Vol. IX. No. 223. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



367 



probalily be found advisable in other islands, where cacao is 

 in an unhealthy condition owing to the unsuitability of the 

 soil. 



IMPORTANCE OK THE KisEASE. The sudden manner in 

 which affected trees die often leads to the erroneous con- 

 clusion that the spread of this fungus is very rapid. In all 

 probability this is not the case. The trees have usually lieen 

 diseased for some time before they die, as death does not 

 take place until the bark of the main root, or collar, has Iieen 

 completely ringed. Once this occur.s, the trees succumb 

 rapidly. Taking everything into consideration, it cannot be 

 said that this disease is a really serious one. The fact that 

 no spores are formed practically prevents it from ever becom- 

 ing suddenly epidemic, while the growth of the mycelium 

 through the soil must necessarily be somewhat slow. Further- 

 more, it has been demonstrated frequently that it can easily 

 be controlled by the use of methods that are jiow a matter 

 of common knowledge. In fact, if thoroughly concerted 

 eti'orts were made in each island, it would he possible to 

 reduce this disease to such an extent, that only one or two 

 isolated cases « ould occur in any year on old estates, and but 

 few more on estates recently cleared. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 

 MARKET. 



Mr. J. K. Jackson, A.L..S., has forwarded lln- 

 following report on the London drug and spice markft. 

 for the month of Septenilier: — 



The month of September has been marked in Mincing 

 Lane, week by week, by a general improvement in business, 

 and a distinct upward tendency in prices realized for many 

 well-known products. The supply of, and demand for, most 

 things have been equally favourable. None of the articles 

 that have been specialized, however, were of AVest Indian 

 origin, as will be seen from the following details. 



GINGEK. 



In this article there has been little or no demand, either 

 for .Jamaica, Cochin or Calicut. In the middle of the month, 

 some .50 odd barrels of .Jamaica were brought forward; but 

 the whole of them were bought in at 60s. for bold, and 50.s. 

 to oSs. for fail washed. At the end of the month, the quota- 

 tions for Calicut ranged from 90s. for the best quality, to 

 45.S. for brown tips and cuttings. 



NUTMEGS AND MACE. 



There has been a steady demand for both these spices. 

 Foi- nutmeg.s, the following prices have ruled: dd. for oX'a; 

 5!,(/. for 7()'s; .5{(i. for 70's; and ^h:l. for 6t5's. For large 

 West Indian, there has been no demand. At the auction on 

 the 2 1st, "28 packages of West Indian mace were offered, and 

 sold at the following rates: ordinary to fair, Is. Sci?. to Is. lOrf. : 

 red. Is. 7(1.; and broken, from Is 5d. to Is. 6rf. A week 

 later, We.st Indian mace commanded somewhat higher prices, 

 good pale fetching 2s., pale and reddish Is. 9d. to Is. 10<7., 

 acd fair to good red Is. Sd. to Is. 9(/. per lb. 



AHROWEOOT. 



At the auction of the ■'■-th of the month, a large consign- 

 ment of St. Vincent was brought forward, 800 barrels being 

 sold at from 1 ^'7. to '2d. per Dj. A week later, arrowroot was 

 represented at auction by 16 half-barrels of Bermuda and 

 22 ca.ses Natal, all of which were bought in at \s. 9d, and 

 i)}/!. per lb., respectively. At the close of the month it was 



stated that sales had been effected privately for as many a.S 

 1,200 barrels of St. Vincent, at from lid. to l^d. per. B). 



SAESAPAEILLA. 



At the first drug sale of the month, the offerings 

 amounted to 12 bales of grey Jamaica, 19 bales of native 

 Jamaica and 2.") bales of Honduras. The whole of the grey 

 Jamaica was disposed of at Is. id. per lb., and 10 bales of the 

 native Jamaica of ordinary greyish to fair red, found buyers 

 at from \Qd. to lid. per D). Six out of the 25 packages of 

 Honduras sold at 6c?. to 6irf. per lb., the remaining 19 being 

 bought in at 9rf. per lb. At auction on the 22nd, no grey 

 Jamaica was offered, but of 24 bales of native Jamaica 

 brought forward, 10 were sold at from 9d to llrf. per B). for 

 dull to fair red. Ten liales of Lima character, rough and 

 chumpy, fetched from llrf. to Is. per lb., and 10 of wormy 

 Honduras were disposed of at 6|d per ft. 



TAMAKIND.S I-»ME JUICE, ANK KOLA. 



In the early part of the month tamarinds were rejiie- 

 sented by 10 barrels of Antigua, of strung character, which 

 were .sold at 10s. per cwt. ; another 10 packages of fair, but 

 dark, fetched the same price. In the middle of the month, 

 there were small sales of concentrated West Indian lime juice 

 at £18 2^ dd. On the 22nd, 18 packages of Jamaica kola 

 were brought forward, and all sold, fair dried realizing from 

 3jrf. to SUi., the smaller nuts fetching 3'7. 



ROUGH RICE FOR FEEDING HORSES 

 AND MULES. 



K.xperiments dealing with the suitability of rough rice 

 as a food for horses and mules are described in Bulletin No. 

 122 of the Agricultural E.vperiraent Station of the Louisiana 

 State I'niversity. The trials were made because, while there 

 is a prevailing impression that rough rice has a harmful 

 effect u|)on the dige.stive organs of animals fed upon it, it is 

 in employment in South Western Louisiana as a food for 

 stock. There was the further consideration that, when the 

 price of other cereal grains used for the purpose is high, and 

 the cost of rice is low, the intelligent use of this might pro- 

 vide a cheapened food, where it is obtainable. 



An interesting matter was that, when the question of the 

 crude tiljre content of rough rice, as compared with that of 

 rice liran, was raised, it was found that this is 9-3 per cent, 

 in the case of the former, while in the latter it is 14'.5 per cent. 

 This gave an additional reason for undertaking experiments 

 in connexion with the suitability of rough rice as food for 

 stock. 



The test was made with two mules, which were fed on 

 rations containing gradually increasing proportions of rough 

 rice, until 8 B)., or a little more than this, was fed to each 

 of them, every day. The other constituents of the food were 

 cracked corn, cotton seed meal, blackstrap molasses and 

 Lespedeza hay. The reason for gradually increasing the 

 amount of rice, instead of including the full quantity from the 

 beginning, was to provide a precautionary measure in relation 

 to its possible harnifulness, and a means of watching the 

 deleterious effect, if any, during the time of the experiment. 



It was found that rough rice, ground, and in a mi.\ed 

 ration, may be fed with benefit to horses and mules. The 

 amount of rice per head may be 8 B). for horses or mules 

 doing moderately heavy work and having a live weight of 

 about 1,000 B). This food ingredient is particularly useful, 

 where it is easily obtainable, at times at which the prices of 

 cereal foods are high. 



