Vol. IY. Xo. 87. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



249 



■Costa Rica Banana Trade. 



The banana industry of Costa Rica, according to 

 n recent report of the United States Consul at Port 

 Linion, has reached such proportions that bananas now 

 form the main export of the country. At the close of 

 1904 about 50,000 acres were devoted to banana 

 growing in Costa Rica, of which 90 per cent, was owned 

 by the United Fruit Co. 



Up to 1902 the trade was confined to the United 

 States. It has since been introduced into England 

 with gratifying results to the exporters. No one need 

 have any fear of the demand for bananas ever ceasing 

 to exist. Bananas are not luxuries alone but nutritious 

 food, and, being cheap, will always be used by all 

 classes. 



The banana exports of Costa Rica have more than 

 doubled during the last five j'ears, and present indica- 

 tions are that the exports will double again during the 

 next five years. 



Tobacco Growing in Jamaica. 



In further reference to notes that have appeared 

 ' in the Af/ricidtural Neivs (Vol. Ill, p. 379, and 

 Vol. IV, p. 77) it may be mentioned that a number of 

 samples of tobacco grown at the Hope Experiment 

 Station, have recently been reported upon by Mr. F. V. 

 Chalmers, the tobacco expert who visited Jamaica last 

 year to inquire into the prospects of the industry. 

 The samples consisted of Sumatra wrapper tobacco and 

 Havana tobacco — both sun grown and shade grown. 

 Mr. Chalmers reports very highly upon them, 

 especially the outside-grown Sumatra and the shade- 

 grown Havana. The samples show that Jamaica should 

 bave no difficulty in competing with Sumatra, Borneo, 

 and Havana. He expresses the hope that some one 

 will be induced to go in largely for production on these 

 lines as he is confident that ' there is a large fortune 

 waiting for somebo<ly who will only j^roduce this 

 tobacco, as herein indicated.' 



Castilloa Rubber. 



The Secretary of the Mexican Rubber Co. writes 

 to the editor of the India- Ruhhcr JoiirnuC in refer- 

 ence to quotations for a sample shipment of rubber 

 from Mexico. It is mentioned that the product is 

 from Castilloa trees six and a half years old at time of 

 tapping, 'fwo of the samples were valued at from 

 5-s. dil. to Gs. and Gs. 3d., the price of fine Para being 

 at the time 5s. 7d. per lb. 



It is pointed out that hitherto Mexican rubber 

 has not been acceptable to buyers, but the above 

 quotations would indicate that just as Ceylon cultivated 

 (Hevea) rubber has proved far superior in quality to 

 the Brazilian Para, so the product of cultivated 

 Castilloa can also, by careful preparation, be made to 

 yield a very high-class rubber. 



In reporting on these samples the brokers state 

 that ' there is a good, growing demand for plantation- 

 grown rubber so long as it is sent home pure and in 

 good condition. Damp and heat produce stickine.ss 

 ■which is fatal to any raw rubber.' 



Exports of Java. 



According to the Consular Report on Java for 

 1904, the year was a prosperous one for the trade of 

 the island, a large increase in the production of sugar 

 more than compensating for shortages in the coffee and 

 tobacco crops. A review of the island's sugar industry 

 was published in the last issue. 



The total coffee crop was small, but the crop of 

 Liberian exceeded estimates, and planters of this kind 

 of coffee had little reason to complain. The tobacco 

 crop was satisfactory, and good prices were obtained. 

 The production of tea was increased by over 3,000,000 lb. 



A steady demand for copra caused a large increase 

 in the output. A fair crop of kapok was obtained. 

 Of this product it is reported: 'In France, Germany, 

 and the United States, considerable attention is being 

 given to kapok, as, on account of its insubmergibility, 

 it has been proved to be a satisfactory substitute for 

 cork in the manufacture of life-belts.' Over 77,000 

 bales wei'e exported during the j-ear. The exports of 

 teak and tapioca Hour (26,634 tons) also show an 

 increase. 



A Department of Agriculture was instituted 

 during the year under Professor M. Treub, formerly 

 Director of the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg. 



English Hares at Barbados. 



Brief mention was made in the Agricidtural NexL'S 

 (Vol. I, p. 167) of the introduction into Barbados, over 

 sixty years ago, of English hares. The survival of 

 these animals under what may be considered particu- 

 larly adverse circumstances — since they have had to 

 contend with the mungoose and, further, have been 

 under the disadvantage of having very little 'wild' 

 land in which to live (most of the land in Bai-bados, 

 not actually under cultivation of sugar-cane or other 

 crops being in sour grass) — is a point of considerable 

 interest to naturalists. 



It was considered that it would also be of interest 

 to ascertain whether these animals now show any varia- 

 tion from the normal type of English hare. With this 

 object in view, an attempt was made in April 1903 to 

 send a pair of those animals to the Zoological Garden.s 

 in London. Unfortunately, cold weather was experi- 

 enced during the voyage and neither of them survived. 



At the request of the Secretary of the Society, 

 a further attempt has recently been made by the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture. In tliis 

 instance, three hares (two does and one buck), kindly 

 presented by Mr. A. A. Evelyn, of Spencer's estate, 

 were shipped from Barbados in R. M. S. 'La Plata' oq 

 July 1 last. They had been reared in captivity from 

 a very young stage and it was thought they would 

 consequently bear the confinement on board-ship. By 

 last mail the Inqoerial Commissioner was informed by 

 the Secretary of the Zoological Society that the hares 

 had arrived safely at the Gardens. Dr. Chalmers 

 Mitchell pi'omises to make a careful examination of 

 them as compared with the English hare to ascertain 

 whether a new variety has been formed, in consequence 

 of the hares living under such different conditions. 



