i. f. 

 London or other parts. The very best of Jamaica oil was 

 of no interest to the large consumers. There is quite an 

 appreciable difference in its chemical constituents in compari- 

 son with the standard Sicilian oils. Buyers were afraid to 

 use it largely as it would alter the flavour of their essences or 

 the odour of their perfumes in which it would be used. 

 There was an ample supply of the standard oil to which they 

 had been accustomed, so why change, unless the West Indian 

 could sell lower in price to induce a change. Small quanti- 

 ties of West Indian oil were sold at 3s. and 3s 6t7. per lb., 

 these prices being less than cost of production. The Messina 

 earthquake occurred and apparently destroyed practically the 

 whole of the season's production. Manufacturers had then 

 to turn to the West Indies for their season's supply. Jamaican 

 manufacturers did their best to meet the demand at the 

 higher prices that were offered and were given a chance to 

 show that the West India oil although .slightly different, 

 could under the circumstances be substituted for the oils 

 previously used. The following season Sicily experienced 

 a severe drought and a consequent shortage of oil. By this 

 time the prices had dropped to normal but the West Indian 

 oils were now being purchased by several buyers at a price 

 which still left a fair margin to the producers. Fortunately 

 the chief producers in Jamaica appreciated the fact that to 

 hold their own, it was necessary to exercise the greatest 

 possible ciire in every step of the manufacturing process, and 

 to clarify the oil in such a way as to prevent the oxidation of 

 the delicate ethers in the oil on which its value rests. While 

 in Sicily the oranges are grown chiefly in groves and are 

 rinded in central factories, Jamaican oranges are spread 

 over pastures and hillsides. This condition makes centraliza- 

 tion impossible. 1^'easants have to be sent out with hand 

 machines and bottles to collect and rind the fruit under the 

 trees, the bottles containing, after rinding the fruit, a mix- 

 ture of oil, mucilage and juice. This has to settle and the 

 oil to lie decanted and sent as quickly as possible to 

 be clarified and carefully packed in copper drums, the inside 

 of which have been coated with a film of pure tin. The 

 oil can then be shipped. 



The greatest care has to be taken in every stage so far, but 

 still more care has to be taken in offering the oil for sale. 

 At the present time the bulk of the oil produced in Jamaic* 

 is handled by two firms of London merchants who act as 

 agents for the producers. The oil is sold by private contract 

 according to brand, great care being necessary both in selling 

 and manufacturing so as not to overstock the market. The 

 market must be carefully fed and stocks of oil securely held. 

 This is most important. Oil deteriorates after twelve months 

 and buyers know this. To embark on the orange oil business 

 requires capital not only to pay for oil and the comparatively 

 high expenses of manufacture and handling, but also to be 

 able to hold it for several months if necessary until the 

 market is favourable. A forced sale, to realize, means not 

 only a loss to the owner of that oil, but also risk of causing 

 a slump in prices which would affect other producers. For 

 the past two years the prices paid by producers to the owners 

 of fruit together with the wage paid to the person rinding 

 the fruit has been higher than the normal selling price 

 c. i. f. London. While prices in London during these times 

 more or less warranted it, it is a very dangerous position. 

 Prices are now falling in Europe and when the price becomes 

 normal, producers here will have to reduce the prices to the 

 orange growers and to the rinders. 



In Sicily the cost of collecting is approximately 8d. 

 per lb. In Jamaica, labourers are paid from Is. 3c?. to 

 Is. 9ci. per bottle (1 R. 2 oz.). The difference between 



