Vol. IV. No. 81. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



153 



Packing of Oranges. 



A representative of the Jamaica Glftiicr recently 

 had an interview with Mr. A. H. Stockley, of 

 Elders & Fyffes, Ltd., in re^sjard to the fruit business. 

 Referring to the record banana shipment by the 

 'Port Kingston,' Mr. Stockley remarked that the trade 

 had developed wonderfully in the short space of four 

 years, and he thought Jamaica was to be congratulated 

 upon so valuable an addition to their e.xport trade. 



The export of citrus fruits had also increased to 

 a considerable e.xtent, but Mr. Stockley regretted that 

 there had been but little improvement in the packing. 

 The majority of shippers did not seem to realize the 

 importance of packing their fruit in such a manner that 

 it would arrive in marketable condition : these people 

 were doing incalculable harm to the industry. 



He had no doubt that if the growers in Jamaica 

 would select their fruit and pack it carefully, they 

 would' find a splendid market. 



Agriculture in Cuba. 



The U. S. }[<iailily Cuihsular Reports for January 

 190.5 contain a lengthy and interesting report on the 

 industries of Cuba in 1904. The principal crop of the 

 island is sugar, of which the pi-oduction was 60,817 

 tons in excess of that for 1903. The production of 

 molasses during the first six months of the year, 

 amounted to 42,200,000 gallons. 



The tobacco crop was good both in (piantity and 

 in quality. The pine-apples obtained better prices 

 owing to large shipments being now made direct to 

 Chicago, instead of all being placed on the New York 

 market as heretofore. A decided increase in the 

 shipment of other fruits is noted in 1904. The Cuban 

 orange is said to be delicious, and limes and lemons of 

 good quality and abundant. 



The value of the exports of lumber, dye-woods, 

 honey, and bees'-wax is constantly increasing. The 

 cattle industry, at one time one of the principal ones of 

 Cuba, is fast regaining its former j^rominence. 



Exports of the Republic of Honduras. 



From the annual Cimsular Report on this 

 republic for the year ended June 30, 1904, it is 

 noticeable that the banana trade is rapidly extending, 

 the exports for the }'ear under review being of the 

 value of £188,703, as against £121,443 for the previous 

 twelve months. The cultivation of bananas appears to 

 be the principal agricultural industry. ' Except for 

 the strip on the northern coast, which produces ever 

 increasing quantities of bananas, and a fair number of 

 cocoa-nuts, the agricultural districts increase their 

 production very gradually.' 



Other products of vegetable origin, exported to any 

 extent, are cocoa-nuts, mahoganj' and cedar, sarsaparilla, 

 rubber, and coffee. 



The exports of rubber increase slowly, but it is 

 expected that this should be an important industry 

 in the future. There is plenty of suitable land within 

 easy reach of the coast. Sarsaparilla is also exported 

 in increasing quantities. 



Agricultural Banks for Cyprus. 



Attempts are being made to introduce agricultural 

 banks into Cyprus. A pamphlet recentlj' issued gives 

 an account of the Raiffeisen system, pointing out how 

 it might be adapted to the condition in Cyprus. This 

 system has been fully described in pamphlet No. 3-5 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



After reviewing the conditions prevailing in other 

 countries where the Raitfeisen banking system has 

 been introduced and successfully worked, it is shown 

 that, at least, as promising a field is offered by Cyprus. 

 Against the proposal it is argued that the peasants are 

 so ignorant, so suspicious of one another, so unthrifty 

 by nature and habit, and, further, so unenlightened in 

 business habits, and so incapable of realizing the 

 advantages of a credit system, that any attempt to 

 introduce it would be foredoomed to failure. These 

 arguments, however, fail to recognize the fact that the 

 Raiffeisen system has, in other countries, been the 

 cause of the removal of those very evils. 



There do not appear to be any insuperable obstacles 

 in the way of establishing agricultural banks in Cyprus. 

 What is needed is that the methods should be made 

 known and well understood : for this it is necessary to 

 organize. Then trials should be made on a small scale 

 in one or two small village.s. 



Varieties of Cacao in Ceylon. 



In Circidar No. 24 of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Ceylon, ]Mr. R. H. Lock gives an account of the 

 varieties of cacao existing in Ceylon. The oldest cacao 

 trees in the Gardens belong to the ' old red ' variety, 

 known as Criollo, Creole, and Caracas cacao. Previous 

 to the introduction of Forastero cacao, in 1878, it 

 appears to have been the only form known in the 

 island. Though formerly much grown in Trinidad, it 

 is now a comparatively rare kind in the West Indies. 

 The trees of this variety are of a smaller and weaker 

 habit than those of the Forastero kinds. 



Considerable attention is being paid to another 

 Criollo variety 'Cacao del Pays' of Nicaragua. Its 

 most characteristic feature is the veiy large size of 

 the seeds, wdiich excel, in this respect, those of all other 

 varieties. The cured seeds are about twice the weight of 

 those of either the Old Red or the Forastero varieties. 

 'There is every indication that on a good soil and 

 with careful cultivation this variety of cacao will prove 

 most valuable. In its natural country it has the 

 reputation of producing the highest quality of cacao 

 of all known kinds. It is fairly jJi'olific, and the very 

 large beans should command high prices.' 



The term Forastero is used to include all varieties 

 other than Criollo. It includes varieties of high 

 quality with pale-coloured, well-rounded beans, on the 

 one hand, and on the other, beans of poor quality, flat, 

 deep-purple in colour, and bitter in taste. 



Efforts should be made to keep varieties sejjarate 

 to avoid the mixed plantations now common. The 

 actual variety to be grown must depend, to some extent, 

 on soil and situation. Whatever varietj' is chosen, it is 

 important to select specially strong, healthy trees as 

 parents, and such as are known to yield a good crop. 



