Vol. XI. No. 276. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



383 



Johnson grass {Sorghum halepense): while a very similar 

 species has recently been seen on the leaves of Indian corn in 

 BarliiJos; and that the red rot fungus itself can attack the 

 leaves of sugar-cane. Edgerton tried inoculation experiments 

 on sugarcane stems with C. lineola, but did not obtain any 

 very conclusive results. (See A'lrkultur'd Neivb, '-^ol. XI, 

 p. 78.) ^^^^^^^^,,^^^,,^^^ 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON TBE LONDON 

 MARKET. 



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

 lowing report on the London drug and spice market, for 

 the month of October 1912: — 



The first week of October in Mincing Lane, opened with 

 an improved business prospect, but later the outbreak of war 

 between the Balkan States and Turkey, produced a depressing 

 eflfect, especially with regard to products derived from those 

 countries, such as opium and otto of rose. Towards the 

 end of the month the markets became less active, buyers in 

 general purchasing only for their immediate requirements. 

 Amongst many products commanding advanced prices may be 

 mentioned Eucalyptus and clove oils, the latter of which is 

 scarce, causing a consequent advance in the price of vanillin, 

 which is now chiefly made from clove oil. 



In the matter of West Indian products generally, there 

 has been but little change since our last report, as the follow- 

 ing details will show. 



GINTiER. 



At'auction on the 9th, i40 packagesof Cochin and Cali- 

 cut were ottered and 28 sold without reserve, 80s. 6d. to 

 81s. 6d. being paid for bold A, cut, and .54s. M. for C. cut, 

 4.5s. was the price at which fine bold round Calicut rough, 

 was held, and 40s. for washed rough Cochin. A week later 

 215 bags of small shrivelled brown rough Calicut, were sold 

 without reserve at SGs. per cwt. Washed rough slightly 

 wormy being bought in at 37s. On the •23rd as many as 

 1,400 packages of Cochin and Calicut were offered and all 

 bought in at the following prices 85s. for A. cut, 80s. for 

 B. cut, small and medium 7.5s., C. cut 60s., washed rough 

 Calicut 40s. and fine brown 45s. At this sale there were also 

 some 60 bags of limed Japan brought forward, but all was 

 bought in at 28s. per cwt. At the last auction on the 30th 

 40 bags of Cochin were offered without reserve and sold at 

 26s. per cwt. for washed rough wormy. 



NUTMEGS, MACE AND AEEUWROOT. 



At the first spice auction on the 2nd of the month 

 65 packages of West Indian nutmegs were brought forward 

 and sold at the following rates: 75's 8Jd, 92's to 102's l^d. 

 to 8tl, 117's to r27's M. and 147's "tUl. •fte following rates 

 prevailed for West Indian on the 9th: 69'8 to 70's %d. to Bid., 

 lOO's to 148's 7id. to Sid. Sixty-eight packages of limed 

 Java were also disposed of at this auction. On the 16th 

 55 packages of West Indian were sold, 76's to 77's fetching 

 Id. to M., 92's to 102's 7W. to 8d, 124's to 128's M. 

 A week later there was a steady demand both for West Indian 

 and Eastern, 88 packages of the former, and 68 packages of 

 the latter being disposed of, the rates for the former being as 

 follows; 62's to 90's Id to 8rf , 95's to 105's lid. to M., 

 llO's to 120's 7c/. to 7 id. and 13.5's to 146's Id. to 7id. For 

 the Eastern M. to Sid. was paid for 60's to 70s and 6|d. 

 to "id. for 95's to 105's. At the last auction on the 30'th, 

 306 packages of West Indian were brought forward and 

 disposed of at rather easier rates. Of mace 16 packages of 

 West Indian were disposed of at the first auction on the 2nd 



of the month at 2s. \d. to 2.s. '2d. per B). for sound, and 

 Is. 9(/. to Is. \0d. for broken. A week later good fine pale 

 thin, West Indian fetched frotn 2s. M. to 2s. \d , and broken 

 2s. to 2s. \d., while good red Java realized 2s. 5rf , and broken 

 2s. M. per Bb. For the rest of the month these prices 

 remained fairly steady. West Indian being in good demand, 

 67 packages being disposed of at auction on the 30th. Of 

 arrowroot 23 barrels of St. Vincent were brought forward on 

 the 16th, part of which sold at 4|(1 per tb. and again on the 

 30th, 25 barrels of St. Vincent were offered and partly sold 

 at from Id. to id. per lb. 



SAESAPARILLA. 



There has been a steady demand for this article 

 throughout the month, and good prices have been realized. 

 At the first drug auction on the 3rd. of the month 21 bales 

 of grey Jamaica were brought forward, and all were sold for 

 part coarse to fair fibrous, at Is. \\d. to 2s. per lb., 2 bales 

 of fair Lima-Jamaica were offered, and both sold at Is. \Qd. 

 per R).; of 27 bales of native Jamaica offered, 15 found 

 buyers, fair to good red fetching Is. to Is Id., ordinary to 

 dull reddish lOrf. to \\d., while ordinary grey and pale red 

 mixed, realized lOirf. and dingy red M. per fc. A fortnight 

 later, namely on the 17th, the offerings consisted of only 

 9 bales of grey Jamaica, and 5 of Mexican. The whole 

 Oi the former which consisted of ordinary dark to fair, 

 was disposed of at froni Is. \Qd. to 2s. per fc. None 

 of the Mexican found a bujer. At the last auction on the 

 31st, the offerings were as follows, grey Jamaica fi bales, 

 native Jamaica 22, Limi-Jamaica 10 Honduras, 4 Two 

 bales only, of the grey Jamaica were sold, fetching 2s. per ft. 

 the other four being held at 2s. Id per ft. Only 3 bales 

 of the native Jamaica sold, 2 at \Ohd. to 11'?. for fair red, 

 and 1 at Is. per ft. The whole 10 bales of the Lima-Jama'.ca 

 were disposed of at from Is. 8cZ. to Is. 9d. for fair, part 

 roughish. The Honduras failed to find a buyer. 



KOLA, LIME OIL, LIME .7DICE, CASSIA FISTULA 

 AND TAM.VBINDS. 



Kola has been in greater demand during the month. At 

 the first auction 16 bags of good bright dried Jamaica 

 whole and halves, together with some halves from St. Lucia, 

 were all disposed of at from old. to 5|d per ft. At auction 

 on the 9th, 8 packages of West Indian were brought 

 fprward and sold, fair fetching o^d. and dull M. per ft. It 

 was stated at this sale that Qld. was asked for good sound 

 halves. A week later the large consignment of 76 packages 

 were offered, 64 of which were disposed of, 22 bags of 

 West Indian fetched from 4lcZ. to 5c?. per ft. for good small 

 dried, 3.W. per ft. for 14 bags of dark and mouldy, and 4|d. 

 to 4ic?. for fair halves, slightly dark. One batch of 

 12 bags of fair halves were held at 6ic/. At the last 

 spice auction on the 30th, 22 bags of ^Vest Indian 

 sold at from Z\d. to 4fc?. per ft. and at the drug 

 auction on the following day, one bag of small to medium 

 dull, St. Lucia, realized 3'/. per ft.; white 5^'/. per ft. was the 

 price asked for 2 bags of bright Dominican. 



At the first auction in the month 4 cases of hand 

 pressed lime oil from Dominica were disposed of at 7s. Qd. 

 to 7s. Id. and for another 4 cases of distilled oil Is. 3c?. 

 was asked Of lime it is reported that plentiful supplies are 

 forthcoming, and Is. to Is. fie?, per gallon, according to 

 quality is the nominal current price. Cassia Fistula is 

 very scarce, 30s. per cwt. being the price quoted for fair 

 plump West Indian pods. At the last spice auction on the 

 30th, 34 barrels of ordinary dry stony West Indian tamarinds 

 were brought forward and sold at lis. 6c?. per cwt in 

 bond. 



