164 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 3, 1905. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



SHIPPING ORANGES. 



ExperiiiK'nts conducted liy llic U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture in connexion witli the sliipnient of oranges have 

 shown that faihire has, in most cases, been due to careless 

 handling in California rather than to the etTeets of transporta- 

 tion. Fruit that is sound when packed reaches New York 

 in good condition. 



It appears that the princii)al source of decay is injury to 

 the skin of the orange by the sharp-pointed clippers that are 

 often used in gathering the fruit. Again, too long a stem 

 may be left on an orange : when packed this stem is liable to 

 injure the fruit next to it. 



As a result of these tests the conclusion arrived at was 

 that carelessness in handling was the chief cause of decaj-, 

 and that there is likely to be very little decay when the outer 

 skin of the orange is entirely free from all injuries. 



These are points that should be carefully considered by 

 all shippers of oranges. Attention has already been drawn 

 in the Acpicultural Xews to the damage that has been 

 sustained "by the Jamaica orange industry through the 

 shipment of badly selected or carelessly pai'ked fruit. 



under glass of this luscious fruit is considered a consummate 

 achievement in the art of gardening. 



The mangosteen is of very slow growth, but comes true 

 to the seed, and it is said that ripened cutting.s can be made 

 to root and grow, if started under glass with strnng bottom 

 heat 



THE MANGOSTEEN. 



The following int'ormation is extracted from an 

 interesting article on the inangostocn (Garcitii(L 

 Mangoatdua) in the Hawalutn Farcstfr aiul Agri- 

 culturist : — 



This genus of tropical ti'ees comprises about forty species, 

 and belongs to the order of Gutliferae. It is a native of 

 the Malay Teninsula, and grows well in Ceylon and Trinidad, 

 and in the liotanic Gardens at Jamaica — but not so 

 successfully in India. Numberless efforts are said to have 

 been made to naturalize this tree in the troi)ics, but without 

 marked success. ]t needs a moist and fairly equable 

 climate, with the temperature of 72° to 7G° F. and with 

 & rainfall of about 100 to 150 inches yearly. It does 

 not thrive .so well on the open jilains as it does in the 

 .sheltered vallcy.s, with light .shade. 



The fruit is lound, about '_' inches in diameter, and has 

 a tough rind ; it is first green, then gradually changes to 

 pink, then finally to a rich, deep purple when ripe ; inside 

 the fruit is divided into edible .segment.s, white in colour, 

 and in shape and arrangements like tlio.se of the orange. 

 These segments contain the seeds, which are dark-brown and 

 about the size of a small Lima bean. 



The flavour of the fruit is said to suggest something 

 between the grape and a peach, and the successful ripening 



COPRA IN SPAIN. 



In view of the efforts that are being made in 

 Trinidad to establish an ex])ort trade in copra, the 

 following note on the trade in this jjroduct in Spain, 

 from the U. S. Montldy Consular Reports, is likely 

 to be of interest : — 



During recent years the cost of cojjra has been rather 

 above the average, and this fact has militated against its 

 importation into Spain. If the price were to drop again to 

 between ^Qb and $75, at which copra was obtainable eight 

 or ten years ago, the consumption in this country would 

 probably increase by 30 per cent. 1'lie higher the cost of 

 copra the smaller the consumption of the oil in Sjiain, as it 

 is more advantageous to use olive oil for the maiuifacture 

 <.>f soap than an expensive copra oil. 



The average annual imports of copra are 10,000 to 

 12,000 tons at Barcelona and 18,000 to 20,000 tons in the 

 whole of Siiain. These direct shipments come chiefly from 

 the Straits Settlements, I'liilipiiine Islands, and Celebes, 

 though copra from otlier places is occasionally bought. 



Copra oil is extracted in this country by the c)rdinary 

 jiressure .system. The benzine system is [iractically unknown 

 liere. The estimated outturn of oil is from 60 to 64 per 

 cent., according to the quality of the material and the 

 process used for drying. Most of the mills in Spain have 

 been furnished by an English firm. 



The waste product is sold in cakes for fodder, and 

 hitherto most of it has been sent abroad, tliough the 

 consumption in the interior districts of Spain is steadily 

 increasing. This year, owing to the scarcity and dearne.ss 

 of fodder, more than half the product has been sold in Spain. 



The oil extracted from the copra is principally used in 

 the manufacture of .soap, of which there are more than thirty 

 different varieties made here. The soap-making industry in 

 Spain is capable ot being largely develojied on modern lines, 

 because, with a few notable exceptions, the processes used in 

 the making of soap are very antiquated. 



A paper by Mr. W. Greig on the ' Cocoa-nut Oil 

 Industry,' which will be published in the next issue of 

 the ]\'esl Indian Bulletin, contains practical informa- 

 tion in rc^gard to the manufacture of copra at Trinidad. 



