116 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Ai'KiL 22, 1905. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



BARBADOS BANANAS. 



Through the coi/rte^sy of ilcssrs. W. Pink & Son.s 

 we are enabled to reproduce in the Aijrk-ultural Newfi 

 a ,serie.s of ])hotograph.s illustrating the growth of 

 banana.'; in Barbados and the niethotl of .shipping them 

 to England. 



FlO. 10. l?ARIi.\liOs H.\NANAS. 



The above ilhistration (fig. 10) shows a growing 

 plant of this variety. As has been mentioned before, 

 it i.s the variety known as the Chinese banana {^fllsa 

 Careiiilixhl)) and is the same as that grown in the 

 Canary Islands. 



The number of bunches shipped from Barbados 

 by tlie Imperial Department of Agriculture during the 



last three years has been as follows: 1!X)2, IS; 190:^ 

 (j,G91 ; 1004, 1.5,:326. By R.M.8. 'Trent' on March 2?), 

 1,922 bunches were shipped. 



It may be of interest in this connexion to publish 

 the foUowiiig letter to the local press of j\Iarch 2S frou\ 

 Mr. J. K. Bovell, Agricultural Superintendent at 

 Barbados : — 



I sUr.uld be luuch obliged if you would lie so good as to 

 allow me to .state for the information of banana slii|)pers that 

 I received a telegram this morning from ^[essrs. A\'. Pink it 

 Sons informing me that the bananas .sliip|>ed by the ll.^f.S. 

 'Atrato' on March 11 last had arrived in England in perfect 

 condition, and advi.sing me to ship as many bunches as I can. 



YIELD OF VANILLA. 



A press bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station on vanilla cultivation in Hawaii gives the 

 following estimate of the probable yield of this product 

 and the profits that are likely to be obtained: — 



This has never been properly a.scertained in Hawaii. 

 The wild vanilla plant of Mexico bears one, two, and rarely 

 tive pods, all of superior quality. Two cultivated and hand- 

 pollinated plants at Moanalua, Oahu, jiroduced .'JOG pods in 

 l'.t02, and 1-50 pods in 1903, about one-fourth being of good 

 size anil (piality. This only indicates what may be accom- 

 plished by cidtivation, but is neither iiiaeticable nor advisable 

 on a large plantation. Plants yielding a very heavy crop ■ 

 may become exhausted. The root, and .sometimes the stalk, 

 rots away, or the vines turn yellowish green, the leaves 

 become suft and white, the tendrils dry, and the whole plant 

 dies. 



A yield of ten pods for ordinary, and twenty or even 

 twenty-five pods for strong, healthy jtlants, should be a safe 

 li}nit. On a basis of ten pods per plant, two plants to each 

 .supiiort, and 680 suiiports per acre, a yield of 13,600 pods 

 would be secured. One thousand average good pods weigh 

 45 ft)., and dry to half their volume and about one-fifth their 

 weight during the curing i)rocess ; 13,000 |iods weigh -"iS.j ft)., 

 and the finished article about 120 ft). At least one-half of 

 this should be of superior quality and sell for from •~?6 to $9 

 |ier fti., f.o.b. Honolulu. The balance would bring from 

 ."^l^-") to .^4 [ler ftj. This would give a return of not le.ss 

 than >?43r) per acre. This, however, can be accomiili.shed only 

 when a fair portion of the finished article is of superior 

 quality. 



