Vol. IX. No. 218. 



THE .^UIUCULTUKAL NEWS. 



277 



No other remedy than that of hunting the grasshoppers, 

 secreted in the young bunches of Iruit. can be suggested for 

 dealing with this pest. Since one grasshopper can destroy 

 a bunch worth 2s. 6rf,, it is obvious that energetic measures 

 are fully justified. 



ciTRU.s FRUITS. This industry remains in a depressed 

 state, and it appears almost impossible to get a profitable out- 

 let for our oranges e.xcept in the very early weeks of the 

 season. 



It was suggested during the session in Jamaica of the 

 Eoyal Commission on Trade Relations between Canada and 

 the West Indies, that a useful market foi- some of our citrus 

 fruits might be found in Canada, under the favourable cir- 

 cumstances which the Iloyal Commission is seeking to bring 

 about 



Experiments on the gases given off by bananas and 

 oranges, respectively, were carried out at the laboratory. 

 It was shown that oranges gave off a good deal of carbonic 

 acid gas when stored in a closed place, as in a ship's 

 hold, but, on the other hand, carbonic acid was proved to be 

 a wonderful preservative of bananas. It was shown, however, 

 by direct trial, that the emanations from oranges stored in 

 a chamber were found to have the effect of bringing about 

 a premature ripening of bananas, if these gases were passed 

 through a chamber Jaden with this fruit. The practical 

 lesson indicated by these experiments is that separate stor- 

 age is desirable for citrus fruits and bananas, when they are 

 being transported for long distances by sea. 



Open-sided boxes for the escape of orange gases and an 

 effective cooling of the fruit in the cold chambers also appears 

 to be a crucial matter which many orange shippers in Jamaica 

 consistently ignore, with the result that their fruit arrives in 

 a wasty condition, and financial losses accrue. 



jt.\NG0S. The article in the Bulletin on mangos for 

 export has excited a good deal of interest in the Bombay 

 varietj', and we have had large orders for grafted plants. The 

 Alphonso, imported by Colonel 'iriffith s^ime eighteen years 

 ago, fruited heavily at Elim in St. Elizabeth this year for the 

 first time. The fruit was considered excellent. Our own 

 tree of this variety has been severely root-pruned, but so far 

 does not show signs of fruiting, and it would ai)pear that this 

 mango is not suitable for general planting in Jamaica. 



We are extending our orchard.s, and a large number of 

 trees have been budded during the year, chiefly to Bombay. 



CACAO. This crop is now receiving serious attention in 

 all parts of the island where it can be practically grown. The 

 Agricultural Instructors are attaching due importance to the 

 pruning and general sanitation of cacao trees, while the De- 

 partment is sending out large numbers of plants raised from 

 selected pods The red Forastero cacao is in greatest demand 

 among the large planters. The CrioUo variety that was 

 enthu.siastically recommended by the Instructor for Hanover, 

 a few years ago, has now been found a shy bearer, and some 

 disappointment has lesulted from the planting of this variety 

 in that parish. 



For endurance and reliability there is no cacao to beat 

 the common calabash cacao of the peasantry, while the pro- 

 duce buyers pay the same price for all grades of beans in most 

 districts where cacio is grown. I am, therefore, inclined to 

 the opinion that it is not mse to lay stress on counsels of 

 perfection as to cacao varieties for small cultivators, and that 

 the outstanding matters of pruning and general sanitation 

 call for the chief attention of our cultivators. 



TRADE AND COMMERCE OF PORTO RICO, 



1909. 



The following extracts, showing the condition of 

 the Trade and Commerce of Porto Rico, are taken from 

 the Diplomatic and Consular Reports, Annual 

 Series, No. 4433: — 



COFFEE. The coffee crop showed a decreased yielil of 

 nearly 7,000,000 Dj., and steadily decreases every year, as the 

 hope for a measure of protection for it in the United States, 

 against the Brazilian production, becomes yearly less and less. 



SUGAR. Although the export of sugar was the largest on 

 record, there was a decrease in the planting area of 8,868 

 acres, and in value, of £5.5,840. This is accounted for by 

 the drought in the south of the island. 



TOBACCO. Tobacco, too, decreased in acreage more than 

 1,000 acres, but the total value of all products exported 

 showed an increase of £48,528. 



The total number of cigars manu'^actured was 

 227,021,305, and in addition, 365,525,56-3 cigarettes. 



Practically all the.se latter were for home use, as also 

 were 84,933,265 of the cigars made. 



COTTON. During the year, a decrease was shown, although 

 it should have been the contrarj*. as 25 per cent, more acreage 

 was planted than in the previous 3'ear (1908). 



The heavy rains of September, October and November 

 are accountable for the falling-off. 



oKANcKs The bulk of oranges exported still consists of 

 so-called ' wild oranges', which, however, are not so, but are 

 thus called to distinguish them from those under cultivation 

 since citrus fruit-growing was started some eight years ago. 



It is impo.ssible to obtain anything except the bulk 

 record of this industry, but from the export returns, showing 

 a decreased value of £47,708 during the year, and that 

 prices were fairly good, it is to be inferred that the year's 

 result was not satisfactory. 



PINE-APPLES. The pine-apple acreage is increasing 

 enormously. More than double the amount of fruit was 

 exported than in 1908, while the output of the canned fruit 

 increased 25 per cent. 



sis.u,. A quantity of sisal plants, bought by the Grovern- 

 ment, were planted upon public land in the vicinity of Yauco, 

 by way of experiment, whicli, when sufficiently advanced, 

 will be submitted to expert treatment, with the view of pro- 

 nouncing upon the possibilities for a market. 



The Manchurian Soy Bean Industry.— A note 



in the current volume of the AiiricnUural Xev:s, page 188, 

 dealing with a report by H M. Cunsu )at Newchwang on the 

 soy bean industry of Manchuria, drew attention to the fact 

 that se^"eral shipments of soy bean cake to Europe had 

 resulted in failure. More recent reports {Board of Trade 

 Journal, July 7, 1910, p. 40; July 21, 1910, p. 145) show 

 that, shipments of the soy bean to Europe, on the contrary, 

 are increasing, in spite of initial ditiiculties, the amount being 

 60,000 tons in 1909, as against 1 1,000 in lil08. In the pa.st 

 season, the quantities of beans and bean cake shipped to 

 Europe, from Vladivostock up to April 9, and from Dairen 

 up to March 29, were 120,064 tons and 229,430 tons, respect- 

 ively. In 1908-9, the total export to Europe from these 

 ports was 410,000 tons, all of which went to the United 

 Kingdom, except 5,000 or 6,000 tons. 



