Vol. XV. No. 363. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



Ill 



DYNAMITE EXPERIMENTS. 



In connexion with our editorial on this subject 

 in the last issue of the Agricultural Nen-s, the 

 following notes on experiments in the Federated 

 Malay States, taken from the Experiment Station 

 Record ior iawnaxy 1916, will be read with interest. 

 It will be remembered that we arrived at the conclusion 

 that the use of dynamite is not generally remunerative 

 in the West Indies. 



Experiments were conducted at the Castleton Estate, 

 Telok Anson, to test the effect of explosives on the growth of 

 rubber. As measured by the girth increment for one year, 

 the control plot gave an average increase' in girth, 21-93 per 

 cent, and the dynamite plot an increase of 32-14 per cent, 

 for every 1 00 inches of the original girth. 



Summing up the results of various experiments with 

 dynamite, conducted by the Department, of Agriculture in the 

 Federated Malay States, it appears to be unequalled for 

 breaking up hardpan. It is most eifective on heavy clay, and 

 hard laterite soils, and least effective on light or loose soils 

 which offer no resistance to the explosion. It is believed 

 that it might be profitable in making holes previous to 

 planting, especially in heavy soils, half a charge of dynamite 

 being sufficient for this purpose. It may be successfully used 

 in breaking up logs and tree stumps previously weakened by 

 termites. The value of dynamite for cultivation is not 

 doubted, but the high cost of the explosive prevents its more 

 general use. 



The Value of Burr Grass. -In the Proceedings or 

 the Agricultund Soi-iety of TriniiJad and Tohujo for 

 December 1915, reference is made to a note which appeared 

 in the report of the Agricultural Department, St. Lucia, 

 1914-1.5, in regard to the value of Burr grass. This stated 

 that the grass in question is valuable in pastures in its young 

 stage, and that it will withstand the severest drought and the 

 hardest grazing, and thrives in the poorest soil. It is pointed 

 out, however, by the Trinidad journal, that the bristles 

 of the burrs are liable to inflict very disagreeable injury on 

 animals and men. Cattle frequently get their muzzles 

 pricked by the burr.s, and at times burrs enter the mouth, and 

 lacerate the tongue, gums, and inner sides of the lips, produc- 

 ing festering wounds. It would seem that if burr grass is to 

 be encouraged on pastures, it should only be done when it is 

 possible to keep it sufficiently well grazed or cut to prevent 

 flowering. The statement made in the Trinidad journal by 

 Dr. Fredholm in which he condenms this grass, 'lock, stock 

 and barrel', is an exaggeration, since the grass has a distinct 

 nutritive value, and power of resisting drought. Only 

 mechanically is it objectionable; and this only at the later 

 stages of growth. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 

 MARKET. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S., has forwarded the follow- 

 ing report on the London di'ug and spice markets 

 for the month of .lanuary: — 



Though the drug and spice markets practically start- 

 ed again on .lanuary 6, after the usual Christmas 

 holidays, they cannot be said to have assumed anything 



approaching the ordinary Iiusiness conditions until a week 

 later, namely on the 13th7 and even then with a very 

 restricted amount of Imsiness, coupled with an almost 

 general advance in prices, which applies to citric acid, ginger, 

 nutmegs and kola, while lime juice, lime oil and sarsa- 

 parilla were lower. The following are the details. 



iJINGBR. 



At the spice auction on the 12th of the month no 

 .Jamaica was offered, but washed Cochin was quoted at 35.s. 

 and Calicut at 32s. 6*/. to 34s. (Jn the 19th it was stated 

 that good common .Jamaica was fetching from 67s. 6f^. to 

 70s., and medium to good, 7-5s. to 80s. At auction on the 

 26th, .Jamaica was in good supply, 97 bags of small, dull, 

 washed sold at from, 75.s. Gd. to 76.s-. For good, medium cut 

 Calicut, 74s. to 74s. 6d. was paid, and 26s. 6';?. for .small, 

 limed tips. 



NUTMEGS AXD .VJRROWEOOT. 



At the spice auction on the 12th of the month, 317 

 packages of West Indian nutmegs were offered and sold, 

 62's fetching Is. M., 69's. I.--. \d. to Is. 3d., and 96's to 98's 

 6i(l to ''id. Some Eastern were also brought forward and 

 sold. At the same auction .some 1,500 barrels of St. Vincent 

 arrowroot were offered, and sales were effected at from 22<i. 

 to 3f'^/. per ft. 



SARS.\PARILLA. 



At auction on the 13th of the month, sarsaparilla was 

 well represented. Of grey .Jamaica, 42 packages were offered 

 and 16 sold, of native Jamaica 68 packages were offered and 

 33 sold, of Lima Jamaica, 27 packages were offered and 6 sold, 

 while of Mexican and Honduras 18 and 8 packages, respec- 

 tively, were brought forward, but found no buyers. For 

 the grey .Jamaica Is. Id. to l.s-. 9,d. per ft. was paid for partly 

 rough and coarse to fair fibrous, and Is. 5r/. to l.s. 6<i. 

 per ft), for- middling partly, mouldy grey. For the native 

 Jamaica Srf. to %l. per ft. was realized for dull and inferior 

 red and yellow mixed. Fair red fetched 10''/. to 10|r/. and 

 low yellow. Id. For the 6 bales of Lima Jamaica Is. 7<Zi 

 per ft. was paid, and' 9'/. per ft. was asked for the nn.sold 

 Mexican. 



CITRIC ACID, LIME .JUICE, LIME OIL. KOLA, TAMARIXDi^, AND 

 CASHEW NUTS. 



Throughout the month citric acid has held a strong 

 position, owing, it is said, chiefly to the scarcity of the raw 

 material, and the ditticulties attending the shipment. 

 At the beginning of the month prices varied from ' 

 2s. 8d. to 2s. \(id. per ft. at which price it stood at the 

 close of the month, when it was said there was a very 

 large demand for export to Russia. Of lime juice 

 there has been good supplies in the markets during the 

 month at prices varying from 2s. Id. to 2s. DM per gallon, 

 and quite at the close of the month fair West Indian was to 

 be obtained at 2s. 6rf. per gallon. Of lime oil there have 

 also been good supplies; West Indian distilled being quoted 

 at 6s. 6cZ. and hand pressed at 7s. 6t^. At the auction on 

 the 13th. kola nuts were in good supply: 45 packages of 

 West Indian were offered and all sold at 6c/. to %\d. per ft., 

 with the exception, of two lots of inferior quality which were 

 disposed of at 5rf. to 5iaf. {ser lb. At the beginning of the 

 month tamarinds were reported to be somewhat scarce, the 

 value of Barbados in bonil being quoted at 18s. 6r/. per cwt., 

 but at the close of the month it was reported that fair West 

 Indian in bond were obtainable at 16s. per cwt. As many 

 as 130 packages of cashew nuts were offered at auction om 

 the 13th. of the month, but found no buyers. 



