•24-2 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



AiuivsT 1, 1914. 



with this prcxhict. a rfCtent suggestion concerning trade 

 with British Colombia is of interest. It has been con- 

 sidered possible that the (jpening of the Panama Canal 

 may lead to the subsidization of a low freight service of 

 steamships between Vancouver and these parts, which 

 will bring down hnnber and return with sugar, spices 

 and other products from the West Indies. It will be 

 seen that in the event of the institution of such 

 a Service then- would he a cii'cnlai' steamer comnnniica- 

 titin with Canada, and on the Western side a new 

 source of demand would be touched, w-hich, up to the 

 present, the West Ijidies have not been in contact with. 



A great deal of interest is being displayed at 

 thv present time in coinu'.xioii with West Indian trade 

 w ith Canada in the so-called minor products. It seems 

 woi'th while referring to this section of the trade at 

 some leiigtb, for it is a matter of certainty that the 

 West Indies possess great chances of extending them- 

 selves commercially in the prodnction of the so-called 

 niinoi' crops. It will be understood that the production 

 of these commodities, like fruit and vegetables, which 

 are cari'ied on by the individual on a small scale, neces- 

 sitates co-operation if it is desired to establish a perma- 

 nent trade. A good e.xample of what can be done is 

 seen in tlu' Antigua Onion Growei-s' Association — 

 a society which buys locally grown onions, grades them 

 .■md ships theiii to Canada where there are sdld on well 

 organized lines to special agents in toucli with the 

 Canadian market. There is no doubt that similar 

 .success could l)e .-ichieved in regard to other pj'oducts. 

 For the past year or two attention has been given to 

 the possibility of establishing a trade w^ith Canada 

 in cassava starcli. Provided a sufficient amount of this 

 Were (jroduced ,iiid sold Co-operatively in marketable 

 amounts, tliere sccuis little doubt that an important 

 trade in this coniiiiodity too could be establishe<i with 

 Canada where cas.sava starch has two special uses — in 

 the manufacture of expliisives and in the confectioni'rv 

 trade. Though rather opposite in nature, these usi's 

 are specialized ones and indicate that a paiticular 

 demand exists for the material in ipiestion. It is inter- 

 esting t<> note that in romiexion witli the empKivnient 

 of cassava in ihc niaknig ot explosives, the Canadian 

 Government has recently introduced a special prefci- 

 ential tariff foi' the Bi'itish grown material. Fur- 

 thei'uioi'e I'ecent eorrospondenre with ( 'anad.-i li,-is 

 shown tli.it the prici's wiiich bnyei's ai'e now \m- 

 pai-i'd to offer foi' dried cas.sava ai-e likeh id 

 he such as uill make its cultivation .ind jMcpara- 

 tion in the West Indies decidedly popular. To some 

 <xtent what has been .said in regard to cassava holds 

 ^.iiid in the case of other starch producing plants like 



sweet potato. There is some likelihood that a ti-ade 

 may be developed in this aiticle als(j. As regards Iniit, 

 there is already evidence to show that West Indian 

 trade with Canada is quickly developing. The exjjorts 

 of gi-een limes last year gi-eatly exceeded those sent 

 during the previous twelve months, and in view of the 

 Cold .storage accommodation offered by the newly 

 established Royal Mail Steamsliip Service between 

 Halifax. St. John, and these islands, it maybe expected 

 that the more perishable fruits will be more extensively 

 grown for export.^ We would paiticularly call attention 

 to the suitability of mangoes, grape fruit, avocado pears 

 and similar kinds of truit, though it will li.-n-e to be 

 borne in mind, especially in regard to mangoes, that 

 a high ijuality and uniform article only is likelv to 

 produce a regular and constant demand in the Xcjitliern 

 markets. 



The facts expressed in the above paragraphs may 

 help to bring out .some of the uses to which an exhibi- 

 tion like that of Toronto can he ])ut for displaying the 

 lai'ge variety of commodities other than sugar with 

 which the West Indies can supply the Dominion more 

 cheaply than most other Tropical countries. It is 

 desirable that the possibilities of the West Indies and 

 their resources ^nd the good agricultural organization 

 that exists, should be brought before the Canadian 

 merchant and the Canadian cousumei-. Xo better 

 opportunity for doing this effectively is afforded than by 

 the National Exhiliition. It is necessary to undei-stand 

 however, tliat exhibits alone are not sufficient. There 

 must be reliable, attractive and suggestive literature 

 ciiculated, and what is perhaps more essential, there 

 nnist be repi'esentatives at these exhibitions who have 

 a personal knowleilge of local conditions in the West 

 Indies to answer enquiries concei'uing the .samples dis- 

 played. It is hoped that tiiis depai'tments booklet 

 entitled the West Indies in ( 'an,id;i may serve a useful 

 purpose in this respect. As regar<ls jier.sonal represent- 

 ation, tlie West Indies have to acknowledge the impoi'tant 

 assistance rendered by Mr. C. S. Picktbrd of the fiiin of 

 ;\Iessrs. Pickford and Black. Ltd.. and particularly that of 

 ^fr. Mousii', .Secretary of the Canada- West India League. 

 It wouhl be well, however, if the West Indies were, 

 annually rej)resented by West Indians, by agents whose 

 interests weie in the West Indies and who were 

 familiar .nnd in touch with the exact conditions of 

 production and .sale. The Imperial Department this 

 year, as well as publishing the literature already 

 i-eferred to, has. been in correspondence, at the sugges- 

 tion of Mr. C. S. Pickford, with various West Indians 

 now residing in Canada, in the hope of obtaining their 

 .services in the direction already indicated. Whether 



