276 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 9, 1905. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



BANANA INDUSTRY OF THE CANARY 

 ISLANDS. 



The following interesting review of the Canary 

 Islands banana industry is e.xtracteJ from the C'onfiil'ir 

 Ri'pmi for ]y04:— 



It will be remembered that there was a smart fall in 

 the value of bananas about a year ago. Notwithstanding 

 this, however, in the year under review there were 16S,8.53 

 crates, or about -t per cent., shii)ped in e.xcess of the quantity 

 exported in 1903, the estimated value of the shipments being 

 £384,28.5 in 1904, against £37.j,8.51 in 1903. It will thus 

 be seen that, in spite of adverse factors, the cultivation of 

 bananas in the.se islands continues to be a lucrative 

 industry. It is obvious that to be able to face a fall in price 

 of some -50 per cent., as was the case in May 1903, and yet 

 to increase their .shi[iments the following year, the growers 

 must previously have been realizing extremely large profits. 

 The former vaticinations of ruin arising from tlie competition 

 of the West Indian fruit are now no longer heard, and the 

 farmei-s a]i[iear to have realized that it has produced, on the 

 contraiy, a markedly beneficial ottect on the banana industry 

 of these islands. 



A factor vhich has enabled the growers to maintain 

 exports at a high figure is the increased competition for 

 freights among the steamship lines. This has brought 

 about further reduction in the rates. While this material 

 reduction in freights has, in a measure, contributed towards 

 maintaiidng [irices still paid to grower.s, it is apprehended 

 that it will no longer be able to do so from the moment 

 that still larger quantities of West Indiair bananas are 

 poured into the markets of the United Kingdom. It is 

 reported that the quantity of West Indian bananas expected 

 to anive in the United Kingdom will be at the rate of 

 300,000 bunches per month, or a total per annum of 

 •3,000,000 bunches, and this flooding of the markets seems 

 bound to have a prejudicial eftect on the Canary trade. 



It may be remarked that the chief fears for the future 

 of the banana trade arise from the neglect to provide more 

 reservoirs for storing water for irrigation purposes, and also 

 from the false economy practised by some of the planters. 

 They have been accustomed to making large profits in the 

 past, and now, when the prospects are not quite so brilliant, 

 they are economizing expenses in cultivation. Economy in 

 manure and artificial fertilizers is bound to result in deteriora- 

 tion of the fruit, and when it is remeudjered that it is by 

 its quality alone that the Canary banana holds its place in 

 the British market, it is ea.sy to foretell disaster, if false 

 economy of this kind were to become more general. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT IN LONDON. 



The following note is extracted tVoni the HV.vf 

 India Commdtt'e Cuvidur: — 



•lamaica has been showing some exceptionally fine 

 oranges and grajie fruit, and the oranges on view in the 

 Trinidad Court (especially the .seedless variety), likewi.se 

 several fine bunches of bananas, have attracted considerable 

 attention. Some bunches of the Barbados 'Dagger' bananas 

 have also made a creditable show. Spare parcels of all sorts 

 of fruit have been eagerly bought up. It is gratifying to 

 mention that six cases of .Jamaica and Trinidad oranges were 

 accepted for the farewell luncheon given at Westminster Hall 

 on Saturday last to Admiral Caillard and the officers of the 

 French Navy, in response to an otfer made to the Coinndttee^ 

 which was composed of such distinguished and well-known 

 personages as Vi.scount Churchill, Major Evans Gordon^ 

 Sir Arthur Hayter, and Sir Benjannu Stone. 



The Wcsfmlnliyter Guzi'ttc of June (i has the 

 following note on Jamaica oranges : — 



The quality of the thin-skinned, delicious .lamaica orange 

 is at last being appreciated at its true worth by the jiublic. 

 .■\lthough by no means a pretty fruit, it is the highest-priced 

 orange of its class on .sale, and the retail fruiterers are in 

 some instances putting up the dainties in punnets and selling 

 them at Is. 6rf. a punnet of six fruits. The great orange 

 shortage has had much to do with the high jtrices that are 

 ruling. The sup[)lies for the past week were -5,000,000 

 oranges less than those of the corresponding period last year. 

 At the present time about seven tlitt'erent sorts of oranges are 

 obtainable. In the markets the highest grade of .Jamaica 

 oranges in cases of 150 fruits connnanded a guinea a package. 

 At this price the golden fi-uits yield large profits to planters. 



Goat Keeping. AVater for goats is a most important 

 matter, but often neglected. A cow will quench her thirst 

 at any filthy i)ool or [lond, but not so with goats. They 

 are most fastidious. Clean, fresh water should always be 

 ottered twice daily, and oftener during very hot weather ; 

 but clean it nuist be. If a goat drinks well it invariably 

 milks well. Salt is another important matter. It is equally 

 as necessary to goats as it is to us with our food, and 

 moreover it incites thirst, which means that more water will 

 be drunk. There is no animal more wasteful in feeding ; 

 once they have soiled food in any way they will not 

 afterwards touch it. Grass .should therefore always be given 

 in a rack. {Journnl of the Jamaica Afjricultural Sowty.) 



