Vol. IV. No. 88. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



■271 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



Canada. 



The following report, dated July 10, 190.5, on 

 West Indian produce in Canada has been received 

 from Mr. J. Russell Murray : — ■ 



SUGAR. 



Since my last the market has steadily declined for all 

 ^ra.les of West Indian sugar ; offerings have been more than 

 could be utilized, which has afforded full opportunity for 

 low counter bids. The stocks of muscovado have been far 

 in excess of actual needs. To a large extent the congestion 

 of the muscovado market has been caused by over consigning 

 to Halifax. Under an agreement between consignees and 

 refiners, the latter had to take up, pro rata, these supplies at 

 ]0.',c. above New York quotation.";, this year the supplies 

 have been far in excess of the requirements and overloading 

 lias resulted, compelling the refiners to cancel the arrange- 

 ment to protect themselves. Under these auspices consigned 

 muscovado is not likely to find as ready a market as formerly. 

 It has already Vjeen pointed out in the past that the best 

 results are not to be obtained by such indiscriminate con- 

 .sitruing, as it only destroys the possibility of growers obtain- 

 ing the benefits of the preferential tariff. In 96' centrifugals 

 the position is better, as few of these are consigned. Grey 

 crystals are offered at 2k., c. and f., witliout buyers, \\'ho 

 continue to hold off and little business is being done. Prices 

 show no indications of improvement, rather the reverse. 



MOLASSES. 



There is no anxiety to secure further supplies, as buyers 

 are confident that lower jirices will rule before the summer 

 closes. Supplies from the Northern Islands have been 

 arriving at Halifax, ami are reported as being of good 

 quality. 



COCOA-XUTS. 



Business is very quiet, and ample supplies are available. 

 New York quotations still remain low, and prices locally are 

 somewhat lower. 



SPICES. 



|> The market continues steady at late rates. Pimento is 



tmchanged. Nutmegs, slightly higher. Ginger, unbleached, 

 unchanged. 



LIMES. 



During the last ten days the weather has been warm, and 

 prices have advanced shariily in sympathy with lemons, 

 which have been higher in price than for three years. 



Heveas has been employed not only to adulterate rubber, 

 but even in some cases to reiilace it altogether. Experienced 

 estate owners believe the substitute to be slightly less 

 elastic than the genuine article. It seems that the great 

 demand has led to the practice for some years past. The 

 trees in cpiestion are plentiful and exist over a very wide 

 area, and are known in the State of Amazonas by the name 

 of ' Tapuru ' and in the neighbourhood of Para as 'Murupita,' 

 ' Seringa-Rana,' etc. Botanists are of opinion that these 

 trees belong to a species of Sapium. 



The word ' Tapuru ' is the Indian name for an insect, 

 and is given to the trees because they are frequently 

 destroyed by termites, particularly when tapping has beea 

 performed by unskilful hands. The advantages of the 

 ' Tapuru ' and its congeners consist in their being more 

 plentiful than the ' Heveas ' and in their more rapid 

 reproduction. 



Dr. Huber, the author of the report referred to, 

 questions if the practice, which he says has passed unnoticed 

 for twenty years, can be described as fraudulent. He 

 considers that if the union makes no difference to the 

 manufacturer, then no harm is done; and, on the other hand, 

 the knowledge is gained that the sources of supply are 

 greater than was formerly known. 



Exporters state that the adulteration is detected by 

 manufacturers by means of chemical analysis, and that the 

 cutters here can detect the presence of an adultei-ant by the 

 cedematous nature of the product, which leaves an impres- 

 sion when a finger nail is pressed into it. They describe the 

 blend as ' bastard rubber,' and classify it with coarse grades. 

 It is possible, however, tliat the mixture, up to a certain 

 point, may defy detection. 



RUBBER INDUSTRY IN PARA. 



The Consular Report on the trade of Para for 

 1903-4 has the following interesting note on the 

 rubber industry. The Consul deals especially with 

 the alleged adulteration of Para rubber :— 



The immediate future of the Brazilian rubber industry 

 is exceedingly encouraging, so much so that a period of 

 general commercial prosperity seems to be assured for several 



years to come. 



The director of the local Botanic Gardens reports in the 

 •Bulletin of the Para Museum,' dated December 190i, but 

 published in May 190.J, that it has been recently discovered 

 by a person unconnected with the production of rubber that 

 A latex obtained from a tree entirely different from the 



BALATA IN BRAZIL. 



In the following note, extracted from the Considar 

 Pu'port on the trade of Para for 1903-4, the subject of 

 species of balata is discussed. It would appear that 

 the species in Brazil is different from that in British 

 Guiana and Trinidad, but the product, if properly 

 cured, is claimed to be just as good :— 



In recent years a debatable question has arisen on the 

 subject of balata. Practical men with experience in balata 

 bleeding in the Guianas maintain that the same kind of tree 

 as that which provides this gum in the Guianas exists near 

 the city of Para. Local merchants were sceptical, but 

 nevertheless they sent the produce to London for trial. The 

 prices realized indicated that the Para balata was inferior to 

 the general article. The Director of the botanic section of 

 the Para State Museum is endeavouring to elucidate the 

 point. In the 'Bulletin' of the Museum he describes various 

 Amazonian species that produce balata, and is of opinion 

 that, with improved methods of curing, it may equal the best 

 balata of commerce. He further states that the trees are 

 plentiful and are to be met with in the entire valley of the 

 Amazon. He reports that the Brazilian and Guiana species 

 are very similar, but that a precise comparison is impossible 

 at present as both countries possess several varieties that 

 have not yet been sufficiently studied and authoritatively 

 described. 



The export of the produce of the ' Massaranduba ' is not 

 a novelty, for in a report published by the Bureau of 

 American Republics on the trade of Para in 1891, it is stated 

 that Para exported gutta-percha to the United States, and 

 explained that it was derived from 'Massaranduba' 

 {Mimusops elaia) and '.Jacqua' [Lucuma rjiganUa). 



