Vol. XV. No. 365. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



H3 



OPENING ADDRESS TO LEGISLATIVE 

 COUNCIL, ST. LUCIA. 



A copy has been received of the Adiianistrator's opening 

 address at the first regular se'siou of the Legislative Council 

 of St. Lucia in 1916. His Horiour nude reference first to the 

 ■war conditions which have prevailed, and expressed grati- 

 fication ill regard to the loyality aud generosiiy of the 

 iohabitaiits of the Coloi'y. Notwithstanding the war and 

 the additional expenses which it had incurred in tlie Colony, 

 a deliberate policy of agricultural expansion had been followed, 

 chiefly owing to the good prices paid i or, the staple products 

 of the Colony. RefeiC' ce was made to thrf scheme for 

 settling persons on the land from outside the Colony or lately 

 serving His Majesty's Forces, under easy terms. This matter 

 has already been dealt with fully in the Agricultural News. 



During the year a successful start had been made under 

 the Agricultural Credit Societies Ordinance, 19 lo, by the 

 formation of the first society at Dennery. His Honour 

 pointed out that it should also be of interest to agriculturists 

 to know that the capacity of the Government Lime .Juice Fic- 

 tory will, in the eveot of the requisite machinery being obtain- 

 able, be doubled during 1916. The factory will be placed on 

 a business footing and directed by an advisory Committee, 

 appointed by the Adminstrator, and will no longer be 

 conducted as a Government Department, In future the 

 factory will be primarily reserved for the purchase and 

 manufacture of peasants' limes, but every facility within 

 limits of capacity will be aft'orded also to planters. 



His Honour then referred to the falling off that had 

 occurred in regard to the coaling trade. This had improved 

 somewhat during the last year owing to the diversion of 

 shipping through the blockage of the Panama Canal, and by 

 war causes. A statement was then made as to the financial 

 position of the Colony. The net estimated result of the year's 

 operation, apart from war expenditure, was to add £4,595 

 to the surplus and deficit account making this eSlS,-!?-! 

 as against the natural surplus of £13,879 on April 1, 1915. 

 It was proposed by His Honour that the whole of the local 

 war expenses incurred up to March 31, 1916, should be 

 settled on that date, and also the amount of £2,000 still owing 

 for the cacao given to His Majesty's Forces. This would make 

 the Colony's true surplus, therefore, £10,674. The estimates 

 for the next financial year 1916-17, provide for an estimated 

 revenue from local sources of £70,009, and an estimated 

 expenditure of £67,662. In order to provide this revenue it 

 will be necessary to continue the same additional taxation as 

 ■was imposed in 1915. 



His Honour then made reference to the £20,000 loan 

 which had been subscribed locally for the improvement of 

 roads. The work on the Castries Dennery road had been 

 begun and was making headway. At the same time it was 

 to be regretted that the labour supply had been curtailed 

 owing to the many calls upon it in other directions. In 

 connexion with this road. His Honour desired to place on 

 record the thanks of the Government to. those landowners 

 who had generously given the necessary land free of charge, 

 or who asked only moderate compensation for it. His Honour 

 hoped that the assessment for the rural house tax out of 

 which funr s were to be provided for the sinking fund and 

 interest on the road loan would be started at an early date. 



The address concluded with a statement of the Special 

 Services which the Council was invitee to consider, and other 

 matters relating to legislation. Special attention was drawn 

 to the Export Duty Ordinance virith graduated scales of duties 

 according to market prices, and an Ordinance to regulate the 

 use and control of motor cars. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



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

 ing report on the London drug and spice markets 

 for the month of February: — 



The general tone of the markets throughout the month 

 of February has been fairly satisfactory. At the beginning 

 there was a short quiet lull in the demand for many of the 

 products that come under our notice, but busine-ss increased 

 as the month advanced, a fair amount of trade being done at 

 steady, and in some instances advanced, prices, such for 

 instance, as West Indian oil of lime, nutmegs and pimento. 



ULNGEE. 



At the first auction on the 2nd of the month there were 

 no quotations for West Indian, but 40s. to 41s. per cwt. ruled 

 for Cochin; a week later washed Cochin was said to be 

 fetching 43s. 



NUTMEGS, PIMENTO, AND ARROWROOT. 



Nutmegs have been in fair demand, with prices ruling 

 slightly higher than those of last month. Pimento at the 

 beginning of the month hat! slightly advanced on previous 

 rates, and was quoted at 'ifi^d. per Bb., which had slightly 

 increased at the close. 



Arrowroot also showed an advance on the quotations 

 of the previous month, the reason being the increase in 

 freights. On the 18th about 1,000 barrels of manufacturing 

 St. Vincent were brought forward, and sold at prices varying 

 from 2|c^. to 4|d. per Bo. 



SARSXPARILLA. 



This drug was of very slow demand at the beginning of 

 the month, but at auction on the 10th, large consignments 

 were brought forward as follows: Grey .Jatnaica 6 bales, all 

 of which sold, fair fetching Is. 9>d. per ft)., and partly rough 

 Is. &d.; native Jamaica 40 bales, 25 sold at ll-|-d to l.s-. 

 for fair red, XQd. to 1 \d. for dull and pale red, and Id. to 

 9JcZ. for yellow to ordinary pale red: of Lima-.Jamaica 37 

 bales were offered and 15 sold, the bulk of which realized 

 from Is. Id. to Is. id. for ordinary, and 1 bale of better 

 quality Is. Id. per Db. Twenty-two bales of Honduras were 

 also offered, 10 of which found buyers at Is. Grf. per ft). Of 

 16 bales of Mexican, also offered at the same time, no 

 buyers were found. 



CITRIC ACID, KOLA, CASSIA FISTULA, LIME .JUICE, AND 

 LIME OIL. 



Citric acid has maintained a rising scale throughout the 

 month. Starting in the first viteek at 2s. 10|d, at which rate 

 a large amount of business was done, it rose a week later to 

 3s. with also a fair number of buyers; iu the third week 

 3s. Id. was easily obtained, and at the close of the month, 

 owing, it was said, to the large number of export orders, 

 3s. '2d. was readily paid. Kola was represented at the 

 auction on the 10th of the month by 36 packages, 24 of 

 which were disposed of. Five packages of good West Indian 

 bright dried whole nuts and halves, fetched from 6rf. 

 to %hd. per ft)., and for dry and somewhat mouldy 

 o\d. was paid; a quantity of dull mouldy Ceylon was 

 disposed of at bd. per lb. Cassia Fistula pods are 

 reported to be very scarce, none being offered during the 

 month There has been a steady demand for lime juice 

 throughout the month, 3s. to 3s. Qd. per gallon being paid for 

 raw West Indian. West Indian lime oil has been scarce 

 during the month, and with small stocks on hand, 8s. 6f^, 

 per ft), is asked both for hand pressed and distilled. 



