Vol. IV. No. 89. 



THE AGmCULTURAL NEWS. 



287 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



Drugs and Spices in the London Market. 



The following report on the London drug and 

 spice markets for the month of July has been received 

 from Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S. : — 



Tliroughout .July both tlie drug and spice iiiaikets \vere 

 generally very dull, the only interest shown being with such 

 articles as are used in the manufacture of cooling drinks, due 

 to the hot, dry weather that jsrevailed especially about the 

 middle of the month. The articles which were thus ati'ected 

 were such things as citric and tartaric acids, oil of lemon 

 -and lemon juice, and notably Quillaja bark which has been 

 for some time past used for producing froth or effervescence 

 to both intoxicating and temperance beverages. 



GINGER, 



Of this article 170 barrels of .Jamaica were offered at 

 the first spice sale on the oth., and of tliese 1'2 barrels only 

 were disposed of at bis. for middling bright. Cochin and 

 Calicut met with a small demand ; small and medium mouldy 

 washed realizing IS.s-., and fair cuttings 17«. A week later 

 easier prices prevailed, 4-50 barrels of .Jamaica were on sale 

 -and only 47 .sold : ordinary at 42.5. and good ordinary at 4.5s.; 

 1,000 packages of Cochin and Calicut were also offered, fifty 

 being disposed of at previous rates. At the third and at the 

 last sales of the month, .Jamaica, Cochin, and Calicut were 

 a,ll offered in large quantities but there was practically 



no demand, good ordinary .Jamaica 



■ bought in at 43.?. 



ARROWROOT. 



At the first spice sale none was offered, lut on the 12th. 

 of the month some 486 barrels of St. Vincent were on sale, 

 Jill of which were bought in. A week later toma sales were 

 effected of this quality at l|f?., none being offered at the 

 concluding sale of the month. 



PIMENTO AND SARSAPARILLA. 



Pimento began at easier rates, but at the second sale on 

 the 12th. the quotations were 2]'l for fair, and 2-^-(/. for 

 ordinary. 



At the drug sale on the 6th. Is. 2-7. per ft), was 

 realized for 1 bale of grey Jamaica sarsaparilla. — Si.v bales 

 of native .Jamaica were offered and held at from 9c?. 

 to 10(/. per ffi). A fortnight later good red native .Jamaica 

 fetched 8i./., and Lima from Is. 1(?. to l.s. id. 



..JASSIA FISTUr.A, LIME JUICE, KOLA, TAMARINDS, ETC. 



Of other West Indian products there were offered at 

 the auction on the 6th., 8 bales of ordinary West Indian 

 Cassia Fistula pods all of which were disposed of at 12s. 

 per cwt. One puncheon of common raw Deraerara lime 

 juice fetched I0},d. per gallon, and a half-bag of fair to bold 

 West Indian kola nuts realized -ihd. per ft). A week later 

 good green kola nuts fetched 6</., and good pale lime juice 

 was quoted at Is. to l.--. \d. per gallon, and a lower quality at 

 lOd. to \ld. On the 19th., the latest date upon which we 

 have any report, lime juice was stated to be in good demand 

 ■at even rates, fresh arrivals keeping the stocks up. Good West 

 Indian at this sale was sold without reserve at 9i(7. per 

 gallon. Good West Indian tamarinds were disposed of at 

 13s. per cwt. Four parcels of papain were also offered, the 

 -price quoted being 8.s. 6d. 



In closing it may be again of interest to note that fair 

 ■bright Tripoli strip orange peel was quoted at the beginning 

 ■of the month at 6d. per ft), and Maltese ringlets at i^d. 



Canada. 



Mr. J. Russell Murray has forwarded the following 

 review, dated August 10, 190-5, of the position of West 

 Indian products on the Canadian market : — 



.July business was unmarked by any special features, 

 Init continued good throughout the month. The crop reports 

 continue to be satisfactory and a large wheat crop is antici- 

 pated, which will ensure a good demand for the ' fall ' trade. 



SUOAK. 



Another month of frecpient sliarp fluctuations, largely 

 caused by speculative interests with several large failures at 

 the Paris centre, has reacted on cane sugars causing a decline 

 for the month in London of Is. 9(/. The oidy feature of 

 interest is the strong liolding of Cuban .sugars for the New 

 York market, which has caused American buyers to purchase 

 30,000 tons of .Java sugar in London, England. Cane sugars 

 have advanced |c. in New York for 96" centrifugals during 

 .July, and refined grades were advanced 10c. on August 2. 

 Fiefiners report granulated heavily oversold. The Montreal 

 market is stationary. Muscovado sugar continues in heavy 

 stock ; this, however, will see a reduction as soon as the 

 grape harvesting begins towards the end of .\ugust. Molasses 

 sugars are slow of sale. The sale at auction of about 2,000 

 tons 96° centrifugal sugar, slightly damaged per S.S. ' Yoruba' 

 drew a few buyers who paid !f2-.50 to ^2-72, the larger pro- 

 portion realizing •'?2-66, duty paid. 



MOLASSES. 



Trade has not shown any activity. Barbados have been 

 offered at 31c. in 100-puncheon lots ; buyers, however, are 

 fairly well stocked. Antigua and Northern Islands stocks 

 have been well taken up and, on the whole, are finding 

 readier buyers ; the general quality has been improved on. 



COCOA-NCTTS. 



Demand continues very .slow for the fruit trade, 

 manufacturers being the sole buyers during this season. 

 New York prices continue low, and locally there is no change 

 to record. 



Enquiiy for ' fall ' shipments for the canning industries 

 has begun. Pimento is quoted at an advance. Ginger is 

 firm. Cloves steady. Nutmegs, no change. 



BAN.4NAS. 



A shortage of supplies has advanced prices, but the 

 market continues under a close control. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, who 

 arrived in Jamaica on August 4, was present at the 

 inaugr.ration of the first course of lectures to distillers 

 at th°e Government Laboratory on August 1.5, and gave 



a short address. , , , , .r i 



On August 16, Sir Daniel attended the halt-yearly 



meeting of the Jamaica Agricultural Society and spoke 



upon the cotton industry and the prospects of rubber 



planting. A short summary of this address is published 



elsewhere in this issue. 



The Imperial Commissioner is expected to return 



to Barbados in the R. M. S. 'La Plata' on Thursday, 



September 21. 



