Vol. IV. No. 7.3 



THE AORICULTURAL NEWS. 



23 



BARBADOS BANANA INDUSTRY. 



The following is an extract from a report 

 presented by a Committee of the Barbados Agri- 

 cultural Society at a meeting of the Society on 

 December 30, 1904, in reference to the shipment of 

 bananas : — 



The Committee, after carefully considering all the 

 information supplied by Sir Daniel Morris, Captain Owen, of 

 the lioyal Mail Steam Packet Co., Messrs. H. E. Tlionie, 

 .T. R. Bovell, and other members of the Committee who are 

 shipping bananas, are of the opinion that for nine months of 

 the year, with thorough ventilation on board the R.M.S.P. Co's. 

 ships, the fruit can be carried in good condition. In support 

 of thi.s, they may mention that from the begiiuiingof January 

 to .June 4 the bananas shipped by the Department of Agri- 

 culture arrived in England in e.xcellent condition ; only 32 

 bunches, out of a total of 2,690 shipped, arrived in England 

 rotten, and the average price paid to the jilanters for that 

 period for single bunches was 3,s. 10'4rf., and for bunches 

 .sent in double crates 3s. i'ld. jier bunch. During the 

 summer months, however, it is found that the frnit has in 

 many instances arrived in England in a very unsatisfactory 

 condition ; not only was a certain number of bunches rotten, 

 but a very large proportion of the others was over-ripe, 

 necessitating a forced sale. 



Standing out conspicuously during the summer months, 

 was the shipment made by the S.S. 'Tagus' on July 30, in 

 the hold in which Hall's cold-storage system is installed, and 

 in which the fruit was carried. This shipment arrived in 

 England in excellent condition, there being not a single 

 bunch bad out of the whole consignment. ^Messrs. W. 

 Pink ife Son.s, to whom they were sent, reported that it was 

 one of the best consignments they had ever received, and the 

 bananas netted to the planters 3,<. Slcf. for single bunches 

 and for bunches in double crates 2s. lOJ. per bunch. In 

 siiite, however, of this shipment arriving in good condition, 

 and so keeping up the average, the bananas from June 18, 

 to the end of August only netted for single bunches 

 2s. 2'4:(/., and for doubles Is. lO^d. per bunch. From 

 the beginning of September to the end of October 

 the average net price per bunch was Is. for singles, and 

 Is. 71(1. per bunch for doubles. Thus it will be .seen that, 

 from the beginning of September to the end of Octol>er, the 

 amount received for the bananas hardly paid for the crates 

 and the cost of packing. From information, however, 

 recently received the bananas are again arriving in England 

 in good condition. 



Although the loss on recent shipments has, no doubt, 

 been very disajjpointing, for those who only commenced to 

 ship when the hot weather began, it may be stated that the 

 average net amount [laid to the shippers from the beginning 

 of January to the end of October is 2s. 6'9rf. for single 

 bunches, and for bunches sent in double crates 2s. 3'9(^ per 

 bunch. Assuming that the cost of the crate, packing, and 

 delivery in Bi'idgetown is on the average Is. 6(/. for single 

 bunches, and Is. 3(/. per bunch for bunches in double crates, 

 the net amount to the planter would be Is. 0'9d. for singles, 

 and Is. 0'9rf. per bunch for doubles. 



Whether the ventilation on board the ships during the 

 hot months has been sufficient is, your Committee believe, 

 doubtful. They have, however, been informed by Sir Daniel 

 Morris that when he was in England he inspected the fruit 

 holds of the ' Orinoco ' and ' LaPlata,' and arranged with the 

 Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. to make better provision for 

 carrying the fruit, and thi.s, your Committee are informed by 



the Sub-Committee, is now in course of being carried out, but 

 that the arrangements are not yet quite satisfactory. 



The question whether during the hot months, when the 

 wind is blowing from the same direction in which the vessel 

 is going, and the ship, so to speak, enveloped in a cloud of hot 

 air, the ordinary ventilation will suffice, i.s, the Committee 

 think, very doubtful. The question therefore arises whether 

 it is desirable to pay an extra rate during the hot months, 

 and get the fruit carried in the Hall's cold-storage holds 

 instead of the ordinary ventilated holds, or whether shippers 

 would be prepared to run the risk of a certain proportion of 

 their fruit arriving in England during the hot months in bad 

 condition. Another solution of the difficulty, if it could be 

 arranged, would be for the bananas to be planted so as to 

 cause the principal supply of fruit to come into bearing 

 during the cool season, i.e., say, from the beginning of 

 November to the end of !May. 



The Committee would, however, point out that in their 

 opinion, it would be very detrimental to the interests of the 

 banana industry, if there was an entire cessation of 

 shipments during any month of the year. 



The Committee would recommended that the Royal ilail 

 Company be approached, in order that the fruit chambers on 

 board the S.S. ' Tagus ' and ' Trent ' may be available for 

 Barbados fruit at the present rates of freight until suitable 

 accommodation be provided elsewhere. 



BEE KEEPING. 



Output of Honey from the United States. 



As showing the immense proportions of the bee- 

 keeping industry in the United States, the following 

 note is taken from Gleanings In Bee Culture for 

 December 15, 1904 : — 



It is perhaps well that the bee keepers of the country 

 should know something of the immensity of the bee-keeping 

 industry, including not only the production of honey itself, 

 but the manufacture of supplies for the same. Some time 

 ago I made an estimate, based on the exact knowledge of the 

 number of sections that are made annually, that the amount 

 of honey produced, both comb and extracted, would make 

 a total aggregrate of from 100 to 12.5 millions of pound.s, 

 worth from 8 to 10 millions of dollars. Very recently the editor 

 of one of our bee papers figured out from some Government 

 statistics that had then just been issued that 6,667 car-loads 

 of honey were annually produced in the United States. It 

 is a little significant that my own figures, arrived at from an 

 entirely different source, and in a different manner, should 

 show that, on a conservative estimate, there were 7,000 

 car-loads produced, or almost the same as represented by the 

 Government statistics. But it is reasonably certain that the 

 above estimates are, at the present time, away below the 

 actual mark, and that we should be safe in figuring on 

 a total output of 10,000 car-loads. If we estimate 40 feet 

 between the bumpers of the cars, this would make one 

 continuous train 75f miles long; but for fear the average 

 public would not believe these figures we have put the 

 estimate at the very conservative figure of 50 miles. The 

 mere fact that apiculture is making rapid strides in foreign 

 countries — even more rapid than it is in the United States — 

 goes to show that the little bee, in spite of its insignificant 

 size, is making its influence felt in the world. It thrives in 

 every climate except where there are arctic snows to cut off 

 all .sources of nectar. 



