Vol. XIII. No. 318. 



THE AGRICULTURAL XEW.S. 



223 



Sisal Hemp. — A correspondent to the Journal of the 

 JaM'iica AgrirHltural Society (April 19U) states that he has 

 grown Henei|uen (Yucatan sisal) in .lamaica on hard clay 

 soil and that the yields have been exceptionally goo 1. Five 

 leave.s of varied lengths gave S.', oz. of dry fibre, which means 

 a little over 100 ft. per 1. 000 leaves. The plant takes three 

 years to arrive at the cutting stage. The writer then proceeds 

 to point out the ditl'erence between Henequen and Me.xican 

 sisal {Agare sisiihwa) a.s regards their respective yields. 

 Henequen, it is stated, gives at least 60 per cent, nioie fibre 

 per 1,000 leaves than sisalana. Another important point is 

 that Henequen is a long-lived plant, while several other 

 varieties possess much shorter vegetative periods. 



The reader will remember that the successful cultivation 

 of Aqaie fisulana in .Jamaica was described in a recent issue 

 of the Atjriraltnral Xeu's, and the above note is of interest 

 as showing the attention which sisal in general is receiving 

 in Jamaica, many parts of which island are admirably 

 suited for what has already been [)roved to be a very 

 paying cultivation. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS, 



DRUGS AND SPIOES IN TBE LONDON 



MARKET. 



Mr. J. K. Jackson, A.L.S., ha« forwarded the 

 following report on the London drug and spice markets 

 for the month of :\lay: — 



The general condition of the London drug and spice 

 markets has .shown but little improvement during the month 

 of May, from that which previously prevailed. The demand 

 for goods generally has been very slow, and prices have, for 

 the most part maintained an even lialunce. Citric acid still 

 maintains its high position. West Indian mace and Cassia 

 Fistula both advanced towards the close of the month; white 

 grey Jamaica sarsaparilla which at the beginning was lower, 

 recovered itself towards the end. The following are some of 

 the chief details. 



At the first spice auction on the 6th, the offerings of 

 559 bags of Cochin and Calicut were a^ bought in at 28s. 

 for good, bright, washed, rough, ('ochin, and 20s. for brown, 

 rough wormy Calicut. On the 20th, 101 bags of Japan were 

 offered and sold without reserve at 19s. &d. to 20s. for limed; 

 770 bags of Cochin and Calicut were also offered and bought 

 in, slightly wormy and unsorted native cut, at 4.5s., washed, 

 rough Cochin at 27s., and brown, rough Calicut at 26s. to -SOs. 



XUTMEG.S, MACE, PIMENTO AND ARROWROOT. 



Nutmegs were in good demand at the first auction on 

 the 6th of the month, 78 packages of West Indian being 

 offered and sold at the following rates: 6-i's to 7rs Id. to 

 9(1, 76's to S7's rt\d. to 6c?., 89's to 99's M. to b\d., and 

 119's 4|rf. On the 20th of the month 297 packages of 

 West Indian were brought forward and sold at: CTs to 67's 



Id. to ^d., 72's to 77's ohd. to Q\d., 83's to 88's ^ to 

 oU, 97's to 107's ild. to l\d., lOS's to 116's iU. to M. 

 and 123 to 129's od. At these two auctions West Indian 

 mace was represented at the first by 37 package.?, all of 

 which were disposed of, fair to good fetchir^ 2s. 2<?. tc 

 2s. 4c?., red Is. 9c?. to Is. lOc?., ordinary Is. lie?, to 2s., 

 and broken is. M. A foitnight later, namely, on the 26th, 

 71 packages of West Indian were disposed of, 2s. \d. to 2.s. 2d. 

 being paid for fair and pale. Is lOtf. to 2s. for red and 

 Is. 3c?. to Is 8d. for broken. For 12 packages of Java, 

 2.5. M. was paid for bold heavy red, 2s for broken red, 

 and Is. 7c?. to Is. lOo?. for damaged. Of pimento, 43 

 bags ordinary were offered on the 6th of the month and 

 bought in at 2^o?. At the same auction 140 barrels of fair 

 St. Vincent manufacturing arrowroot was offereil and 

 bought in at 2|c?. 



SARSAPARILLA. 



At the drug auction on the 14th, sarsaparilla was in 

 good supply, being represented by 38 liales of grey Jamaica, 

 (J of Lima-.Jamaica, and 11 of native Jamaica. The whole 

 of the first and last were disposed of, fair grey fetching from 

 Is. be/, to Is. 9c?., and course slightly .sea damaged Is. Id. 

 This was from 2c?. to 3c?. cheaper than previous rates. For 

 the native Jamaica, on the contrary, \d. per fc. advance 

 was paid, namely Is. M. to Is. M. for fair red, Is. \d. for 

 dull red and yellow, and Is. to Is. ]<?. for dull red and 

 yellow. For the 6 bales of fair Lima Jamaica Is Qd. per &. 

 was asked, and an offer of Is .5c?. refused. At the last 

 auction on the 2Sth the offerings were grey Jamaica 9 bales, 

 Lima-Jamaica 27 bales, and native Jamaica 7. The whole 

 of the first were sold. Is. 9c?. to Is. 10-?. being paid for fair 

 to good grey, Is. Id. for part dark and coarse, and Is. 2i. for 

 rough and chumpy. The 7 bales of native Jamaica were 

 also sold, part dullish red fetching Is. 3c?. per !b. and Is. Id. 

 to Is. 2c?. for bright red and yellow mixed; 2 bales only of 

 the Lima-Jamaica found buyers at Is. M. for good rolled. 



CITRIC ACID, LIME JCICE, LIME OIL, TAMARINDS, CASSIA 

 FISTULA AND KOLA. 



At the beginning of the month citr-c acid was quoted 

 at 2s. \d. to 2s. 4ic?. per &., which was an advance on that 

 of the previous month. At the close i-l ihe month it was 

 reported scarce and very firm at 2s. ort per 11) Lime iuice 

 also was quoted in the early part of the in ■nth at anything 

 from Is. id. to 2s. per gallon, accordiipg t'j ihe quality. At 

 the close it was stated that good pale raw .la iiaii:a could be 

 had at Is. 9o?. per gallon. At auction on iih llth, lime oil 

 was represented by 15 cases from .Martinique, all of which 

 sold at 2s. 9rf. to 2.-:. 10c?. per lb. for good distlled. It was 

 stated that privately some sales had been effected in West 

 Indian distilled at 2s. llic?. per tb., for h.md pre.?sed 9s. to 

 9s. dd. was asked. At the last auction on the 28th, 10 cases 

 of .Jamaica distilled were offered and h^ld afo?., 2s. lie?, 

 being refused. Five cases of hand pressed St. Lucia were 

 sold at 8s. 6c?. per lb. Of tamarinds, 3 1 cases were offered 

 at auction on the 28th, fair Barbados fetched 15s. at which 

 rate 10 barrels were disposed of; 6 barrels of Nevis were 

 also sold at 1 4s , and at this rate Tamarinds remained firm 

 at the close of the month. Cassia Fistila wai represented 

 at auction on the 28th by 23 pack iges li fair lean Java, 

 none of which sold, being firmly held at 22.9. 6c? per cwt. 

 Kola was also represented at this audi -w by 2 bags of 

 West Indian, both of which found buyivo a,;, '^\l. for faie 

 dried, and 2}c?. for dullish mouldy. 



