Vol. IV. No. 85. 



THE AGR [CULTURAL NEWS. 



211 



Danish West Indies. 



The Loidslana Planter of June 24 contains the 

 following note on progress in sugar manufacture in the 

 Danisli West Indies : — 



The Breitfekl-Danek Engineering Co., of Prague, 

 Austria-Bohemia, liave unilei-taken the eon.struction of a new 

 central .sugar factory on the Lower Bethleliem estate in the 

 Danisli island of Santa Cruz, or Saint Croix. This faetorj' is 

 being built for a capacity of -500 to 600 tons of sugar-cane 

 per twenty-four hours and is now nearly completed. The 

 whole building is very neat, tasteful and of simple construc- 

 tion in iron and steel. The structural metal and the sugar 

 machinery have all been supplied by the Breitfeld-Danek Co., 

 and their promptness in the construction of the buildings and 

 in the erection of the machinery and the excellence of the 

 work done make a record for such sugar factories as these 

 in the West Indies. In this present case, within four months 

 from the time the contract was taken all parts of the iron 

 building and every machine were made and delivered. 



It is encouraging to those interested in the cane sugar 

 industry to see this spirit of progress and improvement 

 manifested more generally in the West Indies, and it is cpiite 

 a point for the fittle island of St. Croi.N; to become one of 

 the leaders in that improvement in cane sugar manufacture, 

 which has become an absolute essential everywhere where 

 sugar is made from cane, if cane sugar is to hold its own in 

 the sugar-making world and regain the controlling position 

 that it had a generation ago. 



TRINIDAD AT THE COLONIAL 

 EXHIBITION. 



The following is a summary of an article by 

 Mr. W. G. Freeman in the llV.s^ India Committee 

 Circular on the Trinidad exhibit at the Colonial and 

 Indian Exhibition : — 



The importance of the cacao industry to Trinidad is 

 brought home to the visitor by the wealth of material by 

 which it is illustrated at the Crystal Palace Colonial Exhibi- 

 tion. There are flovvers and pods, excellently preserved in 

 formalin, and some of the latter are cut open, displaying the 

 seeds, so that it is possible at a glance to note the dis- 

 tinguishing features of Criollo, Forastero, and Calabacillo 

 varieties. " Tlie commercial staple is well illustrated by some 

 sixty to seventy large samples of cacao beans. The samples, 

 lent by Mr. J. Hoadley, illustrative of the results obtained 

 from his new cacao drier, will be of considerable value to all 

 practically interested in this product. Those unfamiliar with 

 the mode of cultivation and manufacture of cacao, will 

 certainly be able to learn much if they carefully look over 

 the photographs with which the exhibit is so plentifully 

 furnished. 



Sugar with its by-products is well represented. There 

 are abundant fresh canes, etc., and the chief grades of sugar 

 produced in the colony are shown, including white, yellow 

 and grey crystals and molasses sugar, and also molasses and 

 rum. ' Molascuit ' affords an instance of the practical 

 utilization of a previous waste product. 



The export of cocoa-nuts from Trinidad is an industry of 

 considerable standing, and some 10,000,000 nuts are annually 

 sent out of the colony. The preparation of copra, which is 

 so imiiortant an industry in the East, has only recently been 

 extensively taken up in the West Indies. The specimens in 

 the court show that copra, of apparently good quality, can 

 be prepared in Trinidad, and it is gratifying to note that 

 during the last two years the exports have increased nearly 



three-fold. Cocoa-nut oil, of which such large quantities are 

 produced for local con.sum|ition, and to a less degree for 

 export, is also represented, together with the cocoa-nut meal 

 made from the cake left after the expression of the oil. If 

 this meal is available in sufficient quantity there should be 

 a market for it in the West India Islands, where relatively 

 enormous quantities of oil cake and other cattle foods are 

 imported annually. Manufactured products of cocoa-nut oil 

 are represented by a numlier of kinds of soap of good appear- 

 ance, and cocoa-nut [lomade. 



Considerable attention has been paid to essential oils by 

 the Botanic Department of Trinidad, and the possibilities of 

 the island in this direction are sufficiently indicated by a set 

 of some fourteen specimens. Samples are also exhibited of 

 camphor, distilled from C innumomum Camphora, introduced 

 by the Botanic Department from the East. Citronella oil is 

 noticed in the hand-book as an industry which could be 

 developed at short notice should favourable conditions arise 

 in the world's market. 



That it is i)0ssible to grow cotton of good quality in 

 Trinidad is demonstrated by a bale of Sea Island cotton and 

 the samples of other varieties exhibited. Leaf tobacco, cigars, 

 and cigarettes indicate the potentialities of the colony in 

 respect to the fragrant weed. 



The exhibit of rice affords proof of the suitability of 

 local conditions to the cultivation of this product. It is an 

 industry which might well be extended, especially consider- 

 ing that during the last three years, to go no further back, 

 some 20,000,000 tb. of rice have had to be imported annually 

 into the colony to supply local demands. 



Trinidad is very rich in timber, and the .specimens of 

 woods exhibited give some idea of the resources of the 

 colony in this product. The chief exhibits in the animal 

 products group are the sounds of a fish which are exported 

 as West Indian isinglass. Honey of very good appearance 

 is shown, and previous samples have been valued at a good 

 figure in London. Samples of crude and refined asphalt, 

 manjak or glance pitch and petroleum are also shown. 



Detailed information is available from the various hand- 

 books, guides, etc , which may be seen in the court, and 

 the comprehensi\e summary of the exports and imports of 

 Trinidad, specially prepared by Professor Carmody for this 

 Exhibition. Mr. J. H. Hart, the Superintendent of the Botanic 

 Department, is aliuost constantly in attendance, and places 

 his knowledge of Trinidad and Trinidad products freely at 

 any one's disposal. Every one concerned, both in Trinidad 

 and in England, must be congratulated on having brought 

 together, in such good condition, a collection so representa- 

 tive of the products and resources of Trinidad. 



WEST INDIES AND CANADA. 



Steamship Communication. 



Mr. J. Russell Murray writes to the Imjjerial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture under date June 10, 1905, 

 as follows : — 



A contract is being made with the Elder, Dempster k Co. 

 for a service from Montreal in the summer, and from Nova 

 Scotia in the winter, to Nassau, Cuba, and ^texico ; the 

 first steamer, the S.S. 'Yoruba,' has already a full cargo 

 engaged. The Pickford k Black line will be continued as at 

 present for another year when the question will be re-opened 

 and the service probably reorganized. The opinion 

 continues to be strongly held here that Montreal should be 

 the terminal port during open navigation. 



