Vol. IX. No. 212. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



191 



TAPPING THE TALIPOT PALM. 



On the completion of the (leriod of its \egetative growth, 

 the Talipot palm (Corypha imiliracidi/tv'i) sends up, at the 

 top of the stem, a single spadix of enormous size. Unlike 

 the development of the generality of other palm spadices, 

 that of the Talipot is remarkably, slow. It is said to attain 

 to a height of 6 feet anil a basal girth of from 2 to 

 .3 feet, in not less than two months from the date of its 

 emergence. At the end of this period, and before the spathe 

 bursts, the tapper a-cends the gigantic stem by means of 

 light ladders constructed of banil)00. At the top and over the 

 bases of the leaf stalks, the tajjper constructs a platform of 

 bamboo work immediately aroutul the base of the spadix. This 

 done, he straightway proceeds to cut away the whole of the 

 spathe investing the spadix. Tlie latter is now bound round, 

 at intervals, with long strands of rattan or other stout fibre, 

 from its base to a height reaching up to his head. The 

 intervals between the ties vary much, but are not usually 

 greater than 6 or 8 inches. The ties are further tightened 

 by ramming, like wedges, -short lengths of round stick 

 between them and the spadix. Care is taken, however, to 

 see that the skin of the smooth tender spadix is not broken, 

 or bruised. The top of the spadix is then cut with a ' dah ' 

 (a very sharp, light, thin-bladed knife) — the cut surface being 

 sliaped in the form of a V. 



The major portion of the toddy of the Talipot is used in 

 the manufacture of 'jaggery', or'gur'. (From the /«^/«t;j 

 AgricutinilM, Vol. XX.W, No. 1.) 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



Mr. J. K. Jackson, A.L.S., has forwarded the 

 foilowino; report on the London drug and spice market, 

 for the month of April : — 



The markets during the month of April have been carried 

 on under quite normal conditions, with regard to supply 

 and demand. The only jn'oducts that have attracted special 

 notice have been buchu leaves, and many of the fixed oils, 

 such as castor, cocoa-nut, etc. At the end ot the month, as much 

 as 3.S. per lb. was quoted as the normal price for good, round, 

 green buchu. As an 'outside' article, rubber still maintains 

 a large share of attention, a sudden cessation of buyers being 

 followed by moderate sales at somewhat lower rates. In West 

 Indian products the following are the details : — 



GINOER. 



At the first spice auction on the (ith of the month the 

 offering." were nuiuerou.s, but there was no demand. .Jamaica 

 was represented by 33i packages, which were bought in at 

 .53s. to .56s. per cwt. for common; some 830 packages of 

 Cochin and Calicut were also held at .50s. to 53.<. for good to 

 fine washed. Fair limed Japan and lough brown African 

 were also oft'ered, and bought in at 45s. A fortnight later, 

 90 bags of good, ordinary .Jamaica were sold at 54s. 

 per cwt.: 715 bags of Cochin were also offered, 82 of 

 which were disposed of without reserve; for small, washed 

 rough, 50s. to 52s. was the reserved price for good, at which 

 rate it was bought in; bold Calicut of varying qualities was 

 bought in at prices from 47s. 6(/. to yO<. Some 44 bags 

 of small limed .Japan sold at 43s., and part wormy at 

 38«. per cwt. At the last auction on the 27th, prices had gene- 



rally declined, together with the demand. Cochin and Calicut 

 were represented by the large number of 1,050 packages, out 

 of which only 170 sold, at a decline of 6t?. to Is. per cwt. 

 Dullish washed Cochin fetched 45s. fid., and brown tips 45s.; 

 55s. and 9.5s. were the prices at which bold, rough Calicut 

 and selected Calicut were bought in. Of 431 bags of Japan 

 offered, the bulk was disposed of witliout reserve, at from 

 36.S. 6c?. to 40s. and 6rf. for limed and mouldy. African met 

 with no buyers, and the offerings were bought in at from 

 45s. to 46s. per cwt. 



XUTMKGS, MACK .4X0 PIMJJNTO. 



At the second spice auction on the 13tli, 192 packages 

 of West Indian nutmegs were brought forward and disposed 

 of at rates of Is. '2d. per Bb. advance on pre\ious prices for 

 large size, and l.s. 4'/. on the smaller. Throughout the remain- 

 der of the month there was but very little change. On the 

 27th, West Indian were represented at the auction by 100 

 packages, most of which sold at somewhat easier rates. Of 

 mace there was a steady demand in the earlier part of the 

 month; on the ISth, 46 [jackages of West Indian were 

 offered and di.s])oseil of at the fr>llowing rates; fair palish 

 l.s. 9rf. to l.s. lOfl?., pale and reddish Is. "td. to Is. 8c?., dark red 

 I.S. 6(/. to Is. i^d., and broken \s. 5d. per lb. A week later 

 the offerings were exclusivelj- from i'enang and Bombay; the 

 former was represented by 15 cases, all of which were 

 bought in at l.«. 8c?. to Is. M. for dull reddish to fair 

 red. The Bombaj' consignment consisted of, 27 cases of 

 wild mace, which found no purchasers. Pimento was in 

 steady demand through the month. At the first spice auction 

 on the 6th, of 96 bags offered 50 were .sold at 2H. for 

 fair. A week later, some sales were effected of a few bags, 

 out of 64 oft'ered, at 2|rf. per lb., which price was main- 

 tained till the close of the month. 



AKKOWKOOT. 



This article continues to command a very low figure and 

 small demand. Some 99 barrels St. \'incent were brought 

 forward at the first spice auction on the 6th of the month; 

 65 barrels only were sold at I'^d. per lb. for fair 

 manufacturing. 



SARSAPAKII.LA. 



At the first ilrug sale on the 7tli, Sarsapurilla was repre- 

 sented by 25 bales of Orey Jamaica, 28 bales of Lima 

 Jamaica twenty-four of native Jamaica, eight of Hon- 

 duras and seven of Mexican. The whole of the Grey Jamaica 

 was sold, fair grey fetching Is. id. to Is. 3d. per lb. and 

 coarse Is. \d. The twenty-eight bales of Lima- Jamaica were 

 all bought in, bids of lOic?. being refused. Two bales of the 

 twenty-four native .Jamaica realized lOcZ. per R., the remainder 

 being bought in. Honduras and .Mexican met with no buyers, 

 the reserved price for the latter being 5c?. per lb. At the 

 auction a fortnight later, namely on the 21st, fourteen bales 

 of Grey Jan:aica were ottered and 12 sold, Is. It?, to Is. 2c?. 

 being paid for slightly coarse. For eight bales of dull mixed 

 native .Jamaica 2c?. per lb. was |)aid, dull fair red fetching 

 10' I. to Ud. 



TAMARINDS AND LIME JUICE. 



At auction on the 6th, four barrels of ordinary dry West 

 Indian Tamarinds were disposed of at lOs. per cwt. On the 

 20th, fifty packages of fair, but dry West Indian, were brought 

 forward, and disposed of at from lO-v. 3c?. to lOs. 9c?. per cwt. 

 At the auction on the 27th, concentrated West Indian lime 

 juice was quoted at £18 1.5s. The quotations for fair to good 

 We.st Indian raw lime juice was Is. to Is. Ic?. per gallon. .\t 

 this sale it was stated that eleven casks of citrate of lime 

 had arrived from Demerara. 



