7oL. XV. No. 374 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



287 



A NEW DRUG PLANT FOR THE 

 WEST INDIES. 



This Office has recently received a consignment of seed 

 kindly forwarded by the Director of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Kew. This is the seed of Hyoscyamus nwticus, 

 from Egypt. It is intended to experiment with this seed in 

 certain districts in the islands, with a view to growing the 

 plant for the alkaloid it contains. This alkaloid is similar 

 to atropine, which is a most important drug, and one the 

 supply of which has been greatly restricted owing to the 

 isolation of Germany. Plants received last year by the 

 Imperial Institute from Egypt were found to contain 064 

 per cent, of alkaloid on the dried material, while according to 

 the Aiiriculttiral Journal oj India (for .lanuary 19 Hi), plants 

 of Hyoscyamus muticus in India have been found to contain 

 083 per rent, of alkaloid on the dried material. 



Hyoxcyamus nigcr — the English Henbane — also yields 

 this alkaloid, but it does not yield anything like so high 

 a percentage, and the alkaloid does not appear to be so pure. 



It is stated in the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute that 

 there is a strong demand for this plant on the part of 

 manufacturers, and its establishment in the West Indies 

 might lead to a new minor industry and without interfering 

 with existing cultivations, for this plant grows wild and 

 might flourish in these islands where ordinary crops would 

 refuse to grow. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



IRRIGATION IN ANTIGUA. 



It is stated in the last Report of the Agricultural 

 Department in this island that during 1914-15, the prelim- 

 inary work in connexion with an experiment in irrigating 

 sugar-cane was performed. The plot on which this work is 

 conducted is situated on Bendals estate, and is 1 acre in 

 area. Of this, half will act as a control plot, and the other 

 half will receive irrigation water. The plot is situated near 

 a stream across which a dam was built, and from this water 

 is pumped into a tank and led on to the plot by means of 

 a canvas hose-pipe. 



It is assumed that 1 inch of rain per week is sufficient 

 to ensure a steady plant growth, and the irrigation water is 

 applied to supplement the rainfall. For instance, when no 

 rain falls during any one week, water equal to 1 inch is 

 applied; this amounts to 12,000 gallons; when i-inch falls, 

 half this quantity is applied, and when ;^-inch falls, three- 

 quarters is put on. 



A sample of water from the dam which is used for 

 irrigating, is periodically sent to the Government laboratory 

 for analysis. 



The results obtained from this experiment, soon to be 

 published, will be of interest, and if they justify such 

 a procedure, it is probable that in the future larger areas 

 will be experimented with. 



We have been notified that the Order made by the 

 Governor-in-Executive Committee in Barbados on May 20, 

 1915, in regard to prohibiting the importation of cotton 

 seed from certain countries, has been hereby amended to 

 the effect that seed will now be admitted from the United 

 States of Colombia. This amendment will probably have 

 the effect of lessening the present scarcity of cotton seed 

 meal and may possibly result eventually in a fall in price 

 from the present high level. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKETS. 



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

 ing report on the London <:lrug and spice markets 

 for the month of July: — 



The month of July commenced with a very restricted 

 amount of business both in drugs and spices, owing 

 chiefly to the occurrence of the general half-yearly 

 stock-taking. Throughout the month there has been distinct 

 evidence of purchasers restricting the quantity of goods 

 purchased rather than a diminution in the bulk supplied, 

 except in few instances. 



There has been a distinct drop in citric acid since our 

 last report. 



In the spice market ginger, nutmegs, and mace have 

 occupied little or no attention, the prices remaining similar 

 to those in our last report. 



S.4.RS.\PABILL.\. 



In the early part of the month sar.saparilla was in good 

 supply, the quotations being Is. 9d. to Is. lOd. per lb. for 

 grey Jamaica, Is. to Is. 2d. for native Jamaica, and 1.5. Gd. 

 to Is. Id. for Lima. At the last auction on the 27th, the 

 several kinds were in steady demand at the following rates: 

 23 bales of grey .Jamaica were disposed of at from ]s.M. 

 to Is. lOd. per fc. for common to good grey: 14 packages of 

 native Jamaica realized Is. to Is. Id. per Bb. for dullish to fair 

 red, while dull yellow to dull red fetched 9hd. to \Old.; 40 

 bales of Lima were disposed of at this auction, at from 1.5. 2d. 

 to Is. od. per K). 



CITEIC ACID, PIMENTO, TAMARINDS, LIME .JUKE, ANNATTO 

 SEED, AND KOLA. 



As before stated, citric acid has been declining during the 

 month. In the fir.st week it was in very .slow demand at 3s. Sd. 

 to 3s 9d. per lb. A fortnight later it had dropped to 3s. Gd., and 

 at the close to 3s. od. per R). Pimento, for which there has 

 been a very slow demand, was quoted at 3d. per Bb. at the 

 beginning of the month, since when there has been no change. 

 Tamarinds also have been very quiet, fair West Indian, duty 

 paid, being disposed of at 24.5., and black Calcutta at 28s. per 

 cwt. Probably in consequence of the unseasonable weather 

 there has been very little demand for lime juice, which has 

 stood at from 3s. to 3s. 3d. per gallon: quite at the end of the 

 month, however, it had advanced 3c/. to 3s. 6c?. for good AVest 

 Indian. At the last auction on the 27tli of the month 

 annatto seed was represented by 5 bags of fair bright 

 Ceylon, which were disposed of at l^d. per ft., and at the 

 same auction 2 bags of small to medium fair West Indian 

 kola were .sold at 6 ft?. per ft. 



The financial position of Trinidad is dealt with editori- 

 ally in the West India Committee Circular for July 27, 

 1916. This clearly .shows the great prosperity which this 

 Colony is experiencing in spite of the trade interruptions due 

 to the war. The value of the cacao shipped during 1915 was 

 £1,865,266 or 54 per cent, of that of the total exports, as 

 against £1,070,423 for sugar and its by-products, rum and 

 molasses. The export of petroleum was hampered by the 

 scarcity of oil ships, but the exports were nevertheless 

 greater than last year. The transhipment trade with Vene- 

 zuela was carried on with greater activity. 



