308 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



OCTOBEK 7, 1905. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



SPINELESS LIMES. 



Reference was made in the last issue of the 

 A(jfifuliar(d Xcws (p. 300) to the distribution of 

 .spineless lime plants from the Botanic Station at 

 Dominica. These plants are propagated from seed. 

 It was considered that it would be of interest to 

 obtain information as to the behaviour of this variety 

 under the influence of seminal propagation : the 

 j)articular point of interest was whether the plants 

 ' come true ' when grown from seed. !Mr. .Jones rehites 

 his experience as follows: — 



The oldest siuneless lime plants 

 fourteen years old. These sliow no 

 developing spines. 



Of the seeds of spineless lime sown probal.ily about 

 SO per cent. ' come true.' The remainder are thorny and are 

 rejected. 



Sometimes I have noticed in the seed beds plants that 

 are intermediate ; that is, they have short, blunt thorns. 

 These, on being planted in the field, became spineless when 

 about 4 feet in height, .so the tendency appears tn be 

 towards throwing off the spines rather than developing them. 



at this station are 

 signs whatever of 



JAMAICA ORANGE INDUSTRY. 



With a view to showing that the statement 

 freipiently made in Jamaica that orange dealers are 

 ruining the trade by shijiping all the bad fruit that 

 comes to them does not apply to all dealers, the 

 Hon. J. P. Clark has forwarded to the Baily Tdrtjiaiili. 

 the following particulars of one week's work in two of 

 his packing houses : — 



The particulars will show tliat at all events .some of us 

 endeavour to protect the trade. If the sugge.stion that 

 I made at a public meeting two j'ears ago could be carried 

 out, and no fruit be permitted to be packed except in 

 a licen.sed house, such things could not occur, as growers 

 would be forced to take their fruit to a decent house to be 

 packed after it has shrunk and been sorted, instead of being 

 piacked immediately after having been picked, regardless of 

 bruises, etc. 



Received. Packed. 'I'lirown away. 

 Williamsfield ... 1,001 -510 494 



Kendal S82 698 184 



BANANAS FROM MARTINIQUE. 



Tlie following is extracted from the Fruit 

 Groicrr: — 



In the case of bananas the cry is 'still they come.' 

 The impetus which has of late been given to this culture is 

 becoming infectious and every island where bananas can be 

 grown is entering the list. ^lartinique is the latest addition 

 and is, moreover, not to be left out of account. There are 

 regular lines of steamships, including the C'onqiagne Generale 

 Transatlantique, which call at Martinique, and it is antici- 

 pated that these vessels will be cijuipped for the carriage 

 lit fruit and that the industry of banana culture may prove 

 a paying one here as elsewhere. 



1,886 



1,208 



07 8 



SHOW OF COLONIAL FRUIT. 



The next show of colonial fruit will be held by 

 the Royal Horticultural Societ}- on Tuesday and 

 Wednesday, December 5 and H, 1905, at Vincent 

 Square, Westminster, London, S.W. It may be men- 

 tioned that the j^rize list shows that provision has 

 been made for, amongst others, the following classes 

 in which fruit growers in the West Indies are more 

 particularly interested : — 



DIVISIOX I. — COLOXIAL-iiEOWN FKUIT AND VEGETABLES. 



Class 5. — Pine-a[)ples. 



,, 6. — Bananas. 



,, 7. — Mangos. 



,, 8. — Grapes. 



,, 9. — Oranges. 



,, 10. — Limes and lemons. 



„ 11. — Shaddock.s, pomelo.s, and other like fruit. 



„ 1 7. — Yams, sweet potatos, and other tubers. 



,, 18. — Vegetables other than tubers. 



,, 1 9. — Any other colonial-grown fruits or vegetables. 



DIVISIO:S II. PRESERVED FRUITS, JAMS, ETC. 



This division includes exhibits of colonial-grown and 

 colonial-prepared fruits —bottled, tinned, or dried; colonial- 

 grown and colonial-preserved vegetables, and colonial-grown 

 fruits made into jam, jelly, syrup, etc., iti the colony. 



Dried or preserved fruits of anj' sort or kind may be 

 shown, subject to the condition of their being tasted by the 

 judges, and of their having been grown in a British colony. 



Xo entrance fee or charge for space is made and tabling 

 is also provided free of exi)ensc. If desired any produce may 

 be consigned direct to the society, but the society cannot 

 undertake to repack and return any exhibits. 



