348 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



October 26, 1912. 



GLEANINGS. 



The plant distribatinn from the Dominica Botanic 

 Station during September reached 4,057. There were in- 

 cluded in it: limes 3.300, cacao 569, budded citrus 97, Para 

 rubber 60, nutmeg.s 12, grafted mangoes 4, and miscellaneous 

 plants 15. 



Returns issued by the Ceylon Government show that the 

 exports of rubber in June 1912 amounted to 681,259 lb., as 

 compared with 449,904 Bb. in June 1911. The shipments of 

 rubber in the year ended June 1912 were 10,094,018 lb.; in 

 the previous similar period they were 5,428,080 lb. 



In September, the plants distributed from the Antigua 

 IBotanic Station included: limes 1,800, Eucalyptus 531, coco- 

 nuts 458, mahogany 129, ornamental plants 302, and 

 miscellaneous economic plants 47. There were also sent out 



42,000 sweet potato cuttings, 

 .20 Jb. of cotton seed. 



197i Jb. of onion seed and 



The C'u'jii Eeiitw for September 1912 gives a table 

 which shows that the chief exports of fruit and fruit products 

 from Porto Kico to the United States during 1912 were 

 valued as follows; grape fruit .^524,976, oranges ■'$584,368, 

 pine-apples $683,801, lemons -13,131, limes ^^960, canned 

 pine-apples 1258,671. Shipments of honey to the value of 

 ■142,2.51 were also sent. 



In common with other parts of the West Indies, Domi- 

 nica experienced very dry conditions during last month, 

 when the rainfall at the Botanic Station was 332 inches 

 whereas the average rainfall for September, during a period 

 of eighteen years, is 9 26 inches. The precipitation during 

 the first nine months of this year has been 38 63 inches; in 

 the similar period of last year it was 761 2 inches. 



It is reported by H.M.Vice-Consul at Adana, Turkeyin- 

 Asia, that the estimate for the cotton crop of the present 

 season is about 100,0(*0 bales, as compared with 80,000 bales 

 last year. It is expected that about 4,000 or 5,000 bales of 

 the output will be American cotton. Pieference is made to 

 a company that has recently loss money in an attempt to 

 introduce American cotton into the district, and efforts are 

 "being made to improve the native cotton by seed selection. 

 The climate is unsuitable for Egyptian cotton, while the fact 

 militating against American cotton is the want of labour. 

 A report concerning cotton-growing in Adana, having a very 

 different tenour from this, was noticed in the last issue of the 

 Agricultural News. 



The International Horse Agency and Exchange, Ltd, 

 announces, from 46 A Pall Mall, S. W., the sales to take place 

 at Newmarket early in December, and its willingness to act 

 for purchasers, at the ring side, take delivery and see the. 

 stock safely shipped; an expert is retained in the interests of 

 customers. Tlie Agency will also supply information, includ- 

 ing books relating to thoroughbred stock, to those who may 

 enquire for it. 



According to Colonial £e/,'jris, Annual, No. 726, the 

 imports and exports of the Turks and Caicos Islands during 

 1911 were valued at £24,722 and £23,703, as against 

 £27,916 and £24,461 in 1910, respectively. The salt exports 

 rose from £14,889 to £19,503, and those of sponges from 

 £1,316 to £1,530; while those of sisal, chiefly because of 

 the retention of .stock in consequence of the low prices in 

 the United States, fell from £7,351 to £1,22.5. 



The exports of sugar industry products from British 

 Guiana during 1912 were as follows: sugar 22,337 tons, 

 ruin 1,275,992 gallons, molasses 906 casks, cattle food 2,417 

 tons. The corresponding quantities for the previous year were 

 30,368 tons, 671,468 gallon.=, 437 casks and 2,461 tons. 

 Among other exports during 1912 there were rice 2,C38 tons, 

 lumber 99,550 feet, timber 142,359 cubic feet, firewood) 

 wallaba, etc., 5,290 tons and balata 317 cwt. 



A note iu the Agricultural Nevjs for September 28 

 1912, stated that a collection of plants had been obtained 

 recently by the Commissioner of Agriculture, from Kew, for 

 the Grenada Botanic Station, and a short account was givea 

 of the nature of the collection. It is of interest that a similar 

 collection has been obtained for the Antigua Botanic Station 

 where the plants will be propagated, as the time comes which 

 permits of this, for distribution to other stations especially 

 in the Leeward Islands. 



It is shown in Diplomatic and Consular Reports No. 

 4940 Annual Series that the production of raw sugar in 

 Hawaii in the fiscal year 1911 was 441,344 tons value 

 £7,419,360; this was 97 percent, of the total output, as very 

 little sugar is refined locally. Although it has not been long 

 started, the pine-apple industry ranks after the sugar industry. 

 During 1910 some 610,000 cases were exported, and for the 

 following year it was estimated that the number had increased 

 to 800,000 cases. It is supposed thai over 6,000 acres are 

 devoted to pine-apple cultivation in Hawaii, and that capital 

 amounting to £200,000 is invested in the industry. 



In La Iiilonnarion Agrirola, Madrid, for June 1912, an 

 account is given of a private institution that has been 

 founded at Valencia for the encouragement of silk produc- 

 tion in the province. The chief matters with which this is 

 to be concerned are the free distribution of mulberry trees 

 improvement in silkworm-rearing, cultivation of the mulberry 

 in the best way, the preference of planting of mulberry 

 hedges and espaliers, the foundation of a silk cultivation 

 station, and the establishment of travelling lectureships on 

 silk production. At present a pavilion has been opened at , 

 Valencia, and the public is admitteil free to this an(l demoiu 

 strations in the raising of silkworms are given. 



